Run the Markster OS cold email playbook

Cold Email Operator

by markster · MIT license · ★ 64 on GitHub · updated May 15

Run the Markster OS cold email playbook. CHECK prerequisites, DO the sequence build, VERIFY before sending.

---
name: cold-email
description: 'Run the Markster OS cold email playbook. CHECK prerequisites, DO the sequence build, VERIFY before sending. Routes through ScaleOS G3 Book with context from F1/F2.'
---

# Cold Email Operator

---

## CHECK

Do not proceed past any failed check.

**1. F1 complete?**

Read `company-context/audience.md`.

Required before this skill runs:

Overview

Required before this skill runs: - ICP defined with company type, headcount range, and buying trigger - Decision-maker title named - Specific pain in the buyer's words (not your description of their pain)

Manual install (npx, ZIP)

Claude Codenpx skills add markster/markster-os --skill cold-email -g -a claude-code

Claude Code (manual)

mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && curl -sL https://codeload.github.com/markster/markster-os/tar.gz/b1da50054715 \
  | tar -xz -C ~/.claude/skills --strip-components=2 markster-os-b1da50054715/skills/cold-email

Windows (PowerShell)

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force "$HOME\.claude\skills" | Out-Null; Invoke-WebRequest "https://m.agentalley.io/zip/d9d637bd3dd125c144f8/cold-email.zip" -OutFile "$env:TEMP\cold-email.zip"; Expand-Archive "$env:TEMP\cold-email.zip" -DestinationPath "$HOME\.claude\skills" -Force

Claude.ai / desktopDownload the ZIP and upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

Codex, Cursor, other agentsPoint them at SKILL.md. The other files are plain text.

Connects with Agent Alley MCP · agentalley.io/mcp

Files included

SKILL.md7.6 KB

Read the files here

markster/b1da5001 file

SKILL.md7.6 KB

Shared references6SKILL.md reads these from elsewhere in the repo. Not in the ZIP.

Get them on GitHub ↗

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Cold Email Operator

CHECK

Do not proceed past any failed check.

1. F1 complete?

Read company-context/audience.md.

Required before this skill runs:

ICP defined with company type, headcount range, and buying trigger
Decision-maker title named
Specific pain in the buyer's words (not your description of their pain)

If missing: "F1 is not complete. Cold email will not perform without a defined ICP and buying trigger. Open methodology/foundation/F1-positioning.md and complete it first."

2. F2 complete?

Read company-context/offer.md.

Required:

Outcome statement (what the client achieves, not what you deliver)
Proof point (specific result with company type, number, and timeframe)
Risk reversal or guarantee exists

If missing: "F2 needs an outcome statement and at least one proof point before this sequence will convert. Gut check: can you complete this sentence with a real number? 'We help [ICP] achieve [outcome] in [timeframe]. [Company] did this.' If not, fix F2 first."

3. Offer passes the Stranger Test?

Ask: "Read your offer to me in one sentence. Why is it obviously better than doing nothing?"

If you cannot explain it without jargon in under 15 seconds, the offer needs work before the sequence does. Route to playbooks/offer/README.md.

4. List exists or can be built?

Ask: "Do you have a prospect list? How many contacts, and have they been verified?"

No list: go to playbooks/find/README.md + playbooks/find/templates/icp-worksheet.md first
Unverified list (bounce rate unknown): run verification before sending (target: under 3% bounce rate)
List ready: proceed

5. Sending infrastructure ready?

Ask: "Are you sending from a separate domain? Is SPF/DKIM/DMARC configured? Is a warmup tool running?"

If no to any of these: stop here. Sending from a cold or misconfigured domain will destroy your deliverability. Fix infrastructure before sequence.

6. Your archetype

Before writing the sequence, confirm the business type. Route to the correct segment file.

Your type	Read this first
B2B SaaS, devtools, marketplace	`playbooks/segments/startup-archetypes/`
Agency, consulting, IT/MSP, advisory	`playbooks/segments/service-firms/`
Residential or commercial services	`playbooks/segments/trade-businesses/`

Cold email is not always the right G3 motion. Trade businesses and advisory firms often convert better on referrals and warm outreach first. Your segment file will say if cold email should come later.

DO

Run these six steps in order. Do not skip a step unless the user confirms it is already done.

Step 1: Research

Ask: "Have you run the buyer JTBD and competitive intelligence research prompts?"

If no: direct to research/prompts/buyer-jobs-to-be-done-prompt.md and research/prompts/competitive-intelligence-prompt.md
If yes: ask them to share the buyer verbatims -- the exact words their buyers use to describe the problem

Use the verbatims in the sequence. Not your language. Their language.

Step 2: Segment

Define the list-building filter from F1:

Industry: [specific, not "B2B"]
Revenue range: [floor and ceiling]
Headcount: [range]
Geography: [if relevant]
Decision-maker title: [exact title, not "manager"]
Buying trigger: [the event that makes them a buyer right now]

Source options: Apollo, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Hunter.io, industry directories.

Target list size: 200-500 contacts per cohort.

Verification: run through an email validator before importing. Bounce rate must be under 3%.

Step 3: Write

Using buyer verbatims from Step 1 and the outcome statement from F2, write the 3-touch sequence:

Email 1 -- Cold intro

Under 100 words
One CTA (a question, not a link)
Structure: [Specific trigger] + [Problem in their words] + [One proof point] + [Soft ask]
Subject: "[Company] -- [traction number or outcome] -- [category]"
No deck, no calendar link in first email

Follow-up 1 -- Different angle, same offer

Under 60 words
New angle: different pain, different proof point, or different framing
Reply to the original thread

Follow-up 2 -- Pattern interrupt or breakup

Under 40 words
Options: honest breakup frame ("Should I close your file?") or humor if the brand voice allows it
Reply to same thread

Reference template: playbooks/book/cold-email/templates/sequence-b2b.md

Writing rules:

No em-dashes
Sentences under 20 words
One idea per sentence
First person, plain language
No buzzwords ("leverage," "solutions," "synergy," "space")

Step 4: Send

Confirm:

From: separate domain (not primary)
SPF/DKIM/DMARC: configured
Warmup: running for at least 2 weeks before first send
Daily send limit: start at 20/day, scale up slowly
Sending tool: (Clay, Instantly, Smartlead, Reply.io -- confirm which they use)

Send schedule:

Tuesday through Thursday, 8am-10am local time for the recipient
Batch 1: 20-50 contacts as a test cohort
Wait 72 hours before evaluating results

Step 5: Reply handling

Review how they will handle each reply type. Reference playbooks/book/reply-triage.md for exact scripts.

Reply type	Action
Positive / interested	Respond within 4 hours. Book the meeting immediately.
Soft no / not now	Add to quarterly follow-up sequence. No longer than 3 lines.
Referral	Ask for intro. Thank them. Log the contact.
Unsubscribe	Remove. Do not follow up.
Objection	Use objection scripts from `playbooks/biz-dev/sales/templates/objections.md`
No reply	Follow-up 1 at day 3, Follow-up 2 at day 7. Then stop.

Step 6: Iterate

After 100 sends, review:

Metric	Target	Action if below target
Open rate	30%+	Investigate deliverability. Check spam filters.
Reply rate	1%+	Message problem if open rate is good. Rewrite Email 1.
Meeting rate	0.25%+	Check CTA clarity. Is the ask too big?

Change one variable at a time. Do not rewrite the entire sequence at once.

Volume rule: More volume beats better copy at the same conversion rate. Fix volume before copy unless open rate is already above 30%.

VERIFY

Before this session ends:

1. Sequence written?

Confirm all three emails are written, use buyer verbatims, and pass the Stranger Test when read aloud.

2. Infrastructure confirmed?

Confirm separate domain, SPF/DKIM/DMARC, and warmup are all checked.

3. List ready?

Confirm list exists, is filtered to ICP match, and is verified.

4. Reply triage plan set?

Confirm what happens when positive replies come in. Who responds? How fast? What's the booking link?

5. Metric baseline set?

State the starting numbers: "Before this send, our reply rate is [X]. Success this week = at least [Y]."

Add-ons

If AOE_GRADER_KEY is set: the AOE Grader can score AI visibility as part of the research step.

If LEAD_PACKS_KEY is set: pre-built, verified contact lists by vertical and geography are available instead of building from scratch.

Reference files

Full playbook: playbooks/book/cold-email/README.md
Sequence template: playbooks/book/cold-email/templates/sequence-b2b.md
Follow-up templates: playbooks/book/cold-email/templates/follow-up.md
Reply triage: playbooks/book/reply-triage.md
Warm outreach (run before cold): playbooks/book/warm-outreach.md
Objection scripts: playbooks/biz-dev/sales/templates/objections.md

1	---
2	name: cold-email
3	description: 'Run the Markster OS cold email playbook. CHECK prerequisites, DO the sequence build, VERIFY before sending. Routes through ScaleOS G3 Book with context from F1/F2.'
4	---
5
6	# Cold Email Operator
7
8	---
9
10	## CHECK
11
12	Do not proceed past any failed check.
13
14	1. F1 complete?
15
16	Read `company-context/audience.md`.
17
18	Required before this skill runs:
19	- ICP defined with company type, headcount range, and buying trigger
20	- Decision-maker title named
21	- Specific pain in the buyer's words (not your description of their pain)
22
23	If missing: "F1 is not complete. Cold email will not perform without a defined ICP and buying trigger. Open `methodology/foundation/F1-positioning.md` and complete it first."
24
25	2. F2 complete?
26
27	Read `company-context/offer.md`.
28
29	Required:
30	- Outcome statement (what the client achieves, not what you deliver)
31	- Proof point (specific result with company type, number, and timeframe)
32	- Risk reversal or guarantee exists
33
34	If missing: "F2 needs an outcome statement and at least one proof point before this sequence will convert. Gut check: can you complete this sentence with a real number? 'We help [ICP] achieve [outcome] in [timeframe]. [Company] did this.' If not, fix F2 first."
35
36	3. Offer passes the Stranger Test?
37
38	Ask: "Read your offer to me in one sentence. Why is it obviously better than doing nothing?"
39
40	If you cannot explain it without jargon in under 15 seconds, the offer needs work before the sequence does. Route to `playbooks/offer/README.md`.
41
42	4. List exists or can be built?
43
44	Ask: "Do you have a prospect list? How many contacts, and have they been verified?"
45
46	- No list: go to `playbooks/find/README.md` + `playbooks/find/templates/icp-worksheet.md` first
47	- Unverified list (bounce rate unknown): run verification before sending (target: under 3% bounce rate)
48	- List ready: proceed
49
50	5. Sending infrastructure ready?
51
52	Ask: "Are you sending from a separate domain? Is SPF/DKIM/DMARC configured? Is a warmup tool running?"
53
54	If no to any of these: stop here. Sending from a cold or misconfigured domain will destroy your deliverability. Fix infrastructure before sequence.
55
56	6. Your archetype
57
58	Before writing the sequence, confirm the business type. Route to the correct segment file.
59
60	\| Your type \| Read this first \|
61	\|-----------\|----------------\|
62	\| B2B SaaS, devtools, marketplace \| `playbooks/segments/startup-archetypes/` \|
63	\| Agency, consulting, IT/MSP, advisory \| `playbooks/segments/service-firms/` \|
64	\| Residential or commercial services \| `playbooks/segments/trade-businesses/` \|
65
66	Cold email is not always the right G3 motion. Trade businesses and advisory firms often convert better on referrals and warm outreach first. Your segment file will say if cold email should come later.
67
68	---
69
70	## DO
71
72	Run these six steps in order. Do not skip a step unless the user confirms it is already done.
73
74	### Step 1: Research
75
76	Ask: "Have you run the buyer JTBD and competitive intelligence research prompts?"
77
78	- If no: direct to `research/prompts/buyer-jobs-to-be-done-prompt.md` and `research/prompts/competitive-intelligence-prompt.md`
79	- If yes: ask them to share the buyer verbatims -- the exact words their buyers use to describe the problem
80
81	Use the verbatims in the sequence. Not your language. Their language.
82
83	### Step 2: Segment
84
85	Define the list-building filter from F1:
86
87	```
88	Industry: [specific, not "B2B"]
89	Revenue range: [floor and ceiling]
90	Headcount: [range]
91	Geography: [if relevant]
92	Decision-maker title: [exact title, not "manager"]
93	Buying trigger: [the event that makes them a buyer right now]
94	```
95
96	Source options: Apollo, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Hunter.io, industry directories.
97
98	Target list size: 200-500 contacts per cohort.
99
100	Verification: run through an email validator before importing. Bounce rate must be under 3%.
101
102	### Step 3: Write
103
104	Using buyer verbatims from Step 1 and the outcome statement from F2, write the 3-touch sequence:
105
106	Email 1 -- Cold intro
107	- Under 100 words
108	- One CTA (a question, not a link)
109	- Structure: [Specific trigger] + [Problem in their words] + [One proof point] + [Soft ask]
110	- Subject: "[Company] -- [traction number or outcome] -- [category]"
111	- No deck, no calendar link in first email
112
113	Follow-up 1 -- Different angle, same offer
114	- Under 60 words
115	- New angle: different pain, different proof point, or different framing
116	- Reply to the original thread
117
118	Follow-up 2 -- Pattern interrupt or breakup
119	- Under 40 words
120	- Options: honest breakup frame ("Should I close your file?") or humor if the brand voice allows it
121	- Reply to same thread
122
123	Reference template: `playbooks/book/cold-email/templates/sequence-b2b.md`
124
125	Writing rules:
126	- No em-dashes
127	- Sentences under 20 words
128	- One idea per sentence
129	- First person, plain language
130	- No buzzwords ("leverage," "solutions," "synergy," "space")
131
132	### Step 4: Send
133
134	Confirm:
135	- From: separate domain (not primary)
136	- SPF/DKIM/DMARC: configured
137	- Warmup: running for at least 2 weeks before first send
138	- Daily send limit: start at 20/day, scale up slowly
139	- Sending tool: (Clay, Instantly, Smartlead, Reply.io -- confirm which they use)
140
141	Send schedule:
142	- Tuesday through Thursday, 8am-10am local time for the recipient
143	- Batch 1: 20-50 contacts as a test cohort
144	- Wait 72 hours before evaluating results
145
146	### Step 5: Reply handling
147
148	Review how they will handle each reply type. Reference `playbooks/book/reply-triage.md` for exact scripts.
149
150	\| Reply type \| Action \|
151	\|-----------\|--------\|
152	\| Positive / interested \| Respond within 4 hours. Book the meeting immediately. \|
153	\| Soft no / not now \| Add to quarterly follow-up sequence. No longer than 3 lines. \|
154	\| Referral \| Ask for intro. Thank them. Log the contact. \|
155	\| Unsubscribe \| Remove. Do not follow up. \|
156	\| Objection \| Use objection scripts from `playbooks/biz-dev/sales/templates/objections.md` \|
157	\| No reply \| Follow-up 1 at day 3, Follow-up 2 at day 7. Then stop. \|
158
159	### Step 6: Iterate
160
161	After 100 sends, review:
162
163	\| Metric \| Target \| Action if below target \|
164	\|--------\|--------\|----------------------\|
165	\| Open rate \| 30%+ \| Investigate deliverability. Check spam filters. \|
166	\| Reply rate \| 1%+ \| Message problem if open rate is good. Rewrite Email 1. \|
167	\| Meeting rate \| 0.25%+ \| Check CTA clarity. Is the ask too big? \|
168
169	Change one variable at a time. Do not rewrite the entire sequence at once.
170
171	Volume rule: More volume beats better copy at the same conversion rate. Fix volume before copy unless open rate is already above 30%.
172
173	---
174
175	## VERIFY
176
177	Before this session ends:
178
179	1. Sequence written?
180
181	Confirm all three emails are written, use buyer verbatims, and pass the Stranger Test when read aloud.
182
183	2. Infrastructure confirmed?
184
185	Confirm separate domain, SPF/DKIM/DMARC, and warmup are all checked.
186
187	3. List ready?
188
189	Confirm list exists, is filtered to ICP match, and is verified.
190
191	4. Reply triage plan set?
192
193	Confirm what happens when positive replies come in. Who responds? How fast? What's the booking link?
194
195	5. Metric baseline set?
196
197	State the starting numbers: "Before this send, our reply rate is [X]. Success this week = at least [Y]."
198
199	---
200
201	## Add-ons
202
203	If `AOE_GRADER_KEY` is set: the AOE Grader can score AI visibility as part of the research step.
204
205	If `LEAD_PACKS_KEY` is set: pre-built, verified contact lists by vertical and geography are available instead of building from scratch.
206
207	---
208
209	## Reference files
210
211	- Full playbook: `playbooks/book/cold-email/README.md`
212	- Sequence template: `playbooks/book/cold-email/templates/sequence-b2b.md`
213	- Follow-up templates: `playbooks/book/cold-email/templates/follow-up.md`
214	- Reply triage: `playbooks/book/reply-triage.md`
215	- Warm outreach (run before cold): `playbooks/book/warm-outreach.md`
216	- Objection scripts: `playbooks/biz-dev/sales/templates/objections.md`
217