Your subject line determines whether your email gets opened or ignored. In cold email, it's the single most important piece of copy you'll write.
The Rules
- Keep it short — 3-5 words performs best
- Lowercase — sentence case, not title case
- No spam triggers — avoid "free", "guaranteed", "limited time"
- Be specific — reference their company or role
- Sound human — write like you'd text a colleague
Subject Line Categories
Question-Based
- quick question about
{{company}} - curious about
{{company}}'s outreach - how does
{{company}}handle follow-ups? - question about your sales process
{{firstName}}, quick question
Observation-Based
- noticed something about
{{company}} - saw
{{company}}'s latest update - congrats on the new role,
{{firstName}} - thought of
{{company}}when I saw this
Value-Based
- idea for
{{company}} - suggestion for your team
- resource for
{{company}} - thought this could help
Direct / Straightforward
{{company}}+ [your company]- intro —
{{firstName}} - reaching out
- following up
Break-Up
- should I close your file?
- last attempt
- one last thing
- permission to close your file?
The best performing subject lines feel like they could come from a colleague, not a salesperson. Test 2-3 variations per campaign and let the data guide your decisions.
