# Write cold email Human Guide

## What This Is For
Write cold emails that get replies using proven frameworks (AIDA, PAS, BAB). It gives the agent a clearer input/output frame for email marketing: what context to ask for, what decisions to make, and what usable artifact to return.

Use this as a human-readable version of the Write cold email agent skill. It is meant for marketers, operators, founders, and other non-coders who want the workflow without reading agent-specific implementation instructions.

## When To Use This
- Use this when you need a repeatable process for write cold email.
- Use this when the task needs judgment, examples, constraints, or a clear output format rather than a one-off prompt.
- Use this when you want to hand an AI assistant enough context to produce a usable marketing artifact.

## When Not To Use This
- Do not use this when you only need a quick factual answer.
- Do not use this when the work depends on private data you cannot share with the assistant.
- Do not use this as a replacement for legal, compliance, financial, or medical review.

## What You Need Before Starting
- The goal or business outcome you want.
- The audience, customer segment, or market context.
- Any source material the assistant should respect, such as notes, briefs, examples, URLs, or brand guidance.
- Constraints such as tone, length, channel, deadline, region, or approval requirements.
- A clear definition of what a good final answer should look like.

## Step-By-Step Workflow
1. State the job clearly: "Use the Write cold email guide to help me with..."
2. Add context: audience, goal, offer, channel, source material, and constraints.
3. Ask the assistant to identify missing inputs before producing the final output.
4. Have the assistant follow the skill-specific guidance below.
5. Review the result against the final checklist and ask for revisions where needed.

## Skill-Specific Guidance
- **Target**: Who they're emailing (role, company, industry)
- **Goal**: What they want (meeting, intro, feedback, sale)
- **Context**: Personalization hooks (mutual connection, recent news, specific pain point)
- Create desire with proof/benefit
- Their current state (problem)
- **50-125 words** - Shorter emails get more replies
- **Subject line**: 3-5 words, lowercase, no clickbait
- **First line**: Personalized - reference something specific about them
- **No fluff**: Cut "I hope this email finds you well", "My name is...", "I wanted to reach out"
- **One CTA**: Single, specific ask (not "let me know if you're interested")
- **Read time**: Under 30 seconds
- **Mobile-friendly**: Short paragraphs, no walls of text

## Decision Points And Nuance
The original skill emphasizes: Input, Frameworks (Choose the best fit), AIDA (Awareness → Interest → Desire → Action), PAS (Problem → Agitate → Solution), BAB (Before → After → Bridge), Hard Rules, What Makes It Human, Output Format.

Use these questions to steer the work:
- What is the intended audience or buyer?
- What source material must be preserved?
- What should the assistant optimize for: clarity, persuasion, accuracy, speed, creativity, or conversion?
- What examples represent the desired quality bar?
- What should the assistant avoid?

## Common Mistakes
- Starting without a clear audience or goal.
- Asking for a final artifact before sharing examples or constraints.
- Accepting a generic first draft without checking it against the intended use.

## Copy-And-Paste Prompt
```text
Use the Write cold email human guide.

My goal:
[Describe the business outcome]

Audience:
[Describe who this is for]

Context and source material:
[Paste notes, examples, links, or existing copy]

Constraints:
[Tone, length, channel, timeline, must-include items, must-avoid items]

Before producing the final output, ask me for any missing information that would materially improve the result.
```

## Final Checklist
- [ ] The output matches the original goal.
- [ ] The audience and context are reflected in the answer.
- [ ] Important constraints and source material were preserved.
- [ ] The assistant made the relevant decisions explicit.
- [ ] The final artifact is ready to use, review, or hand to the next person.

## Source
This guide was generated from the humanizerai/agent-skills skill entry for `cold-email`.

## Source Skill Notes
These notes preserve the nuance from the original skill. Use them as supporting reference when the workflow above feels too generic.

# Write Cold Email

Generate a cold email that gets responses using proven copywriting frameworks.

## Input

Parse $ARGUMENTS for:
- **Target**: Who they're emailing (role, company, industry)
- **Goal**: What they want (meeting, intro, feedback, sale)
- **Context**: Personalization hooks (mutual connection, recent news, specific pain point)

If arguments are incomplete, ask for the missing pieces.

## Frameworks (Choose the best fit)

### AIDA (Awareness → Interest → Desire → Action)
- Hook with relevance
- Build interest with value
- Create desire with proof/benefit
- Clear CTA

### PAS (Problem → Agitate → Solution)
- Identify their problem
- Make it feel urgent
- Position as the solution

### BAB (Before → After → Bridge)
- Their current state (problem)
- Their ideal state (outcome)
- How you bridge the gap

## Hard Rules

1. **50-125 words** - Shorter emails get more replies
2. **Subject line**: 3-5 words, lowercase, no clickbait
3. **First line**: Personalized - reference something specific about them
4. **No fluff**: Cut "I hope this email finds you well", "My name is...", "I wanted to reach out"
5. **One CTA**: Single, specific ask (not "let me know if you're interested")
6. **Read time**: Under 30 seconds
7. **Mobile-friendly**: Short paragraphs, no walls of text

## What Makes It Human

- Sounds like a real person, not a template
- Has a specific reason for emailing THIS person
- Shows you did research
- Doesn't oversell or use hype words
- Has a clear "what's in it for them"

## Output Format

```
Subject: [subject line]

[Email body]

[First name only]
```

**Framework used:** [which one and why]
**Personalization:** [what angle you used]
**Word count:** [number]