Cold email response rates sit below 1% in many industries. That’s not a typo. Research from Intently found that most cold outreach fails because it reaches people at the wrong time with generic messaging that business buyers spot and ignore instantly.
AI can change that math. But only if your prompts are good.
One developer who sent 1,000 cold emails and got a 3% open rate with zero replies learned this the hard way, as he shared on Dev.to. His emails were, in his words, “professional, polite, and completely forgettable.” The turning point came when he stopped using AI to write emails and started using it to understand people. His response rate jumped to 34%.
That gap between useless and useful comes down to prompt quality. The templates below are designed to bridge it.
The Real Problem With AI Sales Prompts
Most prompts fail for predictable reasons.
Ekta Shewani, an SEO Outreach Specialist interviewed by HubSpot, put it bluntly: “I have realized personalized email outreach is way better than using tools.” She tested five AI cold email generators and found the output consistently missed the mark on tone, length, and brand voice.
This matches what Consensus found in their research on sales prompts: “Vague or loosely defined prompts produce generic output, forcing teams to redo work.”
The fix isn’t abandoning AI. It’s giving it enough context to be useful.
That same research put it this way: “Nail the prompt, and AI becomes your hardest-working teammate. Miss it, and you’re just politely asking a robot to guess.”
Prospect Research Templates
Research comes first. You can’t personalize what you don’t understand.
Company Research Brief
Research [Company Name] as a potential prospect.
What I know:
- Industry: [industry]
- Company size: [if known]
- Recent news: [any triggers I'm aware of]
Find and summarize:
1. What the company does (1-2 sentences)
2. Recent company news or announcements (last 6 months)
3. Key challenges they likely face based on their industry and size
4. Technology they use that relates to [your product category]
5. Decision-makers I should target (titles, not names)
Format as a quick-reference brief I can scan before outreach. Keep each section to 2-3 bullet points max.Decision-Maker Profile
Help me understand this prospect before I reach out.
Prospect info:
- Name: [name]
- Title: [title]
- Company: [company]
- LinkedIn headline: [if available]
- Recent LinkedIn activity: [any posts or comments you've noted]
Based on their role and what I've shared, help me understand:
1. What are their likely priorities and KPIs?
2. What challenges do people in this role typically face?
3. What would make them look good to their leadership?
4. What objections might they have to [your type of solution]?
5. What angle would most likely resonate with them?
Keep it practical. I need talking points, not an essay.Pain Point Discovery
I'm selling [product/service] to [title/role] in [industry].
Our product helps with: [brief description of what you solve]
Based on industry trends and typical challenges for this role:
1. What specific pain points are they most likely experiencing?
2. What symptoms of those pain points might they mention?
3. What are the business consequences of not solving these problems?
4. What triggers might indicate they're actively looking for a solution?
I need this to personalize outreach and ask better discovery questions. Give me concrete problems, not vague categories.Competitive Intelligence Brief
I'm going into a deal against [competitor name].
About our solution: [brief description]
About the competitor: [what you know]
Prospect company: [company name and industry]
Help me prepare:
1. Where does [competitor] typically win and why?
2. Where do they typically lose and why?
3. What questions should I ask to highlight our strengths?
4. What objections might come up based on competitor positioning?
5. What traps should I avoid?
I need honest assessment, not just "we're better." Help me compete intelligently.Cold Outreach Templates
The 2025 Sales Data Report from Outreach found that 54% of teams now use AI for personalized outbound emails, and 52% report a 10-25% pipeline increase from AI adoption.
But pipeline only increases when the output is actually good.
First Touch Email
Write a cold email to [prospect name], [title] at [company].
About them:
- Industry: [industry]
- Company size: [if known]
- Relevant context: [any research or trigger - news, LinkedIn post, etc.]
About us:
- What we do: [brief description]
- Key benefit for this persona: [specific value]
- Social proof: [relevant customer or result if available]
Email requirements:
- Keep under 100 words
- Personalized first line (based on context provided)
- One clear value proposition
- Soft CTA (not "book a demo")
- No jargon or buzzwords
- Tone: [conversational/professional/casual]
Write 3 variations with different hooks:
1. Pain point focused
2. Trigger/news focused
3. Curiosity/insight focusedA Hacker News user who built an AI outreach tool noted something interesting: “I’ve actually had people reply saying they knew it was AI but still wanted to meet because the message was good and relevant.”
The lesson? Relevance beats disguise.
LinkedIn Connection Request
Write a LinkedIn connection request message to [prospect name], [title] at [company].
Context for personalization: [what you know - mutual connection, content they posted, company news]
Why I'm reaching out: [genuine reason]
My relevance: [brief - why should they accept]
Requirements:
- Under 200 characters (LinkedIn limit for request messages)
- Not salesy
- Give a reason to accept that isn't "I want to sell you something"
- No links
Write 3 variations.LinkedIn Follow-Up Message
I connected with [prospect name] on LinkedIn [timeframe] ago. They accepted but we haven't had a conversation.
About them:
- Title: [title]
- Company: [company]
- What they might care about: [based on research]
About what I'm offering:
- [brief description]
Write a follow-up DM that:
- Acknowledges the connection naturally
- Offers something valuable (insight, resource, observation)
- Opens a conversation without being pushy
- Feels like a person wrote it, not a sales sequence
Keep under 300 characters. No hard sells.Multi-Touch Sequence Framework
Build a 5-touch outbound sequence to get [target persona] at [company type] to respond.
Sequence context:
- Channel mix: [email, LinkedIn, phone]
- Spacing: [days between touches]
- Goal: [meeting, call, reply]
Our value prop: [what we offer and why it matters to them]
Key pain points we solve: [list 2-3]
For each touch, provide:
1. Channel
2. Timing (day in sequence)
3. Hook/angle (different for each)
4. Key message
5. CTA
Each touch should:
- Bring a new angle, not just "following up"
- Increase urgency or value progressively
- Feel like a human who's genuinely trying to help
Final touch should have a breakup angle if still no response.Follow-Up Templates
According to Outreach’s research, it takes an average of 4.81 touches to get a prospect response. Most reps give up too early.
Post-Meeting Follow-Up
Write a follow-up email after a discovery/demo call.
Meeting details:
- Prospect: [name and title]
- Company: [company]
- Key pain points discussed: [list 2-3]
- What resonated most: [their reaction points]
- Next steps agreed: [what was decided]
- Outstanding questions: [if any]
Email should:
- Thank them without being generic
- Recap the key points (show I listened)
- Confirm next steps
- Address any outstanding questions or concerns mentioned
- Include relevant resource if appropriate
- Set clear expectations for what happens next
Tone: [professional but warm]
Length: [under 200 words]No Response Follow-Up Series
I sent [initial email/LinkedIn message] to [prospect] [timeframe] ago and haven't heard back. This is follow-up #[number].
Original context:
- What I reached out about: [brief]
- Why it's relevant to them: [brief]
Write a follow-up that:
- Acknowledges I've reached out before (briefly)
- Brings a new angle or piece of value
- Doesn't guilt-trip or pressure
- Makes it easy to reply even if they're not interested
This is follow-up #[number] of [total], so the tone should be [appropriate urgency level].
Keep under 75 words. One clear CTA.Breakup Email
I've reached out to [prospect] [number] times without response. This is my final attempt.
Original value prop: [what I was offering]
Audience: [their role/industry]
Write a "breakup" email that:
- Acknowledges this is my last attempt
- Respects their time and inbox
- Leaves the door open
- Offers one final piece of value or insight
- Has a clear CTA that makes responding easy
- Doesn't guilt-trip
Goal: get a response (even "not interested" is useful) or at least leave a positive impression.
Keep under 100 words. Professional but human.Re-Engagement (Past Prospect)
I'm reaching back out to [prospect name], who I spoke with [timeframe] ago.
Previous conversation:
- What we discussed: [brief]
- Why it didn't move forward: [timing, budget, priority, etc.]
- What's changed since then: [new features, case studies, market changes]
Write a re-engagement email that:
- References our previous conversation
- Acknowledges why it wasn't the right time
- Shares what's new or different
- Gives a compelling reason to reconnect
- Makes responding low-commitment
Tone: warm, not pushy. I'm checking in, not pressuring.
Length: under 100 words.Call Preparation Templates
87% of respondents in Outreach’s survey reported that AI-driven SDRs are effective or very effective. But the humans still handle the calls. These prompts help you prepare.
Discovery Call Prep
I have a discovery call with [prospect name], [title] at [company] tomorrow.
What I know:
- Company: [brief description]
- Industry: [industry]
- Company size: [size]
- What prompted the meeting: [inbound request, outbound outreach, referral]
- Initial interest: [what they said they're looking for]
Help me prepare:
1. 3-5 discovery questions to understand their situation (open-ended, not leading)
2. 2-3 questions to understand their buying process
3. Key things to listen for that would indicate strong fit
4. Potential objections and how to address them
5. How to position next steps based on different scenarios
I want to have a genuine conversation, not run through a checklist. Help me be prepared without being robotic.Demo Prep Brief
I'm doing a demo for [prospect company] tomorrow.
Attendees: [who will be there and their roles]
Key pain points from discovery: [what they told me]
What they want to see: [specific areas of interest]
Objections to anticipate: [based on conversations so far]
Competition: [if known]
Success metrics: [what would make this successful for them]
Help me prepare:
1. Demo flow that prioritizes what matters to them
2. Key features to highlight (and which to skip)
3. Stories or examples that would resonate
4. Questions to ask during the demo to keep it interactive
5. How to handle likely objections
6. Clear next step to propose
Keep the demo focused. They don't need to see everything.Objection Response Prep
Prepare me for common objections in my [upcoming call type].
What I'm selling: [brief description]
Who I'm selling to: [persona]
Price point: [if relevant]
Known concerns: [anything the prospect has already raised]
For each common objection below, give me:
- A 2-sentence response
- A follow-up question to understand the real concern
- When to address vs. when to acknowledge and move on
Objections to prepare for:
1. Price/budget concerns
2. "We're already using [competitor]"
3. "Not the right time"
4. "I need to talk to [other stakeholder]"
5. "Can you send me more information?"
6. [Add any specific objections you anticipate]Proposal and Quote Templates
Proposal Summary Email
I need to send a proposal summary email to [prospect] after our [call type].
Deal context:
- Company: [company]
- Primary contact: [name and title]
- Solution we're proposing: [brief]
- Key value points: [what matters most to them]
- Investment: [price/range]
- Timeline discussed: [implementation or decision timeline]
- Key stakeholders: [who else is involved in the decision]
Write an email that:
- Summarizes what we discussed and agreed
- Restates the value in their terms (not our features)
- Clearly states the investment and what's included
- Sets expectations for next steps
- Creates appropriate urgency without pressure
- Makes it easy to share with other stakeholders
Length: [concise but complete]
Attach: [reference any attachments]Quote Follow-Up
I sent a proposal/quote to [prospect] [timeframe] ago. I need to follow up.
Proposal details:
- What we proposed: [brief]
- Investment: [amount]
- Timeline for decision they mentioned: [if any]
- Outstanding questions: [if any]
Write a follow-up that:
- Checks in without being pushy
- Offers to address any questions
- Gently probes for where things stand
- Makes next steps clear
I don't want to seem desperate, but I do need to keep this moving.
Length: under 75 words.Quick Research Prompts
Shorter prompts for when you’re moving fast between calls.
Before Cold Outreach
Give me 3 angles I could use to reach out to a [title] at a [company type/industry]. Our product [brief description]. What would make them respond?Pre-Call Context
I'm calling [title] at [company in X industry]. What 3 questions should I ask to quickly understand if we're a fit? What should I listen for?Trigger Research
What business events or changes typically trigger companies in [industry] to look for [your type of solution]? How would I find companies experiencing those triggers?Industry Quick Brief
Give me a 60-second briefing on [industry]. What are the top 3 challenges? What's changing in 2026? What do [target titles] care most about?Why These Templates Work (And When They Don’t)
Joe Fletcher, a marketing consultant interviewed by HubSpot, said something that applies to all these templates: “For me, a personalized approach is still needed when you have a focused ABM campaign running.”
Templates speed up the process. They don’t replace judgment.
According to Regie.ai’s guide on prompt engineering, “Prompt engineering is an iterative process. Regularly refining and adjusting your prompts based on results you receive can lead to increasingly effective AI-generated content.”
That iteration matters. The first output from any of these prompts will need editing. Always.
A user on Hacker News captured the broader problem with AI cold outreach perfectly: “I feel like now with AI the cold outreach has gotten orders of magnitude worse.” That’s what happens when people use AI to scale laziness instead of scaling quality.
The templates above are designed to help you scale quality. But only if you feed them real research, review the output critically, and never send anything you wouldn’t read yourself.
What prompts have actually worked for you? The ones that perform best tend to emerge from testing, not from copying a template exactly as written.
