🧠 cold email psychology

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Show customers what’s genuine, not what’s possible

Josh Braun breaks down a cold email that earns replies by using specificity, relevance, and tension, without pushing or pitching.

A cold email that checks every box

Why this email works

1. It starts with relevant context

“Kim, with 3,000+ vehicles…”

⇢ It’s not “Hi Kim, hope you're well.” It’s directly relevant.
⇢ Answers: Why are you emailing me specifically?

2. It surfaces a hidden problem

“Most systems log general zones…”

⇢ Creates a knowledge gap without sounding critical
⇢ Challenges an assumption the buyer didn’t know they had
⇢ Our brains notice and react to threats. That’s what triggers attention

3. It connects to a real cost

“Small location errors at scale can turn into big tax errors.”

⇢ Shows a technical issue tied to real business pain
⇢ Specificity makes it tangible: vague risk becomes a clear consequence

4. It uses social proof

“Bob Stone… saved $10M.”

⇢ Shows proof, not a promise
⇢ It’s not we could help you. It’s someone like you already did
⇢ Lowers risk and builds trust

5. It’s specific, not fluffy

Details like:

→ “3,000+ vehicles”
→ “City or county tax accuracy”

⇢ These are “crispy.” They sound real because they are
⇢ The brain sees specific details as truth

6. It ends with a light CTA

“Worth exploring in Q4?”

⇢ No pressure. No 15-minute pitch ask.
⇢ Respects their autonomy while nudging a reply

What to steal for your own emails

✔ Use facts about their world, not just their name
✔ Surface a knowledge gap without selling
✔ Connect the problem to a real-world business cost
✔ Provide proof with specifics and names
✔ End with a simple, low-pressure ask

Skip intros. Remove fluff. Lead with insight. That’s how you earn replies.

Structure beats creativity in outbound

Connor Murray breaks down the exact system he uses to turn cold emails into consistent meetings, without sounding salesy or wasting time.

Cold email is your fastest growth lever

Forget calls or social.

Cold email ramps you fastest if your message is:

→ Relevant to your persona
→ Sent at scale
→ Written to get a response (not to pitch)

Small changes make a big difference:

✔ Raise your reply rate from 3% to 4%
✔ Improve meeting conversion from 10% to 15%
✔ You’ll cut your needed volume in half

Stop obsessing over perfect templates.

Instead:

➤ Get targeted
➤ Stay consistent
➤ Test, tweak, repeat

Structure every email to get a response

Your email should answer three things quickly:

✔ Who you are
✔ Why you’re relevant
✔ What you want

Then close with clear, confident language:

→ “Looking to get aligned this week”
→ “Does Wednesday or Thursday work?”

✘ Skip soft asks like “Open to a quick chat?” - they give your prospect an easy out.

Weak language = ignored emails

Common soft phrases to cut:

– “I was hoping to”
– “If you're interested”
– “Would love to connect”

Replace them with:

✔ “Let’s set time”
✔ “Looking to align on your Q4 plans”
✔ “Does Wednesday work?”

One weak line can kill your reply rate.

Most meetings come from follow-ups

70–80% of replies happen after the first email.

Use a 3-part follow-up:

➤ #1: Light nudge
“Just checking if you saw my last note. Does Thursday work?”

➤ #2: Polite pressure
“Please give me your thoughts on this.”
(This one drives the most meetings.)

➤ #3: Assumptive close
“Planning my calendar and wanted to close the loop. Should we revisit this in a few weeks?”

Send each follow-up 1–2 days apart. Stay in the thread.

Use the ABAB system to scale outreach

Connor’s weekly rhythm:

✔ Email Group A on Monday
✔ Email Group B on Tuesday
✔ Follow up with Group A on Wednesday
✔ Follow up with Group B on Thursday

That gives you:

→ 2 groups
→ 4 blocks per week
→ 5+ touches in 10 days
→ Fresh prospects every cycle

Add call blocks if you’re dialing.

Prep before you send

Build your system like meal prep:

→ Segment your list by title and industry
→ Create one email template per list
→ Save replies to top objections in advance

This turns cold outreach into a daily habit, not a grind.

Match messaging to persona

Each level of prospect cares about different things:

End users → Want to save time and effort
Managers → Care about KPIs and efficiency
Executives → Want ROI, reduced risk, and strategic wins

Same structure, different priorities.

Objections are tests, not blockers

Sell the meeting, not the product.

Use this formula:

✔ Acknowledge their concern
✔ Reframe with value
✔ Ask again with confidence

Examples:

→ “We already use someone.”
“Totally understand - just looking to introduce myself in case priorities shift. Does Thursday work?”

→ “No budget right now.”
“This is just a quick intro in case needs change. Can we grab 10 minutes?”

Keep these ready so you’re not rewriting every time.

Simple subject lines work best

Stick to clean and relevant:

→ “{First Name} / {Your Name} intro”
→ “Intro: {Their Company} + {Your Company}”
→ “Your team at {Company}”

Avoid gimmicks like:

✘ “Thought you’d want to see this”
✘ “Let’s 10x your pipeline”

They kill credibility and look automated.

Your cold email system =

✔ Clean lists
✔ Persona-matched messaging
✔ Assumptive language
✔ Strong follow-ups
✔ Weekly cadence (ABAB)
✔ Objection templates
✔ Consistent daily execution

This isn’t about creativity. It’s about clarity, speed, and repeatability.

What to say instead of "Congrats on the funding!”

Jen Allen-Knuth reveals how to stand out after funding news - focus on problems, not platitudes.

Skip the “Congrats on the funding!” trap

📌 Hundreds of reps get the same funding alert.

❖ They all write the same “Congrats!” line.

❖ Which makes emails blend in, not stand out.

Example: Replace “Congrats on the funding!” with a question tied to their new challenge.

Treat signals as research fuel, not reason

📌 Funding is a trigger, not a hook.

❖ Gives you a reason to dig into the account, not reach out.

❖ Understand what might be hard for that leader right now.

Example: “Saw the Series B funding and the plan to expand into new regions — how are you thinking about scaling rep enablement while hiring fast?”

Turn further research into valuable insight

📌 Jen reads the funding release, then asks ChatGPT:

“What would be hard about being the CMO right now?”

❖ This surfaces specific pain points tied to their growth goals.

❖ It helps build a relevant hypothesis instead of a random pitch.

Example: “Buyers outside of Legal Ops may not see Filevine as a fit — could make upmarket expansion slower.”

Connect their challenge to your problem space

📌 After finding their pressure points, link them to the problem you solve.

❖ Jen helps many sales teams defeat status quo thinking.

❖ Fight “good enough” solutions during upmarket moves.

Example: “Many enterprise teams already have systems they like - even if they’re outdated. Shifting that perception is the real battle.”

Write the email around your hypothesis

📌 Instead of leading with congratulations, open with relevant context.

❖ Reference something specific from their announcement.

❖ Share how a similar company overcame the same issue.

❖ End your messages with a light, curiosity-based question.

Example: Subj: Ryan’s Comment

“Not sure if shifting perception from ‘legal software’ to ‘enterprise workflow platform’ has been tough. ACME faced the same after Series C. Happy to share how they reframed messaging to open more enterprise doors. Worth a quick chat?”

Keep testing with different hypotheses

📌 One email won’t land every time.

❖ Send new versions, each focused on a different possible challenge.

❖ Variety shows you understand their world; not just your product.

Example: One follow-up could explore recruiting challenges. Another could focus on integration issues.

Stand out by giving a damn on results

📌 Every insight shows your effort and empathy.

📌 Be memorable in an ocean of copy-paste emails.

Example: “The fact that you’re expanding into government clients probably means compliance reviews doubled. Are teams handling that manually?”

Recommended tools*

• Mailshake: Cold email made simple and effective

• Smartlead: Automate outreach without losing the human touch

• La Growth Machine: Multichannel prospecting that actually scales

• Systeme.io: All-in-one platform to launch and sell your products

Check them out!