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2 resources from Close we point founders to, and the questions each answers.

📄 Article
✓ Link checked Free Beginner

Why we picked it Steli Efti (YC alum, co-founder of Close CRM) is one of the most trusted voices on startup outbound and cold email, practical, battle-tested, and free.

The Close Sales Blog (Steli Efti on cold email & founder sales)

From Close by Steli Efti article series

  • A great cold email answers the right question with a single clear call to action.
  • The subject line must spark curiosity and promise what the body delivers.
  • Follow up persistently, most replies come after the first email.
  • Objections are buying signals; welcome and dig into them.
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Answers I'm a technical founder and I hate selling, do I really have to do sales myself? How do I handle objections and prospects who go silent on me? How do I write a cold email that people actually reply to? How many times should I follow up before giving up on a cold prospect? Cold email or cold LinkedIn/DM, what works better for reaching first customers? Is cold outreach even worth it, or is it just spam that hurts my brand? What tools should I use to send and track cold outreach without spamming?
📄 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 →
Answers How do I write cold emails and LinkedIn messages that founders actually get replies to?