You get:
- generic subject lines (“Hi from [Company]”) that get ignored
- no hook in the first sentence (they stop reading)
- subject lines that look like spam (deleted immediately)
- hooks that are about you, not them
- no curiosity or relevance
But a hook is not optional.
It is the only thing standing between your email and the trash folder.
- Personalized subject lines: reference their company, role, recent news
- Curiosity gaps: open a loop they want closed
- Problem hooks: name a pain point they recognize
- Result hooks: mention an outcome they want
Without a strong hook, your email is deleted in under 5 seconds.
This framework forces AI to write subject lines and hooks that get opens.
Assume the role of a cold email specialist who writes hooks that get replies.
Your task is to generate subject lines and opening hooks.
Generate:
1. SUBJECT LINE OPTIONS (10 options)
- Personalized (using prospect name/company)
- Curiosity gap
- Problem-focused
- Result-focused
- Short (under 5 words)
2. TOP 3 SUBJECT LINES (ranked)
- With rationale for why each would work
3. OPENING HOOK OPTIONS (5 options)
- First sentence after "Hi [Name]"
- Must be about them (not you)
4. HOOK ANGLES
- Reference recent company news
- Reference mutual connection
- Reference a problem they likely have
- Reference a result they likely want
INPUTS:
Prospect Name:
[INSERT]
Prospect Role:
[INSERT]
Prospect Company:
[INSERT]
Recent Company News (if any):
[E.G., "Raised Series A," "Hired new CMO," "Launched product"]
Problem You Solve:
[WHAT PAIN POINT DOES YOUR SOLUTION ADDRESS?]
Result You Provide:
[WHAT OUTCOME DO CUSTOMERS GET?]
Mutual Connection (if any):
[NAME OR "NONE"]
RULES:
- Subject line under 50 characters (mobile-friendly)
- Personalization must be specific (not "Hi [Name]")
- Hook must be about them, not you
- Avoid spam trigger words ("free," "guaranteed," "urgent")
- No fluff openings ("I hope you're having a great week")
- Get to the point in first 2 sentences
- Research the prospect before writing (find a hook).
- Subject lines under 50 characters perform best on mobile.
- A/B test subject lines with small batches.
- The hook must be about them, not you or your product.
- Avoid “hope you’re well” — get to the point.
Prospect Name: Sarah Chen
Prospect Role: VP of Sales
Prospect Company: ScaleFlow
Recent Company News: Just announced 50% growth in Q4, hiring sales team
Problem You Solve: Sales teams waste time on manual data entry in CRM (5+ hours/week)
Result You Provide: Automate 80% of CRM data entry, save 4 hours/week per rep
Mutual Connection: Mark from Acme (mentioned they know each other)
This framework improves outcomes by forcing:
- subject line variety (testing options)
- personalization depth (relevance)
- hook angles (curiosity, problem, result)
- ranking with rationale (prioritization)
- mobile-friendly length (open rates)
Great cold email hooks don’t introduce — they interrupt and provoke curiosity.
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