# Cold Outreach Warmup Skills > Cold Outreach Warm-Up - Skill: `mcltyl/cold-outreach-warmup-skills` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add mcltyl/cold-outreach-warmup-skills` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/mcltyl/cold-outreach-warmup-skills/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: mcltyl (https://skillmd.com/u/mcltyl) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/mcltyl/cold-outreach-warmup-skills --- # Cold Outreach Warm-Up > Before sending that cold DM/email, scan their recent content for a genuine hook. Cold outreach feels fake because it IS fake without context. --- ## When to Use - About to send a cold email/DM to someone - Networking outreach that you want to land - Reaching out to a hiring manager, investor, or potential collaborator - You have their name and LinkedIn/Twitter but no connection **Trigger:** "Help me reach out to [person]" or before sending a cold message. --- ## The Problem Cold outreach fails because it's: 1. **Generic** — "I came across your profile and..." 2. **Self-centered** — "I'm looking for..." (they don't care what you're looking for) 3. **Obvious template** — They've seen this 100 times **The fix:** Make it warm. Find something specific and genuine. --- ## The Protocol ### Step 1: Research Phase (3-5 minutes) Scan their recent public content: **LinkedIn:** - Recent posts (last 30 days) - Comments they've made - Articles they've written - Recent job changes or achievements **Twitter/X:** - Recent tweets (not retweets) - What they're excited/frustrated about - Who they're engaging with **Other:** - Podcast appearances - Blog posts - Conference talks - GitHub activity (for tech people) **Look for:** - Something they're proud of recently - An opinion they've shared - A problem they've mentioned - A project they're working on - Common ground (school, company, interest) --- ### Step 2: Find the Hook (1 minute) The hook is a **specific, genuine** observation that proves you did your homework. **Bad hooks:** - "I loved your post about leadership" (vague) - "Your profile is impressive" (generic) - "We have mutual connections" (lazy) **Good hooks:** - "Your post about the feature launch timing resonated — I dealt with the same pressure at [Company]" - "I saw your comment on [Person]'s thread about [Topic]. I've been thinking about that too." - "Your framework for [X] in [Podcast] changed how I approach [Y]" **Test:** Would this sentence only work for THIS person? If you could send it to 10 people, it's not specific enough. --- ### Step 3: Structure the Message (2 minutes) **The Formula:** 1. **Hook** (Specific observation, 1 sentence) 2. **Relevance** (Why you're reaching out, 1-2 sentences) 3. **Value** (What's in it for them OR make it easy to say yes, 1 sentence) 4. **Ask** (Clear, small, specific, 1 sentence) **Example:** > Your post about the messy middle of feature launches really hit home — I just shipped something similar at [Company] and the "20% done feels like 80% done" trap is real. > > I'm exploring PM roles in fintech and noticed you've built teams at [Company]. I'd love to learn how you think about hiring for ambiguity tolerance. > > Would you be open to a 15-minute call this week or next? I'm happy to work around your schedule. **Word count:** Under 100 words. They're busy. Respect that. --- ### Step 4: The Quality Check Before sending, verify: - [ ] **Specific?** — Hook only works for this person - [ ] **Short?** — Under 100 words (ideally under 75) - [ ] **Clear ask?** — They know exactly what you're asking - [ ] **Low friction?** — Easy to say yes (or no) - [ ] **No begging?** — Confident, not desperate - [ ] **Value?** — What's in it for them, even if small --- ## Templates by Situation ### Job networking > [Hook about their work/post]. I'm exploring [role type] roles and your path from [X] to [Y] is exactly what I'm trying to understand. Would you be open to a 15-minute chat about how you approached [specific thing]? ### Investor outreach > [Hook about their investment thesis/tweet]. I'm building [one-sentence pitch] and I think it aligns with your focus on [specific area]. Would you be open to a quick intro call? I know your time is limited — happy to start async if easier. ### Collaboration/partnership > [Hook about their project/company]. I'm working on [your thing] and see a potential overlap with [their thing]. Would you be open to exploring whether there's something here? No pressure if not — just wanted to float the idea. ### Informational interview > [Hook about their career/content]. I'm trying to learn more about [industry/role] and your perspective on [specific topic] would be really valuable. Would you be open to a 15-minute call? I'll come prepared with specific questions. --- ## What to Avoid ### The humble brag opener > "I was recently featured in Forbes..." — They don't care. Lead with them, not you. ### The novel > 5 paragraphs of context — They won't read it. Keep it short. ### The fake compliment > "I love everything you've done!" — Sounds insincere because it is. ### The non-ask > "I'd love to connect sometime." — Vague. What do you actually want? ### The guilt trip > "I know you're busy, but..." — Don't apologize for reaching out. Either it's worth their time or it isn't. --- ## Follow-Up Rules - **Wait 5-7 days** before following up - **One follow-up only** — Don't badger - **Keep it short:** "Just bumping this in case it got buried. No worries if the timing isn't right." - **Accept silence** — No response is a response. Move on gracefully. --- ## Output By end of session: 1. Research notes on the person 2. A specific, genuine hook 3. A complete message ready to send 4. Confidence that this is worth sending --- *For drafting replies to messages, see [Draft the Hard Reply](https://github.com/mcltyl/draft-the-hard-reply-skills)*