Inboxes are flooded on a daily basis. It’s your mission to stand out. The key to that? Personalization. If you want your email to capture and hold the recipient’s attention, then you have to include personalization.

Personalization is the easiest way of letting the recipient know that you’re talking directly to them. That they aren’t part of just another catch-all mailshot. Even if you’re using automation to personalize at scale, it still gives the illusion of a direct connection.

When you craft cold emails, they need to resonate with the recipient. If they don’t, then they’ll simply move on to the next item on their to-do list.

So, you have to write great emails that capture the reader’s attention. Often that’s easier said than done. Sitting staring at a blank email isn’t fun or efficient. That’s why we’ve created this bank of examples for you to use as inspiration.

The Power Of Personalization

Before we share the examples, it’s important to understand why personalization is so important. The heart of the matter is trust and relevance. People like to do business with people that they feel they can trust. Emails that don’t recognize the recipient as an individual don’t come across as trustworthy. If anything, they come across as spam content.

When you include personalization, good things begin to happen to your campaigns. First, you’ll find that open rates begin to soar. Your recipients feel that they’re receiving a worthwhile, valuable email that is addressed to them. They actively want to engage with it.

Secondly, with a boosted sense of relevance, engagement with the content of the email itself increases too. It’s one thing to get the recipient to open the email, and it’s another to get them to engage with it. Personalized email content is a great way to warm up cold emails.

Truly personalized content goes beyond including their name and workplace. It takes work, but with the right tools and data, you can include detailed personalizations. You could say congratulations for a recent promotion or released piece of work they completed. You could include a reference to an event you were both at. The options are limitless. You just need access to the information.

Personalization is about creating a genuine sense of connection. It’s a way of nurturing and developing a relationship beyond a simple sales pitch. The best part? It works. Include personalization, and you’ll quickly begin to reap the benefits.

5 Personalized Cold Email Examples

These examples are to be used as inspiration for your own cold email campaigns. You could try and make them your own, but we have dedicated articles full of cold email templates, business email templates, and email marketing templates. Those come with the merge tags ready to go and have editable content. The following examples put you in the mind of hypothetical cold email campaigners instead.

A Personalized Pitch Email

Subject: {{Recipient Company}}: Our Shared Vision

Dear {{Recipient Name}},
You really struck a chord in your article in {{Publication}}. It was fascinating to read about how one can be minded to {{information from the article}}. Those thoughts align and resonate with our mission statement here at {{Your Company}}.
Our solution to {{a problem that your product or service solves}}. This pleasingly mirrors your recent {{something they completed recently}}.
I can see a world where we marry our visions and collaborate for a better future. Let’s discuss this over a call next week? Combining our technical expertise with your innovative experience could create wonderful things.
All the best,
{{Your Name}}
{{Your Position}}
{{Your Company}}

A Personalized Job Seeking Email

Subject: Exploring Opportunities at {{Recipient Company}}

Dear {{Recipient Name}}
I’m writing to you after reading {{Recipient Company}}’s recently released {{document/content}} on {{subject matter}}. I was fascinated to see that your emphasis on {{a specific point from the content}} mirrored my {{link to your own experience}}.
My research and efforts have had a real impact. The latest outcome included {{how did your work have a genuine impact}}.
I have always been impressed by the leadership shown by {{Recipient Company}}. The company’s reputation is unparalleled. I would love to explore how we could pair my experience as a {{your role}} with the innovative initiatives your team is driving.
Is there a good time next week that we could briefly discuss any opportunities? I’d welcome a chance to share more of my expertise and how that could impact {{Recipient Company}}’s work.
Warmly,
{{Your Name}}
{{Your Position}}
{{Your Company}}

A Personalized Influencer Outreach Email

Subject: {{Recipient Company}} and {{Your Company}} - Let’s collaborate

Hey {{Recipient Name}},
I’ll level with you, I’ve been a follower of {{Recipient Brand}} for over 3 years now. Suffice it to say, I’m a fan. Your engaging style, your knowledge (especially {{specific detail}}), and your humor have been great to watch.
I run {{Your Company}}, a {{detail}} that dives into the latest advancements in {{your industry}}. After watching your video on {{recipient content}}, I realized that we should collaborate. Perhaps we could write a joint article or do a video together? It’d be something fresh for both of our audiences and a great way of showcasing another perspective.
Let’s brainstorm some ideas next week. When suits you for a get together? I have no doubt that by the end of our chat, we’ll have plenty of ideas to go on.
I’m excited to make this happen.
All the best,
{{Your Name}}
{{Your Position}}
{{Your Company}}

A Personalized Service Introduction Email

Subject: A Unique Solution for {{Recipient Company}}’s Digital Woes

Dear {{Recipient Name}},
While I enjoyed reading {{a publication}}, I read about how {{Recipient Company}} was launching in the {{new market}}. As you no doubt are aware, new markets mean new challenges, not least the issues caused by {{pain point you can solve}}.
Here at {{Your Company}}, we’re pleased to have recently launched {{your service}}. {{Your service}} {{summary of what your service can deliver in one sentence}}. We {{specific detail related to their pain point}}. Since its implementation, {{one of your clients}} has seen {{impressive statistic}}.
Clearly, {{Recipient Company}} has ambitious goals. Combined with {{your service}}, you could achieve even more. I’d love to show you a demo of the platform next week. Would {{day}} work for you? I can show you precisely how this tool could turbocharge your new launch.
Best Wishes,
{{Your Name}}
{{Your Position}}
{{Your Company}}

A Personalized Networking Email

Subject: Seeking Insights from {{Recipient Name}}’s Journey

Dear {{Recipient Name}}
I was recently part of the audience for {{specific time}} at {{specific place}} on {{specific title}}. The way your {{specific outcome of their work}} left me feeling inspired. You sincerely reminded me just why I entered the field.
You find me {{explanation of your current position in and potential problem}}. My position at {{your employer}} has been remarkably similar to your own journey. I, too, imagine myself {{similar outcome achieved to the recipient}}.
Are you open to an initial short conversation sometime in the next month? I’d welcome learning from your journey, exploring your insights, and finding out more about your experiences. At this stage of my career, it would be invaluable. Plus, it might be an enlightening conversation for us both.
Looking forward to connecting,
All the best
{{Your Name}}
{{Your Position}}
{{Your Company}}

Key Takeaways

Your cold emails are more than just words on the screen. They’re an opportunity for connection, for a relationship, and for conversion. They should be treated with the respect that they deserve. That means including personalized details for the recipient. The examples we’ve shared show the extent to which you can take a transactional email to new heights. We look for genuine opportunities to merge our stories and share mutual ideas.

When you’re about to press the send button on your next campaign, ask yourself one question, “Would I feel a personal connection if I received this email?” If the answer is no, you know what you need to add.

  • Reflecting on examples is a great way to get inspiration before writing a personalized cold email.
  • Personalization comes in many forms. There’s so much more than just adding their name.
  • Every email has a chance to include personalization. You just need the information and data to fulfill it.

With the right email marketing tool, a great deal of personalization can be automated. Adding personalization using merge tags is just one of the features that Instantly offers. See for yourself and get started with it today.