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name: cold-email-personalization description: Complete cold email system teaching research-driven personalization, "poke the bear" openers, custom signal hunting, and strict QA.

Cold Email Personalization Skill

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.

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.

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}}..."

Templates

• Research Playbook: How to find custom signals.
• Variable Schema: Standard variables to capture.
• Email Structure: Subject lines, body copy, and "punchiness".
• Campaign Types: Custom Signal, Creative Ideas, Whole Offer, Fallback.
• Creative Ideas: Generating credible ideas for prospects.
• Follow-Up Strategy: Sequence logic and value rotation.
• ICP & Objection Mapping: Role-playing the skeptical prospect.
• QA Checklist: Pre-send verification.
• Scoring Rubric: 0-100 quality score.
• Examples: Real campaign examples.

Tips

• Role-Play First: Always complete the ICP & Objection Mapping before writing.
• Strict QA: Use the QA Checklist 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.