Build personalized cold outreach sequences for LinkedIn and email. Use when someone needs to reach prospects, warm up cold leads, or build a systematic outreach engine. Covers research, connection requests, follow-ups, and conversion.

Cold Outreach Sequence Here's what I've learned about cold outreach: the word "cold" is the problem. Spray and pray templates don't work. 10 minutes of research + a specific reference = not cold anymore. This skill builds the second kind. Mode Detect from context or ask: "One message, full sequence, or full outreach system?" Mode What you get Best for quick 1 connection request + 1 follow up for a single prospect Testing an angle, one off outreach standard Full 4 touch sequence for a single prospect Active pipeline, individual targets deep Multi prospect sequence system + A/B variants + tracking framework Launching an outreach campaign Default: standard — use quick if they give you one name and say "draft something." Use deep if they're building a repeatable outreach engine. Context Loading Gates Before writing any message, collect: [ ] Prospect name and company — full name, company, role/title [ ] Research signals — run tool calls first (see below); do not write without them [ ] Sender positioning — what does the sender do, for whom, with what result? (Use positioning basics output if available) [ ] Platform — LinkedIn DM, email, or both? [ ] Batch size — how many prospects? (determines tier assignment) Research tool calls — run before writing: Personalization constraint: Do not write a Tier 1 message without a named specific signal from research. If search yields 0 signals, default to Tier 3 and say so explicitly. Phase 1: Research & Signal Assessment For each prospect, document findings before drafting: Signal types (ranked by message strength): 1. Recent news event (funding, launch, hire, press) → strongest signal 2. Recent LinkedIn post activity → strong signal 3. Company stage/growth data → medium signal 4. Role + industry awareness only → weak signal (Tier 3) Personalization tier assignment: Research Result Tier Approach Named signal (news + post + context) Tier 1 Fully custom, reference signal in every message Company info + role context Tier 2 Template + personalized opener No signals found Tier 3 Volume template, minimal customization Phase 2: Sequence Generation Connection Request (LinkedIn) — 300 chars max Formula: [Specific observation from research] + [Simple reason to connect] Rules: No pitching Prove you did research (name the signal) One sentence, conversational Never "I'd love to pick your brain" By signal type: First Message (After Accept — Wait 24 48 Hours) Formula: [Thanks] + [Bridge to relevance] + [Light value] + [Soft question] Template: Follow Up 1 (Day 7) Formula: [Light nudge] + [New signal or angle] + [Easy out] Constraint: Do NOT write "following up" with nothing new. Add one new piece: A relevant article or trend A related insight you recently had A connection to something they posted Template: Follow Up 2 (Day 14) Shift to email if LinkedIn hasn't converted, or try a different angle. Subject line options: "[Company]'s [function] as you scale" "Saw your [post/news] — quick thought" "Question about [specific thing they're doing]" Email structure: Break Up Message (Day 21) Post break up action: Add to 6 month re engagement list with a resurface date. Phase 3: Self Critique Pass (REQUIRED) After generating the full sequence, evaluate: [ ] Does every message reference the specific signal from research, or are they generic? [ ] Is the connection request under 300 characters? [ ] Does the first message ask a question (invite dialogue) rather than pitch? [ ] Does follow up 1 add something genuinely new, or is it just "following up"? [ ] Does the break up message reference something specific about their situation? [ ] Did I correctly assign the personalization tier, or am I over personalizing a Tier 3 prospect? Flag any issue: "The first message doesn't include a soft question — it reads as a pitch. Revised to invite dialogue." Pipeline Tracking Table Always output a tracking table for the batch: Iteration Protocol After each response (or non response), ask: Did the connection request get accepted? If low acceptance rate → revise the observation line Did the first message get a reply? If no → was the question soft enough, or did it feel like a pitch? Did follow ups get ignored? If yes → try a different angle or acknowledge the silence directly Output Structure Skill by Brian Wagner AI Marketing Architect brianrwagner.com

cold-outreach-sequence