Sales Draft Outreach
Research a prospect then draft personalized outreach. Uses web research by default, supercharged with enrichment and CRM. Trigger with "draft outreach to [person/company]", "write cold email to [prospect]", "reach out to [name]".
What this skill does
Generate personalized cold emails and LinkedIn messages by automatically researching a prospect's background and priorities before drafting. Founders, freelancers, and sales teams save hours on manual research while ensuring every outreach attempt feels tailored and relevant. Use this whenever you need to connect with a new lead or client without starting from scratch.
name: draft-outreach description: Research a prospect then draft personalized outreach. Uses web research by default, supercharged with enrichment and CRM. Trigger with “draft outreach to [person/company]”, “write cold email to [prospect]”, “reach out to [name]”.
Draft Outreach
Research first, then draft. This skill never sends generic outreach - it always researches the prospect first to personalize the message. Works standalone with web search, supercharged when you connect your tools.
Connectors (Optional)
| Connector | What It Adds |
|---|---|
| Enrichment | Verified email, phone, background details |
| CRM | Prior relationship context, existing contacts |
| Create draft directly in your inbox |
No connectors? Web research works great. I’ll output the email text for you to copy.
How It Works
+------------------------------------------------------------------+
| DRAFT OUTREACH |
| |
| Step 1: RESEARCH (always happens first) |
| - Web search (default) |
| - + Enrichment (if enrichment tools connected) |
| - + CRM (if CRM connected) |
| |
| Step 2: DRAFT (based on research) |
| - Personalized opening (from research) |
| - Relevant hook (their priorities) |
| - Clear CTA |
| |
| Step 3: DELIVER (based on connectors) |
| - Email draft (if email connected) |
| - Copy for LinkedIn (always) |
| - Output to user (always) |
+------------------------------------------------------------------+
Output Format
# Outreach Draft: [Person] @ [Company]
**Generated:** [Date] | **Research Sources:** [Web, Enrichment, CRM]
---
## Research Summary
**Target:** [Name], [Title] at [Company]
**Hook:** [Why reaching out now - the personalized angle]
**Goal:** [What you want from this outreach]
---
## Email Draft
**To:** [email if known, or "find email" note]
**Subject:** [Personalized subject line]
---
[Email body]
---
**Subject Line Alternatives:**
1. [Option 2]
2. [Option 3]
---
## LinkedIn Message (if no email)
**Connection Request (< 300 chars):**
[Short, no-pitch connection request]
**Follow-up Message (after connected):**
[Value-first message]
---
## Why This Approach
| Element | Based On |
|---------|----------|
| Opening | [Research finding that makes it personal] |
| Hook | [Their priority/pain point] |
| Proof | [Relevant customer story] |
| CTA | [Low-friction ask] |
---
## Email Draft Status
[Draft created - check ~~email]
[Email not connected - copy email above]
[No email found - use LinkedIn approach]
---
## Follow-up Sequence (Optional)
**Day 3 - Follow-up 1:**
[Short, new angle]
**Day 7 - Follow-up 2:**
[Different value prop]
**Day 14 - Break-up:**
[Final attempt]
Execution Flow
Step 1: Parse Request
Input patterns:
- "draft outreach to John Smith at Acme" → Person + company
- "write cold email to Acme's CTO" → Role + company
- "reach out to [email protected]" → Email provided
- "LinkedIn message to [LinkedIn URL]" → Profile provided
Step 2: Research First (Always)
Use research-prospect skill internally:
1. Web search for company + person
2. If Enrichment connected: Get verified contact info, background
3. If CRM connected: Check for prior relationship
Must find before drafting:
- Who they are (title, background)
- What the company does
- Recent news or trigger
- Personalization hook
Step 3: Identify Hook
Priority order for hooks:
1. Trigger event (funding, hiring, news) → Most timely
2. Mutual connection → Social proof
3. Their content (post, article, talk) → Shows you did research
4. Company initiative → Relevant to their priorities
5. Role-based pain point → Least personal but still relevant
Step 4: Draft Message
Email Structure (AIDA):
SUBJECT: [Personalized, <50 chars, no spam words]
[Opening: Personal hook - shows you researched them]
[Interest: Their problem/opportunity in 1-2 sentences]
[Desire: Brief proof point - similar company result]
[Action: Clear, low-friction CTA]
[Signature]
LinkedIn Connection Request (<300 chars):
Hi [Name], [Mutual connection/shared interest/genuine compliment].
Would love to connect. [No pitch]
LinkedIn Follow-up Message:
Thanks for connecting! [Value-first: insight, article, observation]
[Soft transition to why you reached out]
[Question, not pitch]
Step 5: Create Email Draft
If email connector available:
1. Create draft with to, subject, body
2. Return draft link
3. Note: "Draft created - review and send"
If not available:
1. Output email text
2. Note: "Copy to your email client"
Capability by Connector
| Capability | Web Only | + Enrichment | + CRM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personalized opening | Basic | Deep | With history | Same |
| Verified email | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Background details | Public only | Full | Full | Full |
| Prior relationship | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-create draft | No | No | No | Yes |
Message Templates by Scenario
Cold Outreach (No Prior Relationship)
Subject: [Their initiative] + [your angle]
Hi [Name],
[Personal hook based on research - news, content, mutual connection].
[1 sentence on their likely challenge based on role/company].
[Brief proof: "We helped [Similar Company] achieve [Result]".]
Worth a 15-min call to see if relevant?
[Signature]
Warm Outreach (Have Met / Mutual Connection)
Subject: Following up from [context]
Hi [Name],
[Reference to how you know them / who connected you].
[Why reaching out now - their trigger].
[Specific value you can offer].
[CTA]
Re-Engagement (Went Dark)
Subject: [Short, curiosity-driven]
Hi [Name],
[Acknowledge time passed without being guilt-trippy].
[New reason to reconnect - their news or your news].
[Simple question to re-open dialogue].
[Signature]
Post-Event Follow-up
Subject: Great meeting you at [Event]
Hi [Name],
[Specific memory from conversation].
[Value-add: article, intro, resource related to what you discussed].
[Soft CTA for next conversation].
Email Style Guidelines
- Be concise but informative — Get to the point quickly. Busy people skim.
- No markdown formatting — Never use asterisks, bold (text), or other markdown. Write plain text that looks natural in any email client.
- Short paragraphs — 2-3 sentences max per paragraph. White space is your friend.
- Simple lists — If listing items, use plain dashes. No fancy formatting.
Good:
Here's what I can share:
- Case study from a similar company
- 15-min intro call this week
- Quick demo if helpful
Bad:
**What I Can Offer:**
- **Case study** from a similar company
- **Intro call** this week
What NOT to Do
Generic openers:
- “I hope this email finds you well”
- “I’m reaching out because…”
- “I wanted to introduce myself”
Feature dumps:
- Long paragraphs about your product
- Multiple value props at once
- No clear CTA
Fake personalization:
- “I noticed you work at [Company]” (obviously)
- “Congrats on your role” (without context)
Markdown in emails:
- Using bold or italic asterisks
- Headers or formatted lists that won’t render
Instead:
- Lead with something specific you learned
- One clear value prop
- One clear ask
- Plain text formatting only
Channel Selection
IF verified email available:
→ Email preferred (higher response rate)
→ Also provide LinkedIn backup
IF no email:
→ LinkedIn connection request
→ Follow-up message template for after connection
IF warm intro possible:
→ Suggest mutual connection outreach first
Company Configuration [CUSTOMIZE]
## Outreach Settings
- My name: [Your Name]
- My title: [Your Title]
- My company: [Company Name]
- Value prop: [One sentence - what you help with]
## Signature
[Your preferred email signature]
## Proof Points
- [Customer 1]: [Result]
- [Customer 2]: [Result]
- [Customer 3]: [Result]
## CTA Options
- Default: "Worth a 15-min call?"
- Softer: "Open to learning more?"
- Specific: "Can I send over a quick demo?"
## Tone
- [Professional / Casual / Direct]
- Industry-specific language: [Yes/No]
Example
Input: “draft outreach to the Head of Engineering at Notion”
Research finds:
- Name: David Tibbitts
- Recent news: Notion launched AI features
- Hiring: 5 ML engineer roles open
- Background: Ex-Facebook, Stanford CS
Output:
# Outreach Draft: David Tibbitts @ Notion
## Research Summary
**Target:** David Tibbitts, Head of Engineering at Notion
**Hook:** They're scaling AI features and hiring ML talent
**Goal:** Intro call about AI infrastructure
---
## Email Draft
**To:** [email protected]
**Subject:** Notion's AI scaling + a thought
---
Hi David,
Saw Notion's AI rollout is gaining serious traction - congrats.
With 5 ML roles open, seems like you're scaling fast.
Curious how you're thinking about inference infrastructure
as usage grows. We helped [Similar Company] cut their AI
serving costs 40% while improving latency.
Worth a 15-min call to see if relevant to your roadmap?
Best,
[Name]
---
**Subject Alternatives:**
1. Notion AI + scaling question
2. Quick thought on Notion's ML hiring
---
## Email Draft Status
Draft created - check ~~email Install this Skill
Skills give your AI agent a consistent, structured approach to this task — better output than a one-off prompt.
npx skills add anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins --skill sales Official Anthropic skill. Need a walkthrough? See the install guide →
Works with
No terminal needed — Claude.ai works by pasting the skill into custom instructions.
Details
- Category
- Marketing
- License
- Apache 2.0
- Author
- @anthropics
- Source
- GitHub →
- Source file
-
show path
sales/skills/draft-outreach/SKILL.md