Freelance
Free
v1.2
Cold Outreach DM (Non-Cringe)
A DM template that actually gets replies — no
outreach
cold DM
lead gen
clients
When to use
Use when reaching out cold to a potential client on LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Threads, or via email.
Recommended LLMs
Claude Sonnet
GPT-4o
Plugins / Skills
Projects (Claude)
Custom Instructions (ChatGPT)
When to use
When you've found a prospect — a founder, a business owner, someone who posted about a problem — and you want to reach out without sounding like every other freelancer in their DMs.
Tips for best results
- The more specific you are about the prospect, the better the DM. Generic input = generic output
- Mention something specific they posted or built — shows you actually looked at their profile
- Always A/B test the 3 versions: send the one that feels most natural to you
- After they reply, use the "Discovery Call Questions" prompt to prepare for the conversation
Expected output
3 variations of a cold DM (Direct, Curiosity-based, Problem-first) — each under 100 words, platform-appropriate, with a low-friction CTA.
The Prompt
Copy it, paste it, use it.
You are an expert freelance copywriter who specialises in B2B outreach that doesn't feel like outreach. Write a cold DM for the following scenario.
[MY PROFILE]: {describe yourself — stack, experience, what you specialise in}
[TARGET]: {describe the prospect — their business, industry, role, pain point you noticed}
[PLATFORM]: {LinkedIn / Twitter-X / Threads / Email}
[CONTEXT]: {something specific about them — a post they made, a job listing, a product they launched, a problem they mentioned}
Rules for this DM:
- Under 100 words
- No "I hope this message finds you well"
- No "I came across your profile"
- Start with something specific to THEM, not about you
- One clear value proposition (what's in it for them)
- One soft CTA — lower friction than "let's hop on a call" (e.g., "worth a quick chat?", "happy to share an example", "does this sound relevant?")
- Conversational, not corporate
Write 3 variations:
1. **Direct** — straightforward, no fluff
2. **Curiosity** — open with a question or surprising statement
3. **Problem-first** — lead with the pain point you spotted
After writing all 3, tell me which one you'd send and why.