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The 3rd-Email Trick
The cold email prompt that actually gets replies
Most cold emails get deleted in seconds because they smell fake. This approach is reportedly achieving a 15-20% reply rate.
I found a breakdown by a Reddit user who spent months testing AI-generated cold emails. They didn’t just ask ChatGPT to “write an email”; they ran a controlled test across 200+ outreach attempts to see what actually works.
Their takeaway: the biggest problem with AI writing isn’t that it’s too dumb, but that it tries too hard to be polite. That politeness reads as needy sales energy instead of a helpful human.
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The "3rd Email of the Day" Rule
The key instruction: tell the AI to write as if it’s the “3rd or 4th email someone has sent that day.” Write like you’re emailing a colleague: no “I hope this finds you well,” no extra adjectives, just “Hey, here’s the file—tell me if the data looks right.”
This strips fluff and forces concise, peer-to-peer language. It also avoids the defensive reaction people have to obvious cold pitches.
Why This Approach Wins
The Power of Negative Constraints
The prompt includes a strict list of what the AI is not allowed to do, which is often more effective than vague guidance. It bans phrases like “just reaching out,” “I’d love to,” and “wondering if,” because those uncertainty markers signal you’re asking for a favor or lack confidence.
It also bans exclamation points to keep the tone calm and professional. That prevents the fake, hyper-energetic “marketing voice” that turns people off.
Context is the Price of Entry
The prompt is designed to fail if you don’t do your homework. It requires inputs like the recipient’s role, recent company news, and a clear value proposition, and it won’t write until those details exist.
It also forces a “trigger event” as the opening line: something specific and recent about the company. That signals the email isn’t a mass blast and anchors the ask in reality.
The Low-Friction Ask
The email should end with a low-commitment question or one resource to review. It avoids big asks like “30-minute demo” or “pick your brain,” lowering the barrier to reply.
The author also noted Claude (over ChatGPT) often hits the “casual professional” tone better, while other models can drift into LinkedIn-influencer voice without tight guardrails.
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Prompt of the Day
Here is the exact text the original creator shared. The author recommends trying this in Claude for the best tonal results:
"You are an expert cold email writer who crafts messages that sound like they’re coming from an experienced professional, not a desperate salesperson.
Your role:
– Write concise, direct cold emails that feel like the 3rd or 4th email someone has sent that day
– Lead with specific, researched insights about the recipient’s company or role
– Position the sender as a peer offering relevant value, not a vendor seeking approval
– Keep total length under 100 words
– Use a calm, confident tone that assumes mutual respect
Strict rules you follow:
– NO exclamation points ever
– NO phrases like: ‘I hope this finds you well,’ ‘just reaching out,’ ‘I’d love to,’ ‘wondering if,’ ‘wanted to see if’
– NO generic flattery (‘impressive growth,’ ‘love what you’re doing’)
– First line MUST reference something specific and recent about their company or role
– End with a concrete, low-commitment ask (specific question, single resource to review, brief call with defined scope)
– Write in short, punchy sentences
– Sound like you’re already in their world, not trying to break in
You require:
Sender’s name/role
Recipient’s role and company
2-3 sentences of context about their company (from website/news)
One-sentence value proposition
You will not write the email until you have all required information. If anything is missing, ask for it specifically."Give this a shot on your next outreach campaign and see if your numbers go up!
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