Cold Email Templates for Agencies
Agency and freelancer cold emails win with proof, not service lists: a specific issue you found on their site or ads, a result for a client in their niche, or a small free idea they can judge on its own. Alex Berman's rule for agencies is that a niche, concrete offer beats a generic one, and 30 Minutes to President's Club found a compelling offer lifts replies by 28%.
Pitching services with proof: a specific issue you found, a result for a similar client, or a small idea they can use.
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{{Purple}} fields are merge fields your sending tool can fill. [Amber] lines are the part you research and write for each person. That part is what gets the reply.
Download all 68 as a PDFCold emails for agencies and freelancers
A specific issue you found
When you've checked their site, ads or listings and found one fixable problem.
Subject: [issue] on {{companyName}}'s site
Hi {{firstName}}, Ran [their site, ads or listing] through [what you checked] and found [specific issue, e.g. "the checkout page takes 6 seconds to load on mobile"]. For [similar client], fixing that [result] in [timeframe]. I recorded a two-minute walkthrough of the fix. Want me to send it? {{senderName}}
Why it works: A specific issue proves you looked, and a free walkthrough is the kind of one-to-one offer 30 Minutes to President's Club found lifts replies by 28%. Alex Berman's rule for agencies: a niche, concrete offer beats "we do web design". (49 words)
A result from their niche
When you have a result for a client in the same industry.
Subject: [similar client] and {{companyName}}
Hi {{firstName}}, [A specific compliment tied to their business, e.g. "The new menu launch looked great."] We helped [client], a [descriptor like theirs], [action] and got [metric] in [timeframe]. Would it be worth seeing whether the same thing works for {{companyName}}? {{senderName}}
Why it works: It's Alex Berman's agency formula: a specific compliment, a one-sentence case study from their niche, then a yes-or-no question. He keeps follow-ups to four, all in the same thread. (42 words)
A search gap a competitor is winning
For SEO and content agencies, when a competitor ranks for something they don't cover.
Subject: [topic] searches and {{companyName}}
Hi {{firstName}}, People search for [a question their buyers ask] about [volume] times a month, and [competitor] shows up first. {{companyName}} doesn't have a page on it yet. We wrote a page like that for [similar client], and it now brings in [result]. Want the three topics I'd start with? Free, no call. {{senderName}}
Why it works: Pointing at a gap a competitor already wins makes the cost concrete, and three free topic ideas are a small, useful offer they can judge on their own. (54 words)
Freelancer pitch with a guarantee
For freelancers pitching creators or small businesses on a clear outcome.
Subject: your [channel or project]
Hi {{firstName}}, Looks like your [videos, posts or product pages] average [a number you checked]. How are you getting them in front of more [buyers]? I help [type of client] with [one thing]. [Client] went from [before] to [after]. If you don't see [result] in [timeframe], you don't pay. Worth a peek? Either way, keep up the great work. {{senderName}}
Why it works: Josh Braun's 4-T framework: a trigger they can check, a neutral question, third-party proof with a guarantee, and a soft ask. The guarantee takes the risk off them. (60 words)
A leak in their paid ads
For paid media agencies, when their ads and landing page don't match.
Subject: your [platform] ads
Hi {{firstName}}, Your [platform] ads for [product] send people to [page], which [specific mismatch, e.g. "doesn't mention the offer from the ad"]. That gap usually costs [what it costs, e.g. "a big share of paid clicks"]. We fixed the same thing for [client] and [result]. Open to a two-minute teardown of your top ad? {{senderName}}
Why it works: It names one fixable leak in money they're already spending, and offers a small teardown instead of a proposal. (55 words)
How to use the Cold Email Templates for Agencies
- 1
Pick the template
Each one says when to send it. Choose the one that matches what just happened with this prospect.
- 2
Fill in the gaps
Your sending tool fills the purple merge fields. Write the amber lines yourself for each person: that research is what earns the reply.
- 3
Copy and send
Copy the subject and body into your email or sending tool, read it once out loud, and send.
More cold email templates
The full set of 68 cold email templates has every situation on one page, with a six-step follow-up sequence and the research behind each rule. Or jump to another situation:
- First-Touch Cold Email Templates
- Trigger Event Email Templates
- LinkedIn Follow-Up Email Templates
- Referral and Intro Email Templates
- Follow-Up Email Templates
- Breakup Email Templates
- Event and Meeting Follow-Up Templates
- Re-Engagement Email Templates
- Sales Reply Email Templates
- Founder and Partnership Email Templates
Get all 68 templates as a PDF
One file to keep next to your sending tool: every template with its subject lines and when to send it, plus the six-step follow-up sequence.
Need the address first? The Email Permutator lists every likely format for a name, and the Company Email Pattern Finder works out the one a company uses.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should an agency write a cold email?
Lead with one specific finding about their business, add a one-sentence result for a similar client, and ask a yes-or-no question. That's Alex Berman's agency formula: a niche, concrete offer instead of "we do web design".
Should I send a free audit in a cold email?
Offer it rather than attaching it. Mention one specific issue you found and ask if they'd like the walkthrough. The offer is the hook, and a reply tells you they're interested.
How many follow-ups should an agency send?
Three or four, all in the same thread. Alex Berman keeps agency sequences to four touches, ending with a breakup email.
Do guarantees work in freelancer cold emails?
They can, because they take the risk off the client. Josh Braun's 4-T framework pairs third-party proof with a guarantee before a soft ask. Only promise what you can deliver.