Cold Email Crafter

Creates highly personalized outreach emails for networking, job hunting, and business development that actually get replies. This skill generates subject lines, body copy, and multi-step follow-up sequences calibrated to your relationship with the recipient. Produces output formatted for Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and Thunderbird with proper plain-text and HTML variants.

Supported Platforms & Integrations

Platform	Integration Type	Features
Gmail	Copy-paste / template	Subject, body, scheduling suggestions
Outlook	Copy-paste / template	Meeting link integration, signature blocks
Apple Mail	Copy-paste	Clean plain-text formatting
Thunderbird	Copy-paste	Template-compatible output
Mailchimp	Sequence export	Multi-step drip campaign format
HubSpot	CRM notes	Contact context tracking

When to Use This Skill

• Use this when reaching out to someone you have never met for networking or informational interviews

• Use this when applying to jobs via email rather than through an ATS portal

• Use this when following up on a warm introduction from a mutual connection

• Use this when pitching freelance services or consulting to a prospective client

• Use this when reconnecting with a dormant professional contact after months of silence

• Use this when sending a thank-you email after a meeting that transitions into a business ask

• Consider alternatives when sending mass marketing emails (use a dedicated email marketing tool)

• Consider alternatives when you need automated send scheduling (use Mailchimp or similar)

• Consider alternatives when writing internal team communications (use a different tone-focused skill)

Quick Start

Copy
# cold-email-config.yml
outreach:
  purpose: "networking"
  sender:
    name: "Alex Rivera"
    role: "Product Manager"
    company: "StartupXYZ"
  recipient:
    name: "Jordan Chen"
    role: "VP of Product"
    company: "BigTech Inc"
    connection: "none"
  tone: "warm-professional"
  follow_ups: 2

First run example:

> Craft a cold email to Jordan Chen, VP Product at BigTech Inc, asking for a 20-minute informational interview about transitioning from startup to enterprise product management.

Subject: Quick question from a fellow PM (startup side)
Body: [Generated 150-word personalized email]
Follow-up 1 (Day 4): [Shorter 80-word nudge]
Follow-up 2 (Day 9): [Final 60-word breakup email]

Advanced Configuration

Copy
# Gmail-specific settings
gmail:
  include_signature: true
  scheduling_hint: "Tuesday 9:00 AM recipient timezone"
  thread_subject_variants: true

# Outlook-specific settings
outlook:
  calendar_link: true
  read_receipt: false
  priority: "normal"

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
purpose	string	"networking"	Options: networking, job-hunt, sales, reconnect, thank-you
tone	string	"warm-professional"	Options: formal, warm-professional, casual, bold
word_count	number	150	Target word count for main email (50-300)
follow_ups	number	2	Number of follow-up emails to generate (0-4)
follow_up_spacing	string	"3-5-7"	Days between follow-ups
personalization_depth	string	"medium"	Options: light, medium, deep (deep researches context)
subject_variants	number	3	Number of subject line options
include_ps	boolean	true	Add a P.S. line (increases reply rates)
cta_style	string	"soft-ask"	Options: soft-ask, direct, calendar-link, open-ended
industry_context	string	""	Add industry-specific language and references
mutual_connection	string	""	Name of shared connection for warm intros

Core Concepts

Concept	Description
Personalization Hook	The opening line that proves you researched the recipient specifically
Value-First Framing	Leading with what you can offer before making your ask
Soft CTA	A low-commitment call to action that is easy to say yes to
Follow-Up Cadence	Timed sequence of shorter emails that reference the original
Breakup Email	The final follow-up that signals you will not email again (often gets replies)

+------------------+     +-------------------+     +------------------+
| Recipient Info   | --> | Context Research  | --> | Hook Generator   |
| (name, role, co) |     | (company, recent) |     | (personal open)  |
+------------------+     +-------------------+     +------------------+
                                                          |
                                                          v
+------------------+     +-------------------+     +------------------+
| Final Sequence   | <-- | CTA Optimizer     | <-- | Body Writer      |
| (email + f/ups)  |     | (ask calibration) |     | (value + ask)    |
+------------------+     +-------------------+     +------------------+

Workflow Examples

Scenario 1: Job Hunting Outreach

Input: "Email hiring manager Sarah Kim at Stripe about Senior PM role. I saw her talk at ProductCon about API-first product strategy."
Output:
Subject: "Your ProductCon talk on API-first strategy — quick question"
Body: Opens with specific reference to her talk, bridges to relevant experience, soft ask for 15-min chat.
Follow-up 1 (Day 4): References a Stripe blog post, reiterates interest
Follow-up 2 (Day 9): Short breakup with well-wishes

Scenario 2: Freelance Pitch

Input: "Pitch my web development services to a local bakery that has a terrible website. Budget-conscious client."
Output:
Subject: "Saw your amazing reviews — your website could bring in even more customers"
Body: Compliments their product, identifies specific website issues gently, offers a free 15-min audit, mentions local business discount.
Follow-up 1 (Day 5): Shares a quick before/after of similar local business site

Scenario 3: Reconnecting with Former Colleague

Input: "Reconnect with former teammate Mike who left 2 years ago. He is now at a company I want to join."
Output:
Subject: "Hey Mike — saw the news about DataCo's Series C, congrats!"
Body: Genuine congratulations, brief personal update, natural transition to asking about their experience at the company, soft ask for coffee chat.
No aggressive follow-up needed for warm contacts — single gentle nudge at Day 7.

Best Practices

Keep it under 150 words. The data consistently shows that cold emails between 50-150 words get the highest response rates. Every sentence must earn its place. If a sentence does not personalize, provide value, or advance your ask, cut it.

Nail the subject line. Approximately 47% of recipients decide to open an email based solely on the subject line. Use lowercase, keep it under 7 words, and make it feel like a personal message rather than marketing. Avoid exclamation marks, all caps, and words like "opportunity" or "exciting" that trigger spam filters.

Lead with them, not you. The first sentence should be about the recipient — something specific you noticed about their work, company, or a piece of content they created. Generic openers like "I hope this finds you well" signal a mass email and get deleted immediately.

Time your sends strategically. Tuesday through Thursday between 8-10 AM in the recipient's timezone consistently shows the highest open rates. Avoid Mondays (inbox overload) and Fridays (weekend mindset). Never send on weekends for professional outreach.

Always include a P.S. line. The postscript is the second-most-read part of any email after the subject line. Use it for a personal touch, a relevant link, or a secondary hook that adds warmth to an otherwise professional message.

Common Issues

Problem: Emails landing in spam. Avoid spam trigger words in subject lines such as "free," "guarantee," "act now." Keep the email plain text without heavy HTML formatting. If using Gmail, ensure your sending domain has proper SPF and DKIM records. The skill generates clean plain-text output by default to minimize spam risk.

Problem: Getting no replies even with personalization. Verify your ask is small enough. Requesting a "30-minute call" from a stranger is a big ask. Drop it to "a quick question via email" or "15 minutes." Also check that your follow-up spacing is correct — too aggressive (daily) burns bridges, too passive (3 weeks) loses momentum.

Problem: Follow-ups feel repetitive. Each follow-up should add new value rather than just repeat the ask. The skill generates follow-ups that reference new context — a relevant article, a company update, or a different angle on your original message. Set personalization_depth: "deep" for maximum variation.

Privacy & Data Handling

• Local processing: All email content is generated locally within your Claude Code session. Recipient information is never transmitted to external services.
• Data retention: Contact details and email drafts exist only during the active session. No CRM data is stored persistently unless you manually save output files.
• Export options: Emails export as plain text, markdown, or HTML. Follow-up sequences can be exported as a JSON timeline for import into email scheduling tools.
• Sensitive data: The skill processes only the context you provide — names, roles, companies. It never accesses your actual email account, contacts list, or inbox.
• GDPR considerations: Generated emails include no tracking pixels or links. If you use the output in a marketing context, ensure you comply with CAN-SPAM and GDPR requirements separately.