First Customers (GTM)

How do I write cold emails and LinkedIn messages that founders actually get replies to?

A starting point

A cold message gets replied to when it is obviously written for one specific person about their specific situation, not blasted to a list. Keep it short, lead with a reason you are reaching out to them, make the ask tiny (a quick reaction, not a 30-minute demo), and cut every word about yourself you can. Personalization at scale is a myth for founders, so send fewer, sharper messages to people you actually researched.

Go deeper

Hand-picked from around the web, each with a note on why it earns your time.

3 resources 3 link-checked Listen Read Use

Listen

🎧 Podcast
✓ Link checked Free Intermediate

Why we picked it Jen Abel has coached over 300 early-stage founders through their first sales, so this is grounded in what actually happens when an operator turns founder and has to open the first conversations. The core move here reframes your worry: treat those first outreaches as research, not pitches, which is precisely how you tap your old network without it feeling like you are cashing in on the relationship. Audio, video, and a full transcript are all on the page, so pick whichever way you learn.

The ultimate guide to founder-led sales | Jen Abel (JJELLYFISH)

On Lenny's Podcast by Lenny Rachitsky with Jen Abel About 1 hour 16 minutes

  • Treat early sales conversations as customer discovery: you are learning whether the problem is real, which lets a former colleague engage without feeling sold to.
  • There is a repeatable structure to first calls, demos, and follow-ups, so warmth from your network is the opener, not the whole plan.
  • Founder-led selling is expected at this stage; your industry context is an asset when you lead with the problem instead of the product.
Open lennysnewsletter.com →

Read

📄 Article
✓ Link checked Free Beginner

Why we picked it This is the rare cold email piece written by someone who has actually sent thousands of them (Steli Efti built Close, a sales CRM, on the back of founder-led outreach). It gives you 15 real templates with the subject line, the body, and the reasoning for when to use each, so you can see the moving parts instead of copying blind. It is honest that a template is a starting point, not a magic phrase: the personalization you add is what earns the reply.

15 Best Cold Email Templates That Actually Get Replies (Proven Examples)

From Close by Steli Efti

  • Keep it short and answer three questions fast: who are you, what do you want, and why this person specifically.
  • End with one clear, low-friction call to action, and plan your follow-ups before you send the first email.
  • Templates save time but only work once you layer in real, specific personalization; a copy-paste blast reads like one.
Open close.com →

Use

🛠️ Tool
✓ Link checked Freemium Beginner

Why we picked it Before any of your outreach copy matters, you need the right person's actual email, and Hunter is the most widely used, straightforward way to find and verify it. Its Domain Search helps you figure out who to contact at a company, the Email Finder gets you the address, and the verifier keeps you from bouncing and wrecking your sender reputation. The free plan is enough to get a founder started without a card.

Hunter (Email Finder and Verifier)

From Hunter.io by Hunter

  • Use Domain Search to find the best person at a company, then Email Finder to get their verified address.
  • Verify addresses before you send so bounces do not hurt your deliverability.
  • Free plan and a Chrome extension make it usable from day one; paid tiers add volume and sequencing if you scale.
Open hunter.io →

People also ask

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