Cold email to a potential client: template and sample

A cold email to a potential client has one job: to make a busy owner or manager think "this person has actually looked at us" before deciding whether to read on. This template does it with a first line about something real and recent at their business, one sentence linking it to the problem you solve, a line of proof and an ask small enough to say yes to. It suits most service businesses that sell to other businesses: IT support, bookkeeping, cleaning, design, training and many more. Below you'll find the template, then a sample cold email to a potential client written with it.

When to use it

• You sell a service to businesses and you've found one that could clearly use it, but they've never heard of you.
• You can point to something specific and recent: a new location, a job ad, a product launch, an award, a change on their website.
• You have at least one honest piece of proof: a similar client, a result you can describe without inflating it, or years spent doing exactly this.

The template

Hi [First name],

I saw that [Company] [something specific and recent, e.g. opened a second clinic on Mill Road].

[One sentence linking that to a problem you solve, e.g. A second site means twice the computers, printers and Wi-Fi to keep running.]

I [what you do] for [type of business], [one line of proof, e.g. including three other clinics in the city].

Would a 15-minute call next week be useful? If now isn't a good time, a quick "not now" is completely fine.

[Your name]
[Company, one line on what you do]

Example

Subject: Northgate's new Eastfield clinicHi Claire,

I saw that Northgate Physio opened a second clinic in Eastfield last month. Congratulations.

A second site means two sets of computers, printers and Wi-Fi to keep running, and problems tend to show up on the busiest mornings.

I run a small IT support company for healthcare practices in the area, and we look after three other clinics with more than one site.

Would a 15-minute call next week be useful? If now isn't a good time, a quick "not now" is completely fine.

Omar Haddad
Haddad IT, support for local clinics

Why it works

1. A first line only they could receiveIf the opening would make sense in an email to any business, it reads as a mass mailing. Something specific and recent shows you looked, and gives them a reason to read the second line.
2. The problem, in their termsInstead of describing your service, describe what the change at their business tends to cause. They recognize the problem before they hear what you sell.
3. One line of proof, no adjectivesA similar client or a plain fact about your experience does more than words like "leading" or "best in class". Keep it to what you could back up if they asked.
4. A small ask and an easy noFifteen minutes is easy to picture, and saying that "not now" is fine makes replying feel less like a commitment. A no today is still an answer you can follow up on in a few months.

What to check before you send it

• Look for one recent, specific change: their news page, LinkedIn posts, job ads, Google reviews or a new page on their website.
• Find the person who would feel the problem: the owner in a small business, an office or practice manager in a bigger one.
• Check that your proof fits them: a client of a similar size or type matters more than your biggest name.

Follow-up email

Send it 4 days later if there's no reply, in the same thread.

Subject: Re: [first subject line]Hi [First name],

One more thought on [Company]'s [the change you mentioned]: [one useful tip or question that helps even if they never hire you].

If it would help to talk it through, I'm around next week.

[Your name]

Mistakes to avoid

• Opening with who you are and how long you've been in business. The reader wants to know why you're writing to them; your history can wait for the signature.
• Listing every service you offer. Pick the one that fits the change you noticed and leave the rest for the call.
• Warm but empty praise, like "I love what you're doing", without saying what. Specific beats friendly.
• Attaching a brochure or price list to a first email. Attachments from strangers often get filtered, and they make the email feel like a mailing.

Questions people ask

More cold email templates