The Highlight Reel

Build a cold sequence that consistently gets opened. The specific bar was beating average B2B cold-email open rates, typically 20 to 30%, by a wide margin, using borrowed authority instead of a bigger list or better targeting.

Use it when the job is getting seen, not converting on day one.

Stage

Competitor of a proven client. Not cold prospecting off a database, a shortlist built from who would feel the pressure to match a rival.

Size

E-commerce and D2C brands scaling ad spend, in the same category as an already-trained client

Person

Young, senior enough to say yes, actively working the role rather than passively holding it. Not just a marketing decision-maker by title.

Signal

Competitor of an already-trained client (Dot & Key). The proof already exists, they just do not have it yet.

Channels

Email primary, LinkedIn secondary

Tools

lemlist, LinkedIn, Claude AI

We did not buy a list. We built one backwards, starting from a client we had already proven the pitch on, not from a database search.

1. 01Start with proof, not a cold pitch. We had already trained Dot & Key, under Nykaa: a real result to point to, not a hypothetical case study. (the anchor. Every filter after this one exists to find companies who would care that Dot & Key said yes)
2. 02Pull the competitor list. If Dot & Key needed this training, their competitors are feeling the same pressure, and nobody wants to be the one watching a rival move first. (the targeting logic here is competitive FOMO, not a firmographic filter)
3. 03Cut down to the competitors who would actually spend on it. Being in the same category is not enough; we kept only the ones ambitious enough to invest in training, not just similar enough to be compared. (filtered for intent to spend, not category fit)
4. 04Inside those companies, filter for the right person, not just the right title. Senior enough to say yes, but also someone who would actually enjoy a sequence with a bit of humour in it. Formal, buttoned-up inboxes do not reply well to copy that does not take itself too seriously. (this step is where most of the list got cut)

88 people. Small on purpose. Every cut above was not about shrinking the list, it was about making sure whoever landed on it would actually get what we were selling, and would not wince at how we said it.

Six touches, one job: earn the open. Each one shows the reusable template first, then the real message that produced the result.

1. Day 0

   The proof stack

   Email

   Front-load every credibility signal you have, before asking for anything. This is the touch that sets the open rate for the whole sequence.

   The template

   Subject{{companyName}} <> [sender name]

   Hi {{firstName}},

   I recently conducted [training/service] for [named client] ([known parent brand]). The team was able to [primary outcome] and [secondary outcome] using [your method].

   I've trained/worked with 100+ [audience type] including [client], [client], [client] and more.

   Here are a few [proof asset]: [Click Here]
   More about me and my work: [Profile]
   Featured on [press mention]: [Click Here]

   Open to a quick 15-min conversation to see if this would be valuable for {{companyName}}?

   Best Regards,
   [sender name]
   [title]

   What I actually sent

   Subject{{companyName}} <> Dev

   Hi {{firstName}},

   I recently conducted AI workflow & ad-creation training for Dot & Key (Nykaa). The team was able to launch campaigns faster and reduce production costs using AI-driven systems.

   I've trained 100+ corporate teams including Deloitte, Lakme, Axis Bank and more.

   Here are a few AI-generated ad examples: [Click Here]
   More about me and my work: [Profile]
   Featured on TV: [Click Here]

   Open to a quick 15-min conversation to see if this would be valuable for {{companyName}}?

   Best Regards,
   Dev
   Founder

   76% opened84 sent
2. Day 3

   The gentle nudge

   Email

   Catch the people who missed it. Low friction, no new pitch, just a nudge.

   The template

   Hi {{firstName}},

   Just wanted to gently follow up in case my earlier email got buried.

   We've been helping [audience type] [primary benefit] and [secondary benefit] using [your method].

   Happy to explore if this could be relevant for {{companyName}}.

   [soft CTA]?

   Best Regards,
   [sender name]
   [title]

   What I actually sent

   Hi {{firstName}},

   Just wanted to gently follow up in case my earlier email got buried.

   We've been helping marketing teams integrate AI into ad creation and workflow systems to reduce turnaround time and production costs.

   Happy to explore if this could be relevant for {{companyName}}.

   Worth a quick 15-minute chat?

   Best Regards,
   Dev
   Founder

   64% opened77 sent
3. Day 7

   The pain point reset

   Email

   Reset the angle from proof to a pain point specific to the vertical. It gives cold opens a second reason to click.

   The template

   Hi {{firstName}},

   One trend we're seeing across [ICP vertical] is [rising pain point 1] + [rising pain point 2].

   Teams implementing [your solution category] are able to:

   • [benefit 1]
   • [benefit 2]
   • [benefit 3]
   • [benefit 4]

   Curious if {{companyName}} is currently exploring [solution category] within [department]?

   Open to a short discussion if helpful.

   Best Regards,
   [sender name]
   [title]

   What I actually sent

   Hi {{firstName}},

   One trend we're seeing across D2C brands is rising creative fatigue + increasing ad production costs.

   Teams implementing AI workflows are able to:

   • Launch creatives faster
   • Test more variations
   • Reduce dependency on external production
   • Improve cost efficiency

   Curious if {{companyName}} is currently exploring AI integration within marketing?

   Open to a short discussion if helpful.

   Best Regards,
   Dev
   Founder

   62% opened74 sent
4. Day 10

   The check-in that asks for nothing

   Email

   Low-pressure check-in. An easy email to open, because it asks for nothing.

   The template

   Hi {{firstName}},

   Not sure if this is a priority right now for {{companyName}}, but wanted to check once more.

   If [your solution category] isn't on the roadmap currently, completely understand.

   If it is, I'd be happy to share a quick framework we've implemented with brands like [named client].

   Let me know either way.

   Best Regards,
   [sender name]
   [title]

   What I actually sent

   Hi {{firstName}},

   Not sure if this is a priority right now for {{companyName}}, but wanted to check once more.

   If AI-led marketing workflow optimization isn't on the roadmap currently, completely understand.

   If it is, I'd be happy to share a quick framework we've implemented with brands like Dot & Key.

   Let me know either way.

   Best Regards,
   Dev
   Founder

   55% opened74 sent
5. Day 12

   The permission-based breakup

   Email

   Curiosity reopens even cold leads one last time.

   The template

   Hi {{firstName}},

   I'll pause outreach for now.

   If [outcome your solution drives] becomes a focus area at {{companyName}}, feel free to reach out.

   Appreciate your time.

   Best Regards,
   [sender name]
   [title]

   What I actually sent

   Hi {{firstName}},

   I'll pause outreach for now.

   If improving campaign speed and reducing creative costs through AI becomes a focus area at {{companyName}}, feel free to reach out.

   Appreciate your time.

   Best Regards,
   Dev
   Founder

   38% opened74 sent
6. Day 13

   The second inbox

   LinkedIn

   A second channel for anyone who never opened on email. Different inbox, different odds.

   The template

   Hey {{firstName}}

   Tried reaching out to you over the email. Is {{companyName}} focusing on [solution category]? Up for a quick chat?

   What I actually sent

   Hey {{firstName}}

   Tried reaching out to you over the email. Is {{companyName}} focusing on integrating AI to their marketing workflows? Up for a quick chat?

   2 accepted16 sent

This is a genuinely strong open-rate sequence. The proof stack and the founder signature earned attention on every single touch, well above typical cold-email benchmarks. It is an open-rate playbook, not a conversion playbook: only 5 replies came out of it, so pair this sequence with a real follow-through plan rather than expecting opens alone to fill a pipeline.

Six touches, one job: earn the open. What happens after that open is a different playbook.

1. Vary the subject line on every follow-up instead of staying in-thread. The open rate dropped on every single touch; a fresh subject on emails 3 to 5 would likely slow that decay.
2. Cut email 1 to one proof link, not three. The open was already earned by the sender and the client name. The extra links did not lift opens and only added risk.
3. Start LinkedIn on day 1 alongside email, not as the last touch. Only 16 of 88 leads ever got a second channel, which caps how high the realistic overall open rate can go.
4. If the goal shifts from opens to replies, downsize the ask. Every touch here asked for a 15-minute call; a lighter ask on one or two touches would test whether reply rate moves independently of open rate.

A walkthrough of the campaign in lemlist, the list build and the sequence settings, is coming here.

Until it lands, the sequence above is the whole playbook: every touch, the template to reuse, and what each one returned.