How to write a cold email that gets replies
Quick answerKeep it under 120 words: one line that proves you looked at their business, one specific problem or opportunity, one sentence on how you would help, and one easy question. Use their name, skip the long introduction about yourself, and never attach files to a first email. Personal beats polished.
Watch how
Tick the leads you want to reach.
- Tick the leads you want to reach.
- Choose Write personal emails.
- Haiku reads each lead's public profile, then writes a different email for each.
- Every email uses their real details. Edit anything before it goes.
- Send from your own Gmail. Sending is free.
Step by step
Open with something real
A detail only they would recognise: a recent post, their new location, a review customers keep mentioning.
Name one opportunity
For example: “Your menu is a PDF, so it’s hard to read on phones.”
Say how you’d help, briefly
One sentence, ideally with a result you have achieved for a similar business.
Ask a small question
“Want me to sketch how it could look?” is easier to answer than a meeting request.
Sign off like a person
Your first name and one line about who you are.
Example
“Hi Amra, your seasonal lunch photos are lovely. Right now the menu is a PDF, so on phones it’s tiny and slow to open. I build fast, simple restaurant sites ([your real result for a similar place]). Want me to sketch how your menu could look on a phone? — Lena”
Avoid
- Generic flattery (“I love your brand!”).
- Paragraphs about yourself.
- Links and attachments in the first email.
- Invented facts. If you are not sure, leave it out.
Questions
Can AI write these for me?
Write personal emails reads each lead’s public page and drafts a different email per person. Review and edit every one before sending.
What subject line works?
Short and specific, like “Quick idea for your lunch menu”. Avoid clickbait.