Great Cold Emails — September 2025 Edition

I’ve sent millions of cold emails and wrote The Cold Email Handbook, widely considered the best writing on the subject. Here I’m sharing more examples of emails that have performed well for friends, so you can get some inspiration for what a good cold email might look like. 

Remember, though, that your email should be perfect for the person you are emailing, and that examples you see online might not reflect what’ll work for you.

Example One – Givebutter

Ok, the first September example is Givebutter, a nonprofit fundraising software. In this example I’ll pretend I’m reaching out to the founders of nonprofits.

Hey Mark,Quick one. What percentage of potential donors complete your donation forms today?

I’m Jim, and I help nonprofits like the Boys and Girls Club, the Special Olympics, and Meals on Wheels raise more with modern fundraising tools.

Are you and your donors loving your fundraising platform right now? If not, would you mind if I show you a quick demo of Givebutter’s nonprofit fundraising software?

Best,

Matt

Example Two – FieldPulse

The second example is FieldPulse, a field service management software servicing a few thousand companies that do things out of the office. Think maintenance, repairs and installations at customer locations.

Hey Luke,

I ran into one of your reps and he seemed to be juggling between a few pieces of software to get his job done.

Would it help you if everything they needed to do was wrapped in one? Like scheduling and dispatch, giving estimates, and even an integrated CRM.

I work for FieldPulse, and we’ve helped 500 other electrical companies increase their productivity by simplifying things for their reps.

Would it be ridiculous if you saw how it works? If so, I can show you on Tuesday.

Best,

Jim

Example Three – HR Partner

This one is not so easy for me. Because in my mind, there are quite a few HR systems that keep track of employees. And so I think reaching out with a timely and thoughtful message will make all the difference here.

Janet, hey—

Quick one. I saw you have your annual renewal with Gusto coming up. I hear from most that they’re built for small businesses. And since your company has doubled in size since last year, I wanted to ask you, have you outgrown the basics?

HR Partner offers employee record management software for teams of 20-500. We’re loved by thousands of customers, and known for transparent pricing, no contracts, and real human support.

Do you mind if I send over a bit more info?

Best,

James

A word on “No”

If you’ve read this far, you’ve seen that most of my calls-to-action are no-oriented. I don’t ask you to say yes. I ask you to say no.

Here’s why: when we say yes, we feel exposed. When we say no, we feel safe. And when we feel safe, we’re more open to new ideas.

That’s all a cold email is about—showing someone an idea without putting them on the spot. I hope these examples spark ideas you can make your own.