---
title: How to Write Cold Emails That Get Replies | Workflow Turf
description: Two things decide whether a cold sales email gets a reply: the offer, and whether it sounds like a real person wrote it. How to get both right, with examples.
url: https://workflowturf.com/guides/how-to-write-cold-emails-that-get-replies/
---

Cold email

# How to write cold emails that get replies

By Erick Hill

I once sent a canned message to 650 people. No personalization, no copywriting formula, no follow-up sequence. Over 100 of them said yes.

The reason was simple. I was offering them something free, and all they had to do was tell me where to send it.

Copy, personalization, and follow-up all help if you're doing [outbound](https://workflowturf.com/cold-email-outreach/). But if your offer is bad, your copy won't save you. So start with the offer, and then make sure the email sounds like it came from a person.

## The short version

- A good offer matters more than good copy.
- The best offers promise a lot and ask for little.
- Write like a person. Email that sounds like AI gets ignored.
- Use real, specific numbers.

## Start with the offer

If you've heard of Alex Hormozi, you know his value equation. If you haven't, it's basically this:

> Value = (dream outcome × perceived likelihood) ÷ (time delay × effort and sacrifice)

The more of the top half you give someone and the less of the bottom half you ask for, the better the offer. Here's what a well-built offer looks like in recruiting:

> "I will bring you 3 qualified candidates in 7 days or you don't pay. Just give me 15 minutes of your time."

It works because it hits every part of the equation:

| Part of the equation | In this offer |
| --- | --- |
| Dream outcome | 3 qualified candidates |
| Perceived likelihood | The guarantee: you don't pay if it doesn't happen |
| Time delay | 7 days |
| Effort and sacrifice | 15 minutes of your time |

The reader knows exactly what they're getting. If they need qualified candidates, that's a pretty sweet offer. Get the offer right first. Once it's nailed down, then you can automate.

## Sound like an actual person

I recently had a client call where the guy told me he answered my email because I seemed like a real person. He gets cold outreach all the time and doesn't respond, because most of it sounds like AI garbage with outlandish claims.

Something like this:

> "Hey Steve, recruiting is such a noble profession. You're not just filling roles, you're connecting humans. My name is Erick. I make people a gazillion dollars every week yada yada."

First of all, it stinks of AI. You don't care about the nobility of recruiting. You're trying (and failing) to schmooze, at zero effort.

Real numbers help too. An exact figure from a real client reads like a person wrote it. "I made $40 million for a company" with no name and no detail reads like spam.

## A quick check before you send

- Can you say the offer in one sentence?
- Would you believe it if you got this email?
- Does it sound like you talking, or like a template?
- Is any number in it real and specific?

## FAQ

### What is a cold email?

A cold email is a sales email to someone who has never heard from you. It works when the reader can tell right away what you're offering and believes a real person sent it.

### What makes a good cold email offer?

A big result, a reason to believe it, a short wait, and very little effort from the reader. "3 qualified candidates in 7 days or you don't pay, for 15 minutes of your time" has all four.

### Do cold emails need personalization?

Not if the offer is good. I sent one canned message to 650 people with no personalization, and over 100 said yes.

Want someone to run this for you? That's what my [cold email outreach](https://workflowturf.com/cold-email-outreach/) service does, and recruiting agencies get [their own version](https://workflowturf.com/recruiting-agencies/) with a guarantee.

Get started

## Tell me what you're working on.

If it looks like a fit, I'll send you a few questions about your business, and then a plan and a price.

No sales call required

To send Erick a project request, see [how to send the contact form](https://workflowturf.com/.well-known/agent-skills/hire-workflow-turf/SKILL.md), or [book a call](https://calendly.com/erick-workflowturf/30min).