First Touch Cold Email Template

The opening email for cold outreach. Short, personalized, and focused on one clear ask.

When to Use This Template

• First cold email to a prospect you've never contacted
• After identifying a potential fit through research
• When you have a specific reason to reach out (not mass blast)

The Template

Subject:

Hi ,



I'm reaching out because  sounds like it might be a fit for what we're building at .

We help  . 

Would you be open to a quick 15-minute call to see if there's a fit?

Variables to Personalize

Variable	What to Put
	Prospect's first name
	Their company name
	1-2 sentences showing you researched them (recent news, LinkedIn post, mutual connection)
	Subject line referencing something specific to them
	Who you typically help (e.g., "B2B SaaS founders")
	Main outcome you deliver (e.g., "cut sales admin time by 50%")
	Brief credibility signal (optional, e.g., "We work with teams like X and Y")

Example 1: SaaS to Marketing Director

Subject: Your LinkedIn post on attribution

Hi Sarah,

Saw your post last week about the challenges of multi-touch attribution—the bit about "spreadsheet hell" hit home.

I'm reaching out because Acme Corp sounds like it might be a fit for what we're building at Tempo.

We help B2B marketing teams automate their attribution reporting so they spend less time in spreadsheets and more time on campaigns. Teams using Tempo typically cut reporting time by 60%.

Would you be open to a quick 15-minute call to see if there's a fit?

Mike

Example 2: Services to Startup Founder

Subject: Quick question about TechStart's growth

Hi Alex,

Congrats on the Series A announcement—saw it on TechCrunch. Sounds like you're scaling fast.

I'm reaching out because TechStart sounds like it might be a fit for what we're doing at GrowthCo.

We help post-seed founders build their first outbound sales engine without hiring a full team. Most of our clients book 10-15 qualified demos per month within 60 days.

Would you be open to a quick 15-minute call to see if there's a fit?

Jordan

15-Minute Execution Plan

0-5 min Research 2 prospects: find their name, company, and one personalized hook (LinkedIn post, news, mutual connection)

5-12 min Write and send 2 first-touch emails using this template. Personalize the opener for each.

12-15 min Log what you sent. Schedule follow-ups for day 3 if no reply.

Output: 2 personalized cold emails sent, follow-ups scheduled

Related Templates

Value-Add Follow-Up

Send 3-5 days after first touch

Breakup Email

Final email in the sequence

Generate personalized versions in Tempo

Tell Tempo about your product and ICP. It generates personalized versions of this template for each prospect in your pipeline.

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