cold-email-personalization · diff
git:20251119.b753703 to git:20260403.260b51d
41 added, 33 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: cold-email-personalization
- description: Complete cold email system teaching research-driven personalization, "poke the bear" openers, custom signal hunting, and strict QA.
+ description: >-
+ Writes personalized cold emails by researching prospects, crafting attention-grabbing
+ openers, and scoring drafts against a quality rubric. Use when the user asks to write
+ cold emails, outreach emails, sales prospecting messages, outbound email campaigns, or
+ B2B email sequences.
---
- # Cold Email Personalization Skill
+ # Cold Email Personalization
## When to Use
- - **Cold Outbound Ideation**: Drafting initial emails and subject lines.
- - **Personalization**: Mapping research signals to first lines.
- - **Sequence Building**: Creating follow-up sequences that rotate value propositions.
- - **QA & Optimization**: Reviewing drafts against a strict rubric before sending.
+ - Writing cold outreach, sales prospecting, or outbound B2B emails
+ - Personalizing email openers from prospect research signals
+ - Building multi-touch follow-up sequences
+ - Reviewing or scoring email drafts before sending
- ## Framework
- 1. **Message Market Fit > Cleverness**: Show you understand the person/company immediately.
- 2. **Research IS the Personalization**: Custom signals prove you did your homework.
- 3. **Personalization in the First Line**: Use bracketed variables `{{...}}` or whole-offer strategy.
- 4. **Tight, Conversational Copy**: Plain text, minimal fluff, 60–120 words.
- 5. **One Job Per Email**: Single sharp question or CTA.
- 6. **Earn Replies, Not Just Meetings**: Confirm situation before selling.
+ ## Workflow
+ 1. **Map the ICP** — Complete [ICP & Objection Mapping](assets/icp-objection-mapping.md). Gate: persona, top 3 objections, and desired next step are defined.
+ 2. **Research signals** — Follow the [Research Playbook](assets/research-playbook.md) to find custom signals from the last 90 days. Gate: at least 2 verified signals per prospect.
+ 3. **Choose campaign path** — Pick Custom Signal, Creative Idea, Whole Offer, or Fallback from [Campaign Types](assets/campaign-types.md).
+ 4. **Draft the email** — Apply [Email Structure](assets/email-structure.md) rules: plain text, 60-120 words, one CTA. Use [Variable Schema](assets/variable-schema.md) for merge fields.
+ 5. **QA and score** — Run the [QA Checklist](assets/qa-checklist.md), then score with the [Scoring Rubric](assets/scoring-rubric.md). Gate: score >= 80 and 3:1 recipient-to-sender ratio.
+ 6. **Build sequence** — Add follow-ups per [Follow-Up Strategy](assets/follow-up-strategy.md), rotating value props each touch.
- ### Core Principles
- - **Targeting > Messaging**: Good targeting with bad messaging wastes qualified prospects.
- - **Two Paths to Personalization**: Custom Signal Research (Path A) vs. Whole Offer Strategy (Path B).
- - **The "Specifically" Line**: "Specifically, it looks like you're trying to sell to {{customer_type}}..."
+ ## Principles
+ - **Message-market fit over cleverness** — Show you understand the prospect's situation immediately.
+ - **Research is the personalization** — Custom signals prove homework; never fabricate facts.
+ - **One job per email** — Single sharp question or CTA; earn a reply, not a meeting.
+ - **Two personalization paths** — Path A: custom signal research. Path B: whole-offer strategy. See [Creative Ideas](assets/creative-ideas.md) for Path B tactics.
- ## Templates
- - **[Research Playbook](assets/research-playbook.md)**: How to find custom signals.
- - **[Variable Schema](assets/variable-schema.md)**: Standard variables to capture.
- - **[Email Structure](assets/email-structure.md)**: Subject lines, body copy, and "punchiness".
- - **[Campaign Types](assets/campaign-types.md)**: Custom Signal, Creative Ideas, Whole Offer, Fallback.
- - **[Creative Ideas](assets/creative-ideas.md)**: Generating credible ideas for prospects.
- - **[Follow-Up Strategy](assets/follow-up-strategy.md)**: Sequence logic and value rotation.
- - **[ICP & Objection Mapping](assets/icp-objection-mapping.md)**: Role-playing the skeptical prospect.
- - **[QA Checklist](assets/qa-checklist.md)**: Pre-send verification.
- - **[Scoring Rubric](assets/scoring-rubric.md)**: 0-100 quality score.
- - **[Examples](assets/examples.md)**: Real campaign examples.
+ ## Example
+ **Signal found**: Prospect's company posted a VP Sales hire on LinkedIn 2 weeks ago.
- ## Tips
- - **Role-Play First**: Always complete the [ICP & Objection Mapping](assets/icp-objection-mapping.md) before writing.
- - **Strict QA**: Use the [QA Checklist](assets/qa-checklist.md) to ensure every email meets the 3:1 recipient:sender ratio.
- - **Fresh Signals**: Only use signals from the last 90 days.
- - **Don't Hallucinate**: If you can't verify a fact, don't use it.
+ **Subject**: {{first_name}}, growing the sales team?
+
+ **Body**: Hi {{first_name}}, saw {{company}} just brought on a new VP Sales — congrats. Specifically, it looks like you're scaling outbound to {{customer_type}}. We helped [similar company] ramp 3 new reps to quota 40% faster by templatizing their top performer's research workflow. Worth a 15-min look?
+
+ **Why it works**: Uses a verified, recent signal in the first line; ties it to a specific, relevant outcome; single clear CTA.
+
+ ## References
+ - [Research Playbook](assets/research-playbook.md) — Finding custom signals
+ - [Variable Schema](assets/variable-schema.md) — Standard merge variables
+ - [Email Structure](assets/email-structure.md) — Subject lines, body, punchiness
+ - [Campaign Types](assets/campaign-types.md) — Four campaign patterns
+ - [Creative Ideas](assets/creative-ideas.md) — Generating credible prospect ideas
+ - [Follow-Up Strategy](assets/follow-up-strategy.md) — Sequence logic and value rotation
+ - [ICP & Objection Mapping](assets/icp-objection-mapping.md) — Persona and objection prep
+ - [QA Checklist](assets/qa-checklist.md) — Pre-send verification
+ - [Scoring Rubric](assets/scoring-rubric.md) — 0-100 quality score
+ - [Examples](assets/examples.md) — Full campaign examples