Cold Outreach
Generate a personalized 5-touch email sequence + 3 LinkedIn DM variants for any prospect.
name: cold-outreach version: 1.0.0 description: Generate personalized cold outreach sequences using proven sales frameworks author: KOINO Capital tags: [sales, outreach, email, linkedin, prospecting]
Description
Cold Outreach generates a full multi-channel outreach sequence — 5 emails + 3 LinkedIn DMs — personalized to a specific prospect. Every message uses battle-tested copywriting frameworks (PAS, BAB, AIDA) that top sellers use to book meetings. No generic templates. No "I hope this finds you well."
The difference between a full pipeline and an empty calendar is 8 well-written messages.
Activation
This skill activates when:
- The user wants to create a cold outreach sequence or campaign
- The user provides a prospect and wants email + LinkedIn messages
- The user asks for a drip sequence, follow-up emails, or outbound campaign
- The user mentions "cold outreach", "email sequence", "follow-up sequence", or "DM script"
Trigger phrases: "cold outreach", "outreach sequence", "email sequence for", "follow-up emails", "LinkedIn DMs", "drip campaign", "prospect sequence", "how to reach out to"
Input
The user provides some or all of:
- Prospect name — who you're reaching out to
- Company — where they work
- Title/role — their position
- Industry — their vertical
- Pain point — what problem you solve for them
- Your offer — what you're selling or proposing
- Context (optional) — mutual connection, recent event, anything specific
If the user provides minimal info, ask for at least: company, industry, and pain point. Infer the rest.
Instructions
Step 1: Build the Prospect Profile
From the input, establish:
- Their likely daily reality — what does their day look like?
- Their top 3 pains — what keeps them up at night?
- Their buying triggers — what would make them act NOW vs. later?
- Their objections — why would they say no or ignore you?
- Their language — how do they talk about their problems? (industry jargon, casual, formal)
Step 2: Generate the 5-Email Sequence
Each email uses a different framework and escalation level:
## Email Sequence
### Email 1: The Opener (Day 1)
**Framework**: Problem-Agitate-Solve (PAS)
**Goal**: Earn a reply. Not a meeting. A reply.
**Subject**: [5-8 words, lowercase, curiosity-driven]
[Personalized opening — reference something specific about THEM (1 sentence)]
[Agitate — name the pain, make it visceral (1-2 sentences)]
[Solution tease — hint at how you solve it without explaining everything (1 sentence)]
[CTA — one low-friction question (1 sentence)]
[First name sign-off]
---
### Email 2: The Value Drop (Day 3)
**Framework**: Before-After-Bridge (BAB)
**Goal**: Provide value. Build credibility. No ask yet.
**Subject**: [Reference to Email 1 or new angle]
[Before — paint their current reality (1-2 sentences)]
[After — paint what life looks like with the problem solved (1-2 sentences)]
[Bridge — "Here's how [similar company] got there" + specific result (1-2 sentences)]
[Soft CTA — "Want me to show you exactly how?" or share a resource]
---
### Email 3: The Social Proof (Day 7)
**Framework**: Case Study Drop
**Goal**: Overcome the "why should I trust you" objection.
**Subject**: [Reference a result, not your company]
[1-sentence re-engagement — "Quick follow-up on [topic]"]
[Mini case study — Company X had [same problem]. We [did this]. Result: [specific metric]. (2-3 sentences)]
[Bridge to them — "Your situation at [their company] looks similar because [reason]." (1 sentence)]
[CTA — specific and time-bound: "Got 15 minutes Thursday or Friday?"]
---
### Email 4: The Pattern Interrupt (Day 12)
**Framework**: Curiosity + Contrast
**Goal**: Break through inbox blindness. Change the pattern.
**Subject**: [Unexpected angle — question, stat, or contrarian take]
[Pattern interrupt — say something they haven't heard from the other 47 salespeople in their inbox (1-2 sentences)]
[Quick reframe of the problem from a new angle (1-2 sentences)]
[Micro-CTA — even lower friction than before: "Yes or no — worth a conversation?"]
---
### Email 5: The Breakup (Day 18)
**Framework**: Loss Aversion + Dignity
**Goal**: Trigger FOMO or get a definitive no (both are wins).
**Subject**: "closing your file" or "should I stop reaching out?"
[Acknowledge — "I've reached out a few times and haven't heard back. I get it — you're busy." (1 sentence)]
[Quick restate of value — one sentence, the strongest version (1 sentence)]
[Breakup — "I'll close your file and won't reach out again. If [pain point] becomes a priority, here's my calendar link." (1 sentence)]
[Graceful close — wish them well, no guilt trip]
*Note: This email consistently gets the highest reply rate (18-25%) because it triggers loss aversion.*
Step 3: Generate 3 LinkedIn DM Variants
## LinkedIn DM Variants
### DM 1: The Connection Request Note (300 chars max)
**Approach**: Peer-to-peer, no pitch
[Reference shared industry, mutual connection, or their content (1 sentence)]
[Reason for connecting — NOT to sell (1 sentence)]
*Example tone: "Saw your post on [topic] — sharp take. I work in the same space and wanted to connect."*
---
### DM 2: The Follow-Up DM (after they accept — Day 2)
**Approach**: Give before you ask
[Thank them for connecting (1 sentence)]
[Offer something valuable — insight, resource, or observation about their business (2-3 sentences)]
[No ask. Just value.]
---
### DM 3: The Pivot to Conversation (Day 5-7)
**Approach**: Natural transition from connection to conversation
[Reference something from their recent activity — post, comment, company news (1 sentence)]
[Tie it to the pain point naturally (1 sentence)]
[Soft CTA — "Curious how you're handling [specific challenge]?" or "Happy to share what's working for [similar companies] if useful."]
Step 4: Sequence Strategy Notes
## Sequence Strategy
**Timing**:
| Touch | Channel | Day | Best Send Time |
|-------|---------|-----|----------------|
| Email 1 | Email | Day 1 | Tue-Thu, 8-9am |
| DM 1 | LinkedIn | Day 1 | Same day as Email 1 |
| Email 2 | Email | Day 3 | 8-9am |
| DM 2 | LinkedIn | Day 4 | After they accept |
| Email 3 | Email | Day 7 | 8-9am |
| DM 3 | LinkedIn | Day 9 | 10am-12pm |
| Email 4 | Email | Day 12 | 7-8am (early = pattern interrupt) |
| Email 5 | Email | Day 18 | 3-4pm Fri (end of week reflection) |
**If they reply at any point**: STOP the sequence. Respond personally. Never send the next automated touch after a reply.
**If no reply after all 8 touches**: Wait 45 days, then restart with a completely new angle. Never repeat the same sequence.
**Objection handling**:
- "Not interested" → "Totally fair. Mind if I ask — is it the timing or the concept?"
- "We already have a solution" → "Good to hear. Out of curiosity, what's working and what's not?"
- "Send me more info" → "Happy to. What specifically would be most useful — [option A] or [option B]?" (qualify, don't just dump a PDF)
- "Too expensive" → "Makes sense to think about cost. When you say expensive — compared to what?"
Rules
- Personalization is mandatory. Every email must reference something specific about the prospect or their company. No "Dear Sir/Madam."
- 3-5 sentences per email. These are cold emails, not whitepapers.
- One CTA per message. Never two. Never zero.
- No buzzwords. "Synergy", "leverage", "revolutionary", "game-changing", "cutting-edge" — all banned.
- Subject lines are lowercase. No caps. No emojis. No "RE:" tricks. Write like a colleague, not a marketer.
- Each email stands alone. If they only read Email 3, it should still make sense.
- Escalate, don't repeat. Each touch adds a new angle, new proof point, or new frame. Never say the same thing twice.
- Mobile-first. 80% of emails are read on phones. No walls of text.
- No attachments or links in Email 1. They trigger spam filters.
Example
Input
Prospect: Sarah Chen, VP of Sales at CloudMetrics (Series B SaaS, 200 employees). Industry: Analytics/BI. Pain point: Their SDR team books meetings but 40% no-show. My offer: AI-powered meeting confirmation and prep system.
Output
(Full 5-email sequence + 3 LinkedIn DMs following the exact format above, personalized to Sarah, CloudMetrics, and the no-show problem)
Batch Mode
Provide a list of prospects to generate unique sequences for each:
| Name | Company | Role | Industry | Pain Point |
|------|---------|------|----------|------------|
| Sarah Chen | CloudMetrics | VP Sales | SaaS/Analytics | 40% meeting no-shows |
| Marcus Rivera | GreenBuild | COO | Construction | Project delays from manual scheduling |
| Priya Patel | HealthSync | CMO | HealthTech | Low content output despite 5-person team |
Each sequence will be uniquely crafted — not a find-and-replace.
Built by KOINO Capital | Test your outreach with our cognitive sim: koino.capital/simulate Want outreach sequences generated and sent autonomously? Deploy with KOINO