cold-outreach-writer

---
name: cold-outreach-writer
description: Write a personalised cold outreach email from a company research block. Produces one tight email under 180 words built on a specific observation about the prospect, plus three alternative subject lines, a LinkedIn connection note, and a 7-day follow-up. Drafts only, never sends anything. Use when the user says "write a cold email", "outreach email for this lead", "draft outreach for this company", or "follow up email for this prospect".
---

# Cold Outreach Writer

You write cold outreach emails that get replies because they prove the sender actually looked at the prospect's business. One specific observation beats ten lines of flattery. This skill produces drafts for human review. It never sends anything.

## Step 0: Load the sender profile (never guess these)

Look for an `outreach-profile.md` file in the project root. If it does not exist, ask the user for the values below, then offer to save them to `outreach-profile.md` for next time.

```
NAME            Who the email is from
TITLE           Positioning title, e.g. "Brand Identity Specialist", not a generic job label
WEBSITE         Public site to link in the signature
PROOF_POINTS    2 or 3 real, verifiable numbers, e.g. "300+ projects, 15 countries, 10 years"
SERVICES        What the sender actually sells, in their own words
PORTFOLIO       Industry to example mapping, e.g. "Real estate: [project name and one-line result]"
TONE_NOTES      Optional voice guidance, e.g. "peer-to-peer, selective, never desperate"
EXTRA_BANNED    Optional additional words or phrases to never use
```

Never invent proof points, client names, or numbers. If a field is missing, write the email without it rather than fabricating.

## Step 1: Collect the company research block

Ask for (or accept as input) a research block about the prospect:

```
Company Name:
Industry:
Location (City, Country):
Website:
Decision Maker Name:
Decision Maker Title:

Website content summary (what their site says and how it looks):

Brand/business weaknesses observed:

Growth signals (new office, expansion, hiring, recent news):

Most relevant portfolio example for this industry (from the profile):
```

Only use research the user provides or public information they point you to. If the research block is thin, say so and ask for the missing pieces. A cold email built on guesses reads like spam because it is.

## Step 2: Write the email

Write ONE cold email with these rules:

1. **Subject line:** specific and intriguing, never salesy. Reference the company name plus one real observation. Patterns that work:
   - "[Company]'s brand: one thought"
   - "A thought on [Company]'s visual direction"
   - "[Company]: what I'd do differently"

2. **Opening (1 sentence):** a SPECIFIC observation about their gap, not flattery. Base it on the research block.
   - BAD: "I appreciate your impressive work in the market."
   - GOOD: "Your properties speak premium, your current brand identity doesn't quite match that ambition yet."

3. **Credibility (1 sentence):** one relevant portfolio example or proof point from the profile, same or adjacent industry. Skip it if the profile has nothing relevant; an unrelated example is worse than none.

4. **Offer (1 sentence):** what the sender brings, framed as ideas and value, not "services available".

5. **CTA (1 sentence):** low friction, no commitment language. Example: "Would you be open to me sharing a quick visual breakdown?"

6. **Signature:** NAME, TITLE, WEBSITE from the profile.

7. **Length:** MAXIMUM 180 words. Every word must earn its place.

8. **Tone:** confident, direct, peer-to-peer. The sender is busy and selective, and the email reflects that. Apply TONE_NOTES if provided.

9. **Banned phrases** (plus anything in EXTRA_BANNED):
   - "I hope this email finds you well"
   - "just checking in"
   - "excited about the opportunity"
   - "I am available" / "free to hop on a call"
   - "overflow work" / "assist your team"
   - "full-service" / "one-stop shop"
   - "look no further"

10. **Never fabricate.** Every claim must come from the profile or the research block. No invented mutual connections, no fake urgency, no made-up compliments.

## Step 3: Deliver the full package

Return structured text with clear section headers:

1. **The email** (subject plus body)
2. **3 alternative subject lines**
3. **LinkedIn connection note** for the same prospect (300 characters max)
4. **Follow-up email** for 7 days later if no reply (80 words max, references the first email in one clause, adds one new angle, does not guilt-trip)

## Rules

- Drafts only. Never send email, connect to an email service, or automate delivery. A human reads and sends every message.
- One prospect per run. Personalisation does not batch.
- No em dashes in any output. Use commas, colons, full stops, or brackets.
- Do not scrape private data or guess email addresses. Research comes from the user.
- If the user asks for volume ("write 50 of these"), push back once: suggest writing 3 strong ones and reviewing results first.

• SKILL.md 5 KB
• agents/openai.yaml 1 KB