The first line of a cold email: the one that decides everything

In an inbox, your lead sees the subject and the start of the first line. Those few words decide whether they open or archive. The first line isn't a pleasantry: it's your hook.

The most common mistake

Hi, my name is Kevan and I'm the founder of…

The lead doesn't know you. Starting with yourself asks them to care about a stranger.

Four good ways to start

1. A specific observation.

I saw you launched a second offer last month.

2. A problem they probably have.

Most coaches who launch a group offer get stuck filling the first seats.

3. A result for someone like them.

A coach in your situation filled her 6 seats in three weeks, with no ads.

4. A simple yes/no question.

Are you still looking for clients for your group offer?

The rest of the email

Three or four sentences max: why you're writing, what you offer, an easy question. No attachment, no link to a twenty-page deck.

The traps

• Fake familiarity ("Hey you!").
• A generic observation that gives away a mass send.
• A subject line that promises more than the email.

The number to track

Reply rate, not open rate. Send twenty emails with the same hook, count the replies, then change one thing and do it again.