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<\/p>\n
2. Personalize your emails<\/h2>\n
People can smell a vague, non-specific cold email a mile off! If your email looks generic enough to be sent to the same 50 people, then you might need to rethink your cold email copywriting strategy.<\/p>\n
Personalized emails will give you a major advantage. <\/b>Even simple details like mentioning the email lead\u2019s name in the opening line, or their company name in the body copy can make a difference (and lots of cold email providers like lemlist let you do this automatically).<\/p>\n
And if you can go beyond the prospect\u2019s company name, even better. In the cold prospecting example below, the writer mentions attending a webinar that the recipient hosted.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
3. Make it all about them (not you)<\/h2>\n
You might be excited to share your sales pitch, but a word to the wise\u2014hold off sharing about yourself, and focus on the recipient.<\/b><\/p>\n
Think about what your audience\u2019s goals and pain points are, and focus your cold email body copy around that.<\/p>\n
In this cold prospecting example, the writer mentions how the recipient had mentioned something relevant during the webinar.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
4. Avoid \u201csales-y\u201d language<\/h2>\n
There\u2019s nothing like some industry jargon to dull the senses! Even if your recipient understands all the \u201cbusiness speak\u201d, it will probably have them yawning within seconds.<\/p>\n
Instead, focus on using human, authentic language to explain your product\/service.<\/b> If it helps, imagine that you were talking to them verbally, and then write with similar words and sentences.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll sound more like a real person\u2014just like our example below, which uses personal, positive language to create the desired effect.<\/p>\n
![\"cold-email-copywriting-tips-and-templates-to-email-leads-the-right-way-phantombuster\"](\"https:\/\/phantombuster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/cold-email-copywriting-tips-and-templates-to-email-leads-the-right-way-phantombuster-9.webp\")
<\/p>\n
5. Keep it simple<\/h2>\n
For the first email, don\u2019t bombard your reader with information. Once you\u2019ve established a connection and sent your follow-up emails, you\u2019ll be able to go into more detail.<\/p>\n
For now, focus on the bare essentials<\/b> and write them in simple sentences broken into logical paragraphs for easy reading.<\/p>\n
Notice how in the cold email example below, the writer describes their business in one sentence, with just one hyperlink.<\/p>\n
![\"cold-email-copywriting-tips-and-templates-to-email-leads-the-right-way-phantombuster\"](\"https:\/\/phantombuster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/cold-email-copywriting-tips-and-templates-to-email-leads-the-right-way-phantombuster-10.webp\")
<\/p>\n
6. Have one clear call to action (CTA)<\/h2>\n
A successful cold email will clearly explain what your target audience should do next. Avoid an open-ended question; make it clear what you want the recipient to do once they\u2019ve finished reading your cold email.<\/b><\/p>\n
Do you want them to click to book a phone call with you? Reply to your email? Read a case study for social proof. Hint: Don\u2019t ask them to do all three things at once!<\/p>\n
Instead, identify what you want your cold email to achieve and focus your CTA on that. In the cold prospecting example below, the writer simply asks the recipient to reply and tell them whether their offer resonates.<\/p>\n
![\"cold-email-copywriting-tips-and-templates-to-email-leads-the-right-way-phantombuster\"](\"https:\/\/phantombuster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/cold-email-copywriting-tips-and-templates-to-email-leads-the-right-way-phantombuster-11.webp\")
<\/p>\n
7. Proofread several times before sending<\/h2>\n
You\u2019d be surprised how many spelling and grammar mistakes can slip through the cracks. Read your email backwards and share it with a colleague before you hit \u201cSend\u201d.<\/p>\n
And you can also use tools like Grammarly as a rough guide, while you\u2019re writing.<\/p>\n
Also, take this time to make sure your cold email hits all the right notes<\/b>: a compelling subject line, personalization, clear language, and a strong call to action that resonates with your target audience.<\/p>\n
![\"cold-email-copywriting-tips-and-templates-to-email-leads-the-right-way-phantombuster\"](\"https:\/\/phantombuster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/cold-email-copywriting-tips-and-templates-to-email-leads-the-right-way-phantombuster-2.webp\")
<\/p>\n
8. A\/B test different versions<\/h2>\n
Last, you can test different email versions to see which performs best. A\/B testing lets you compare two versions and identify a \u201cwinner\u201d based on opens (for subject lines) or clicks (for email content).<\/b><\/p>\n
You should only test one thing at a time for the best results. This will help you to pinpoint precisely what works, and what doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Many cold emailing providers let you run A\/B tests, so make the most of this to optimize your cold email content.<\/p>\n
Here are some ideas of things you can test:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Subject line length:<\/b> Long or short?<\/li>\n
- Emojis in the subject line:<\/b> Yes or no?<\/li>\n
- Personalization:<\/b> Does mentioning names get more clicks?<\/li>\n
- Language style:<\/b> Formal or informal?<\/li>\n
- Email length:<\/b> Longer email, or a shorter email?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
4 Cold email templates to follow<\/h2>\n
If you need extra inspiration, here are 3 proven cold email copywriting formulas that get results. We\u2019ll break down each formula, and then share a cold email copy template underneath for you to follow.<\/p>\n
1. The \u201cStar-Chain-Hook\u201d cold email template<\/h3>\n
The formula:<\/b><\/u>
\nStar:<\/b> Share your big idea.
\nChain:<\/b> List the facts, sources, social proof, reasons, and benefits.
\nHook:<\/b> Share your CTA.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nA \u201cStar-Chain-Hook\u201d cold email example<\/h4>\n
Hi {name},<\/i><\/p>\n
Imagine if you could search for new customers online, without lifting a finger.<\/i><\/p>\n
I work for PhantomBuster, a lead gen automation tool which can find potential customers for you on autopilot. Here are just some <\/i>examples<\/i><\/u> of how you could free up your workload with us.<\/i><\/p>\n
What would you do with all that extra time? Perhaps you\u2019d take up knitting, or kite-surfing, or kickboxing, or whatever else floats your boat.<\/i><\/p>\n
If this sounds like you, then <\/i>click here for a 14-day free trial<\/i><\/u><\/a> (no credit card needed).<\/i><\/p>\n
Enjoy your day,<\/i><\/p>\n
Megan<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
2. The \u201cBefore-After-Bridge\u201d cold email template<\/h3>\n
The formula:<\/b><\/u>
\nBefore:<\/b> Describe their world right now.
\nAfter:<\/b> Help them imagine what it would be like if you solved their problem.
\nBridge:<\/b> Explain how to get there.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nA \u201cBefore-After-Bridge\u201d cold email example<\/h4>\n
Hi {name},<\/i><\/p>\n
We\u2019ve all been there. Manually trawling through LinkedIn, trying to find people who are interested in buying. It takes hours, and it\u2019s hard to filter through all the noise.<\/i><\/p>\n
The good news is, there\u2019s an easier way to do it!<\/i><\/p>\n
I work at PhantomBuster, and our dream is to help you to find your dream customers on autopilot\u2014including on LinkedIn. Whether you need to extract professional emails, auto connect with potential leads, or gather public profile data, we have a tool to help you get there.<\/i><\/p>\n
Click here<\/i><\/u><\/a> for a 14-day free trial. You don\u2019t need a credit card, and there\u2019s no strings attached.<\/i><\/p>\n
Enjoy your day,<\/i><\/p>\n
Megan<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
3. The \u201cBut You Are Free\u201d cold email template<\/h3>\n
The formula:<\/b><\/u>
\nMake a request, and then tell your prospect that they\u2019re free to do whatever they like.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nA \u201cBut You Are Free\u201d cold email example<\/h4>\n
Hi {name},<\/i><\/p>\n
I saw that your company secured extra funding this month; congratulations! If you\u2019re looking to scale right now, then I think you might enjoy using PhantomBuster.<\/i><\/p>\n
It takes over your online search for customers, from LinkedIn to Instagram, while you can focus on more important things.<\/i><\/p>\n
Click here to try it for free<\/i><\/u><\/a>, no strings attached.<\/i><\/p>\n
(But of course, if you\u2019d rather keep doing things the manual way, then that\u2019s cool, too!)<\/i><\/p>\n
Best wishes,<\/i><\/p>\n
Megan<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
4. Funny sales emails can work, too<\/h3>\n
Sometimes, the best cold email uses humor to stand out. If you\u2019re considering the benefits of funny cold emails, then here\u2019s a classic example from Gusto which ticks all the boxes.<\/p>\n
A funny sales email example from Gusto<\/h4>\n
Hi {name},<\/i><\/p>\n
I know these sales emails can be a little awkward so here’s a picture of our company dog, Finnley, standing on a desk to break the ice:<\/i><\/p>\n
Now that we’re old friends, if you had to give your current payroll provider a score between 1 and 10 what would it be? <\/i><\/p>\n
If you didn’t just yell “10!” at your monitor, here are two very simple, very good reasons why we should have a quick conversation about moving {company}’s payroll to Gusto…<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
![\"cold-email-copywriting-tips-and-templates-to-email-leads-the-right-way-phantombuster\"](\"https:\/\/phantombuster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/cold-email-copywriting-tips-and-templates-to-email-leads-the-right-way-phantombuster-3.webp\")
<\/p>\nHow to find prospects\u2019 email addresses<\/h2>\n
How do you find your dream customers\u2019 email addresses (without losing hours in the process)?<\/p>\n
We recommend using a tool like PhantomBuster that can run automated actions on your behalf across LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, Google Maps, and more.<\/p>\n
It can also search for your email addresses via its inbuilt email discovery service or your Dropcontact, Snov.io, or Hunter.io account.<\/p>\n
Here are some examples of how you can find email addresses with PhantomBuster (and plug them straight into your CRM).<\/p>\n
1. Find emails from a LinkedIn or Sales Navigator search<\/a>
\n2. Find emails from a Google search<\/a>
\n3. Find emails from a website<\/a>
\n4. Find emails from someone\u2019s name and company name<\/a>
\n5. Add your PhantomBuster results to your CRM<\/a><\/p>\nHow do email discovery credits work?<\/b>
\nEach PhantomBuster plan comes with a certain amount of email discovery credits. One credit represents one attempt for finding a person. The service uses a full name and company name to find an email address, then verifies it to only return those that are correct. You can learn more about PhantomBuster\u2019s email discovery service here.<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n1. Find emails from a LinkedIn or Sales Navigator search<\/h3>\n
To get the best conversion rate for your cold emails, you must ensure you\u2019re targeting the right people. LinkedIn and Sales Navigator let you run detailed searches to find the exact profiles you\u2019re looking for. PhantomBuster can then scrape profiles from these search results to find their email addresses.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Open<\/b> the LinkedIn Search to Emails Flow<\/a> (or the Sales Navigator one<\/a>)<\/li>\n
- Connect your LinkedIn session cookie<\/b><\/li>\n
- Share the search URL(s)<\/b> that you would like to extract emails from<\/li>\n
- Specify your launch settings and choose your email discovery service<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Et voila! You\u2019ll get the results in a neat CSV file, ready to plug straight into your spreadsheet or CRM.<\/p>\n
Watch this video tutorial for a more in-depth guide.<\/p>\n
Bonus tip:<\/b> Are you using lemlist? You could also try our LinkedIn Search to lemlist Campaign Flow<\/a>, which migrates all the data from a LinkedIn search straight into lemlist, for you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
2. Find emails from a Google search<\/h3>\n
If you want to target prospects, startups, or businesses in a specific location, then Google Maps can be a goldmine. All you need to do is share your Google Maps search, and then PhantomBuster will extract all available contact data for businesses listed in that search.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Open<\/b> the Google Maps Search to Contact Data Flow<\/a><\/li>\n
- Give the URL(s) of the searches<\/b> you\u2019re interested in<\/li>\n
- Choose which contact information<\/b> you\u2019d like to extract (emails, social media profiles, etc.)<\/li>\n
- Launch<\/b> the Flow<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Your results will appear in your Flow console, just like that.<\/p>\n
Watch this video tutorial to learn more.<\/p>\n
3. Find emails from a website<\/h3>\n
If you already have the websites of your potential clients, then PhantomBuster can run through these and search for their email addresses from there.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Open<\/b> the Data Scraping Crawler Phantom<\/a><\/li>\n
- Give the URL(s)<\/b> of the web pages<\/li>\n
- Specify which contact and social media data<\/b> you want to extract<\/li>\n
- Choose your settings, then launch<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Your results are ready to rock and roll! Watch this video guide for a more in-depth explanation.<\/p>\n
4. Find emails using someone\u2019s name and company name<\/h3>\n
What if you just have someone\u2019s name, and their company name? We\u2019ve got you! PhantomBuster can process this information and use your email discovery credits to search for their professional email address.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Open<\/b> the Professional Email Finder Phantom<\/a><\/li>\n
- Give the full name and company name<\/b> of your prospect(s)<\/li>\n
- Choose your email discovery service<\/b>, then launch<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The results will appear in your console in no time. Here\u2019s a video tutorial to walk you through this, step by step.<\/p>\n
5. Add your PhantomBuster results to your CRM<\/h3>\n
With PhantomBuster, you can gather hundreds of leads on autopilot\u2014and then connect the results with your CRM<\/a>.<\/p>\n
- Give the full name and company name<\/b> of your prospect(s)<\/li>\n
- Give the URL(s)<\/b> of the web pages<\/li>\n
- Give the URL(s) of the searches<\/b> you\u2019re interested in<\/li>\n
- Connect your LinkedIn session cookie<\/b><\/li>\n
- Emojis in the subject line:<\/b> Yes or no?<\/li>\n