Effective Cold Email for Shopify App Growth

After writing cold emails for 2000+ businesses and booking 1000s of sales calls, I'm sharing my best copy tips to help you book more meetings: 1. Keep it short Your emails shouldn't require any work or over-thinking from the prospect. Keep it to 50 words or less - if they can't read it in ~5 seconds, you've already lost them. 2. Relevancy and specificity "I help watch brands in the UK" will always outperform "I help brands." The market needs to see real value, not generic statements. 3. Switch up your CTAs Skip the boring "hop on a call" pitch. Instead: "Mind if I send a 2-minute Loom explaining how we do this?" "Worth a chat to go over how you can achieve something similar?" 4. The 2:1 rule For every 1 thing you say about yourself, say 2 things about your prospect. People are naturally selfish - they care more about what you can do for them. 5. Focus on getting replies first Cold email is NOT for closing deals.  Your goal is to kick start a conversation and take your prospect from cold to warm then book a call. 6. Benefits over services Don't pitch Facebook ads - pitch the 55% increase in website conversions you delivered for your last client. 7. Stand out from competitors If everyone's pitching "more sales" with influencer marketing, position yourself as "making you go viral." 8. Keep your sequence flowing Your follow-ups should build on previous emails. Keep your offer and messaging consistent throughout.

The 3 cold email hook angles that consistently perform After testing 200+ opening lines across 500,000+ emails, these three patterns generate the highest response rates. Most cold emails fail in the first 5 words. These hooks bypass skepticism and create immediate engagement. Hook 1: Assumption-Based Opener Template: "Greg, I assume you've been looking into {company_market} to find {data_point_1}." Why it works: → Creates curiosity about what you "know" about them → Feels like continuation of existing conversation → Makes them want to confirm or correct your assumption → Positions you as someone who's done research Performance data: 6.7% average response rate Hook 2: Question-Based Opener Template: "Greg, are you still responsible for managing {responsibility_point_1} at {company_name}?" Why it works: → Forces a yes/no response (psychological obligation to answer) → Confirms you're reaching the right person → Opens the door for either confirmation or delegation → Shows respect for organizational hierarchy Performance data: 9.7% average response rate Hook 3: Thought-Provoking Opener Template: "Greg, have you ever thought about {achieving desired result} by {solving complex problem}?" Why it works: → Gets them thinking about possibilities they haven't considered → Positions your solution as innovative approach → Creates mental engagement before pitching anything → Feels consultative rather than salesy Performance data: 8.2% average response rate The Psychology Behind These Hooks: Assumption-based triggers curiosity and creates mystery Question-based leverages psychological obligation to respond Thought-provoking engages their problem-solving mindset Notice what these hooks DON'T do: ❌ Lead with your company name ❌ Start with generic compliments ❌ Jump straight into your value proposition ❌ Use clickbait-style language The best cold email hooks feel like the natural start of a business conversation, not the beginning of a sales pitch. Most people obsess over subject lines when the real magic happens in your opening sentence. Which of these hook styles are you currently using, and what response rates are you seeing?

99% of AEs and SDRs believe the secret to cold email is to sharpen the message and desired outcome. They're wrong. Here's what the top 1% of cold emails do differently (3 examples in the video): 1. They agitate pain. Step 1 in a successful cold email is to describe the PAIN better than the prospect can say it. That's not the same thing as promising an outcome. Cold buyers aren't thinking about outcomes (yet). They're thinking about the thorn in their side. Capture that thorn, and you'll earn the right to have them read the next sentence. 2. They create a compelling "chain" of sentences. Write this one down - EVERY sentence your write in a cold email has one purpose: To get them to read the NEXT sentence. The only exception to this rule is the last sentence. If a sentence doesn't accomplish this, strike it. Pretend you get $100 for every word you remove. Get ruthless. 3. They read like a page in your buyer's journal. As the buy scans your email, the way you capture the pain should FEEL like a conversation they already have going on in their head. The "best of the best" cold emails get this response: "Damn, that puts words to something I've been struggling to articulate." If it could pass as a journal entry, you're bound to win. 4. They have an "easy to say YES to" call to action. The best cold emails are easy to say yes to. They don't ask for 30 minutes. That's hard to say yes to for any busy exec. They don't ask for time (explicitly). They simply reference the problem, and ask if it's worth having a conversation to explore fixing it. TAKEAWAY: Almost everyone gets cold email wrong. They either think it's ALL about outcomes and benefits. Or they think it's all about WHAT and HOW you do it (positioning). Cold email is about neither of those. It's about a describing your buyer's problem so well, it feels like you're peering into their soul. Tag an AE or SDR that would like these tips. P.S. Once you book the meeting, here's 39 questions that sell that generate urgency, uncover pain, and create momentum: https://go.pclub.io/list

Since 01/01/24, we’ve generated 23 meetings for a client (Serie A Fintech) 5 steps we followed 👇 My client's top 3 challenges: 1. They struggled with writing emails/messages that generated emotion 2. Thought cold calling was dead 3. The MQLs generated by marketing were often not qualitative enough #Step 1: Got clear on their ICP (Ideal Customer Profile): → Demographic / Psychographic information → Pain points and challenges → Goals and aspirations → Buying behaviour → Communication preferences → Value proposition alignment #Step 2: Mapped their ICP/Persona: → Know your ICP/Persona → Reflect that ICP/Persona into LinkedIn Sales Navigator / Apollo etc... → Extract it with valid emails/phone numbers #Step 3: Wrote Prospects’ centric cold emailing campaigns: Cold email framework that works: 1. Start with an observation. 2. Share a problem/insight you derive from the observation. 3. Add credibility to speak to them about that problem. 4. How do you solve that problem? 5. Interest-based CTA #Step 4: Got ready to take the phone: In cold call, you’ve 3-5 sec to make the best first impression and generate emotions 1. Understand the needs our client’s ICP have 2. Catch how our client’s solution can specifically solve that need (specificities of it etc…) 3. Grasp the FAQ (Frequently asked questions) 4. Write a few different scripts to help you catch the prospects’ attention (avoid stuttering, sounding hesitant) 5. Work on your ton of voice, speaking energetically with a smile #Step 5: Stated 14 days of outbound sprints: → Start sending out initial cold emails and messages. → Monitor metrics (The most important metric is the interest rate) → Monitor the sales-intent → Experiment with different subject lines, email copy variations, and call scripts. → Use this data to refine your approach. → Analyze what works best and optimize accordingly. 3 weeks performance: → 244 emails sent → 134 emails opened (Open Rate) → 15 meetings scheduled via messages → 8 meetings scheduled via cold calling All within trusting the process of outbound. Pretty nice, because in 2023, it was 0. TL;DR: #Step 1: Got clear on their ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) #Step 2: Mapped his ICP/Persona #Step 3: Wrote Prospects’ centric cold email/LinkedIn campaigns #Step 4: Got ready to take the phone #Step 5: Stated 14 days of outbound sprints This exact process is what we have used with every new client we started working with since May 2020 There’s no magic in it. Pure execution and iteration. -- PS: If you want similar start of the year results running multichannel campaigns (cold email/Linkedin/cold calling) in 2024 DM me “multichannel”. We'll have a quick chat and I'll get you details. Happy Friday. 🙂 Arnaud!

A framework to start adding $100k/month pipeline: (fast and consistently with cold email) 1. Deep Understanding → Know your product → Know your audience → Know their problems → Know your solution 2. Tech Setup → Infrastructure for safe volume sending → Validate domains/subdomains → Constantly rotate domains → Use email warm up tools 3. Campaign Building → Target the right people → Use the right message → Build targeted lists → Batch personas (TOOL TIPS: LinkedIn Sales Nav + Apollo [dot] io) 4. Email Crafting → 10 variations of pain/motivation/fear → Clear, concise and interesting → Encourage micro-commitments → Short, relevant subject line (AVOID: asking for 15 minutes of their time) 5. Testing & Iterating → Try new subject lines, pain points, motivations → Take worst two, create new messages → Relentlessly analyze the data TL;DR: 1. Deep Understanding 2. Tech Setup 3. Campaign Building 4. Email Crafting 5. Testing & Iterating Use this framework to scale your cold emails.

I’ve trained hundreds of sales reps over my career. Here’s the exact framework I use to write good cold emails from start to finish: 1. Lead with the pain not the pitch The goal of a cold email is to start a conversation, not close the deal. It’s to reflect back a real pain your buyer is already feeling often before they’ve articulated it themselves. No one cares about your product. Especially not in the first touch. They care about themselves and their problems. The biggest mistake I see reps make is trying to close too early. They shove value props, case studies, feature sets, and “we help companies like…” I always come back to this: “No pain, no gain, no demo train.” You’re not here to educate. You’re here to trigger recognition. To make them nod and go: “Yeah, we’re feeling that.” 1. Write like a human The best cold emails don’t have long intros. No “hope this finds you well.” Just a clear, honest attempt to connect over something they care about. Let’s say we’re targeting agencies running 10+ client accounts. Here’s how I’d start: “Hey — I saw you’re managing multiple clients. Curious if you’ve had to deal with deliverability issues lately, especially with the new Google/Microsoft changes. Is this on your radar?” That’s it. No pitch. No product. Just a relevant question that hits a live pain. You don’t need clever. You need to be clear. 1. Structure matters (but keep it stupid simple) I’m not into formulas. You don’t need a 7-step framework to write a good email. You need to understand the buyer and speak to them like a peer. Think about it like this: Line 1: Show you’ve done your homework. Line 2: Bring up a real, relevant pain. Line 3: Ask a question that invites a reply — not “yes.” If your email looks like a blog post, you’re doing it wrong. The goal isn’t to explain. The goal is to start a conversation. 1. Use follow-ups to build narrative (not nag) Most follow-ups sound like this: “Just bumping this to the top of your inbox.” “Not sure if you saw my last message.” Useless. Instead, think of your cold email sequence as a way to diagnose pain over time. Email 1 brings up the initial problem. Email 2 digs into what happens if it doesn’t get solved. Email 3 introduces that you might have a solution, if they’re open to it. Each message earns attention and adds value. Follow-ups shouldn’t be annoying. TAKEAWAY Conversations > conversions. Relevancy always wins.

You can’t “prompt” your way out of bad targeting. Yes, AI is great, personalizing Cold Emails is awesome 🔥   But there’s a better hack:   Break your list into smaller targets.   Let me tell you a story 👇   A few months ago a client came to us asking to target: “Ecommerce founders.” That was the whole brief.   So, what do you do?   You ask questions. For example:   → Shopify or Amazon? → Fashion or supplements? → Funded or bootstrapped? → Do they grow through paid ads or organically? → Who’s handling growth?   Then you build the list:   → Shopify brands → Selling skincare → Based in the EU → Running Meta ads → Hiring but no Head of Growth → Founder posts 3x/week on LinkedIn   Now your Cold Email doesn’t need a clever opener. It’s already relevant.   This is how we build Outbound at SalesCaptain. We don’t stop at “industry.” We segment by:   📦 Category → Not just HR software → but compensation platforms, 100–300 headcount, scaling in LATAM, using Gusto   📡 Signal → Not just “growing teams” → Teams hiring SDRs, posting on LinkedIn, with no RevOps function in place   We use AI, but not to fake relevance. We use it to find signals that show who’s actually in-market.   Because in 2025: Signals > prompts Context > copy   The broader the list, the harder the message has to work. Shrink the list. Sharpen the context. Let relevance do the work. Have a nice weekend.   #b2bsales #coldemail #leadgen #gtm #personaliztion #aiinsales

We’ve sent over 100,000 cold emails and got a >25% response rate. Now, I’m giving away our secrets: Most cold emails go something like this: “Hey [First Name], I saw your company online and thought we should connect. We offer [Service]. Let’s hop on a call so I can explain more!” This is where your prospect stops reading. Why? Because it’s all about you, not them. This kind of email screams generic, lazy, and me-first. So, how do you fix it? Here’s a better approach to writing cold emails that actually get replies 👇 1. Personalization- Don’t just use their name, use something specific to them. Example: “Hey [First Name], I noticed your recent post on [Topic]. It got me thinking about how [specific insight].” 2. Value Upfront - Give them a reason to care. What problem are you solving? Example: “I specialize in helping [Industry] companies like [Their Company] increase [Key Metric]. I’ve helped [Client Name] achieve [Specific Result].” 3. Short & Concise - Get to the point. No one has time for fluff. Example: “If you’re looking to [Solution], I’d love to share how we helped [Client Name] boost their results.” 4. Clear Call-to-Action - Tell them exactly what you want them to do, without sounding pushy. Example: “Would you be open to a quick 10-minute chat next week?” For a better understanding, look at the graphic below. If you want to elevate your cold email game and start seeing replies, it’s time to ditch the lazy templates. Want a detailed breakdown? Click the link in the comments to grab our guide on the full cold email framework! #shambhavi_writes #coldemails #copywriting

If cold email is dead for you, here is how to make it work in 2024. Cold email used to work for any company hiring 5 SDRs armed with Salesforce and Outreach. For most, this is not working anymore. Your sales team is not able to get results through outbound anymore? Don't give up on it just yet. The key is evolving your copy to align with modern buyer habits. Here are 8 tips to get you to a 20% reply rate: 1. Personalize every message - use the prospect's name, role, company etc. A lot of haters will tell you that personalization doesn’t work, it won’t solve a bad offer but it does make a difference. 2. Mention a problem that you know that your prospect is facing, and discuss their KPIs and priorities specifically - make it only about them. Never pitch yourself in the first email. 3. Niche down - e.g., help cat clothing stores in LA vs all e-com websites. 4. Craft intriguing subject lines - pose questions and incorporate their company name. 5. Demonstrate that you understand their goals and speak their language. Don't use generic messaging. Don’t talk to a CFO like you would talk to an SDR. 6. Include a relevant customer case study to make it tangible. Use real data, ”we increase sales by 257%” will discredit yourself in an instant.” 7. Use a soft CTA - ask to send something useful rather than demanding a meeting. 8. Keep. It. Short. - 10 secs max to read. This formula may require more upfront work than blasting templates. But that’s the price to pay to not get ignored like 99% of emails. Any other tip you would add to the list?