9 Cold Message Frameworks, Deconstructed

(AKA why they work, and how you can use them)

Read time: 13 min

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Welcome to a new 🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒 of my weekly newsletter of Outbound Kitchen. Each week I dive into reader questions about scaling outbound and making it your #1 growth engine. For more: Live Outbound Classes | Podcast

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First paid newsletter of the year is here! 🎉

I’m already working on the next ones, like:

• SDR career paths (now that SDRs are staying longer in their roles)

• Breaking down top outbound playbooks from teams like Snowflake and Owner.com

• A step-by-step BDR hiring playbook

• And more.

Today’s focus?

Breaking down proven frameworks, why they work and how you can use them for yourself, your team, or your business.

Oh, and they’re great for LinkedIn too.

P.S. If you’re a paid subscriber, these frameworks are already in the Outbound Swipe File, along with 21 total examples, including some new ones I added this week!

9 Cold Messages, Deconstructed (Here’s the Recipe for Success)

1: 3rd Party Content + Educational Follow-up

This is my favorite follow-up method. The best follow-ups add value by solving your prospect’s challenges with info from sources they trust, and show you actually understand them.

How to use it:

1. Start with a Gentle Reminder
Begin by referencing your previous email and asking for feedback. This reestablishes context without being pushy.

2. Introduce Valuable Content
Mention a relevant influencer or content creator your recipient might find interesting. This demonstrates your awareness of industry trends and thought leaders.

3. Share a Key Insight
Highlight a specific, relevant piece of information from the content. This proves you've done your homework and aren't just name-dropping.

4. Connect to Their World
Explain why this insight matters to your recipient's role or team. This shows you understand their challenges and are thinking about how to help them.

5. Offer Without Pushing
Suggest the content might be valuable, both to them and their team. This leaves the door open without applying pressure.

Why this works:

1. Third-Party Credibility: By sharing content from respected sources, you bypass the skepticism often associated with company-branded materials.

2. Value-First Mentality: You're prioritizing the recipient's education and growth over your immediate sales goals.

3. Relevance: By choosing content that addresses problems your product can solve, you subtly demonstrate your solution's value without being pushy.

Framework:

Hi {Recipient Name}, do you have any feedback on my previous email?  

By the way, do you listen to {Relevant Influencer/Content Creator}'s {Podcast/Content Type}?  

I love their content, and they recently had a conversation with {Guest Name} ({Guest's Role} @ {Company}): {Episode Title}. At {Timestamp}, they discuss {Key Insight or Data Point}, which could be relevant to {Recipient's Role/Team Focus}.  

It may be helpful to you, and will most likely be valuable to your team.  

Thanks,  
{Your Name}  

Example:

More context about my example: When I worked at Chili Piper, Drift and other chatbots were hyping that chat was better than forms for booking demos, everyone believed it. But the truth? Forms were still converting way better.

On a podcast, Chris Walker and Gaetano DiNardi shared that 80% of demo request revenue was coming from forms, while only 10% came from chatbots.

For Chili Piper, which integrates with forms, this was gold. A third party was basically proving forms worked better, and it backed up our product perfectly.

P.S. Follow-ups only work if your first message was solid. Weak outreach = ignored follow-ups.

2: LinkedIn + Video

This framework combines a short, personalized video with a quick message to grab attention and build a connection. It works great for LinkedIn or email and uses visual content to stand out in a crowded inbox.

(Shoutout to Devesh Tilokani, the former #1 Enterprise BDR at Loopio, for this one!)

When to use it:

• First-touch outreach on LinkedIn or email.

• Targeting high-value prospects who need a personal approach.

How to Use It

1. Do your research: Check their LinkedIn, earnings calls, hiring news, or company updates.

2. Record a 50-75 Second Video: Use tools like Vidyard and include:

   • Your LinkedIn profile on the screen. (that will be your thumbnail)

   • Your company's website

   • A reference to the email you sent (or plan to send).

3. Structure your video:

   • Introduce yourself

   • Share personalized research findings

   • Mention a relevant assumption about their business

   • Highlight a common pain point

   • Briefly explain your solution with supporting data

   • Reference your prepared email

4. Keep the tone casual and respectful of their time.

Why This Works

• Personalization: Seeing their profile in the video shows effort and grabs attention.

• Visual Impact: Videos are more engaging than plain text.

• Quick and Clear: Respects their time while getting the point across.

• Multi-Channel: Combining LinkedIn, email, and video boosts reply chances.

Framework:

Video Script:

Intro: Hi {{Recipient Name}} - I'm not sure if you often receive videos like this.  

I was doing some research on {{Account Name}} and found {{Personalized Insight, e.g., a recent initiative, growth announcement, or challenge}}. I’m guessing your team is {{Relevant Activity, e.g., responding to more RFPs}}.  

Typically, when I speak to {{Buyer Persona, e.g., Heads of Procurement or Sales Ops}}, they face {{Pain Point, e.g., challenges with streamlining their RFP process or saving time on proposal creation}}.  

How {{Product/Service Name}} can help: [[Insert Relevant Benefit, e.g., a link to the website or specific stats related to the solution]].  

[[Show the email you previously sent to the prospect]]  

Message:

{{Prospect first name}}} - Not sure how often you receive videos like this. I recorded one to introduce myself. {{Link of the video}}

Example:

Video:

Devesh recorded a video to walk us through his process with the video: Example of the video:

Message:

3: The Account Based-Framework

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Want the 7 other frameworks?

Here's a sneak peek: Rebook no-shows, Hiring “end-users”, Reactivate closed-lost opportunities, Podcast outreach, The customer reconnect, and Contacting new executives.

🔓 Paid subscribers get all 7 cold email and message frameworks, fully broken down.

Start your free trial or upgrade now to unlock them!

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