From gtm-skills
Delivers B2B outbound email strategies for cold outreach including ICP frameworks, personalization, subject lines, sequences, response handling, and HTML templates. Use for sales campaigns.
npx claudepluginhub manojbajaj95/claude-gtm-plugin --plugin gtm-skillsThis skill uses the workspace's default tool permissions.
Expert outbound email execution for B2B sales and business development. Build high-response cold outreach campaigns that feel personalized and drive conversations.
Guides building and optimizing AI-powered cold outreach systems covering signal detection, enrichment, personalization, sequencing, sending infrastructure, and AI follow-ups.
Transforms cold outreach from spam to revenue by diagnosing messages, clarifying ICP, and generating value-first email/DM templates using Hormozi principles. For optimizing response rates and prospecting.
Generates personalized cold emails, LinkedIn messages, and sales cadences using SPARK framework, templates, and experimentation tips. Use for outbound prospecting and high-response follow-ups.
Share bugs, ideas, or general feedback.
Expert outbound email execution for B2B sales and business development. Build high-response cold outreach campaigns that feel personalized and drive conversations.
| Element | Question | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Who decides? | VP of Engineering |
| Company | What type? | B2B SaaS, $1-10M ARR |
| Pain | What hurts? | Content isn't converting |
| Trigger | Why NOW? | Just raised funding |
| Proof | Why YOU? | Helped similar company get result |
- What's their job title/role?
- What company size/type?
- What industry or vertical?
- What pain are they experiencing RIGHT NOW?
- Why should THEY specifically care?
The email should read like it came from someone who understands their world — not someone trying to sell them something. Use contractions. Read it aloud. If it sounds like marketing copy, rewrite it.
Cold email is ruthlessly short. If a sentence doesn't move the reader toward replying, cut it.
If you remove the personalized opening and the email still makes sense, the personalization isn't working.
"You/your" should dominate over "I/we." Don't open with who you are.
Interest-based CTAs ("Worth exploring?" / "Would this be useful?") beat meeting requests.
Short, boring, internal-looking. The subject line's only job is to get the email opened.
Rules:
Examples:
| Type | Duration | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Cold | 7 emails, 2 weeks | Standard outreach |
| Fast-Track | 5 emails, 1 week | Quick follow-up |
| Long-Play | 12-14 emails, 4-6 weeks | Enterprise/Nurture |
| Event-Based | 3-5 emails | Trigger-specific |
| Day | Goal | Length | CTA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1: Introduction | 0 | Awareness + relevance | 50-100w | Soft ask |
| 2: Value Proof | 2 | Establish credibility | 75-125w | Meeting time |
| 3: Different Angle | 4 | Alternative pain point | 50-75w | Yes/no question |
| 4: Social Proof | 6 | Peer validation | 60-90w | Simple reply |
| 5: Resource Share | 8 | Give before asking | 40-60w | Soft |
| 6: Direct Ask | 10 | Be straightforward | 30-50w | Meeting request |
| 7: Breakup | 14 | Final attempt + opt-out | 25-40w | "Close your file?" |
Tue–Thu, 10–11 AM or 2–3 PM in recipient's timezone.
| Level | Time | What to Include |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 (Basic) | 30 sec | Name, company, industry |
| Tier 2 (Researched) | 2-3 min | News, LinkedIn content, job postings |
| Tier 3 (Deep) | 10-15 min | Podcast quotes, custom video, mutual connections |
Content-Based:
"Your post on X resonated — especially the point about Y."
Hiring Signal:
"Noticed you're hiring X — usually means Y pain."
Company News:
"Saw the news about X. Insight: Y."
Mutual Connection:
"X mentioned you're working on Y. Made me think of Z."
Make it impossible to ignore. Prove you know them.
Good:
Bad:
Show you understand their world.
"Companies at your stage usually struggle with X" "Saw you're scaling — that usually creates Y"
Give before you ask.
Make it natural and low-friction.
Good:
Bad:
Each follow-up should add something new — a different angle, fresh proof, a useful resource.
Email 2 (Value Bump):
"Quick follow-up — additional insight. [Restate offer]."
Email 3 (Different Angle):
"New observation about their business. Thought this might be relevant."
Email 4 (Social Proof):
"Just helped similar company with result. Thought of you."
Email 5 (Break-Up):
"Closing the loop. If problem isn't a priority, no worries. Door's open."
| Response Type | Example | SLA | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positive | "Yes, let's talk" | 5 min | Book meeting |
| Curious | "Tell me more" | 1 hr | Send proof point |
| Objection | "Too small" | Same day | Handle with framework |
| Timing | "Not now, Q3" | Same day | Set reminder |
| Referral | "Talk to CFO" | 1 hr | Reach out to referral |
| Hard No | "Not interested" | 24 hr | Polite close |
Positive Response:
"Thanks! Here's what I promised. Quick question: [qualifying question]? If [condition], [next step]."
"Not Now" Response:
"No problem. Would it make sense to reconnect in [timeframe]?"
"What's This?" Response:
"In short: [1-sentence value]. [Reoffer value]. Worth a look?"
Skeptical Response:
"Fair to ask. [Proof point]. Happy to share case study if useful."
| Metric | Good | Great | Exceptional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Rate | 35-45% | 45-55% | 55%+ |
| Reply Rate | 3-8% | 8-15% | 15%+ |
| Meeting Booked | 1-3% | 3-6% | 6%+ |
| Element | Test Approach |
|---|---|
| Subject lines | Question vs. Statement |
| First line | Hook types: signal vs. pain vs. question |
| CTA | Direct vs. soft vs. value offer |
| Timing | Morning vs. afternoon |
| Length | Short (50w) vs. medium (100w) |
Send 50/50 split to 100 prospects. Wait 48h, measure opens + replies. Winner goes to remaining list.
| Stage | Volume | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Testing (Week 1-2) | 20-50/day | Find what works |
| Scaling (Week 3-4) | 50-100/day | Systematize |
| Cruising (Month 2+) | 100+/day | Maintain and iterate |
Rule: Never sacrifice personalization for volume.
| Mistake | Why It Fails | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Generic opener | "Hope you're well" ignored | Specific observation |
| Feature dump | They don't care yet | Lead with their pain |
| Multiple CTAs | Confusion | Single clear ask |
| Long emails | Won't be read | Under 75 words |
| Same angle each email | No reason to reply | New value per touch |
| No personalization | Feels like spam | Add research |
Example:
That's 4-8 customers/month from outbound.