Pre-event checklist
Cold-outreach message checklist
Cold outreach for indie SaaS is one of the highest-leverage pre-revenue motions. The eight items below name the elements that distinguish a working cold message from a spam-looking one.
Run before: Sending the first cold outreach message
When: Before sending the first cold outreach message to a target on your dream-100 list.
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The 8-step checklist
Step 1
Verify the recipient is on the dream-100 list
Not a scraped list. A named, specific person you would be proud to have as a customer. If you cannot say why this person specifically, do not send.
Done when: The recipient is on the named dream-100 list and you can articulate the specific reason this person fits.
Step 2
Reference one specific thing about the recipient
Not 'I saw your company' — one specific thing they did, said, or shipped. The reference must be verifiable from their public footprint.
Done when: The message names one specific verifiable thing about the recipient that is not from their LinkedIn headline.
Step 3
Keep the message under 100 words
Under 100 words. Under 75 is better. The job of a cold message is to earn a one-line reply, not to close.
Done when: The message is under 100 words measured at send time (not draft time).
Step 4
End with one specific ask
Not 'let me know what you think'. A specific yes/no question or a single 15-minute calendar offer with a real link.
Done when: The message ends with one question the recipient can answer with one sentence.
Step 5
Verify deliverability of the sending domain
SPF, DKIM, DMARC aligned. If sending from a new domain, do not start with cold outreach — start with warm-up.
Done when: mail-tester.com scores the sending domain 9/10 or better.
Step 6
Send from a real human address with a real signature
From-name is a human name, signature has a real link to a real profile. No 'Team Acme', no marketing graphics in signature.
Done when: From-name and signature are human-readable and the recipient can verify the sender exists at the named company in under 30 seconds.
Step 7
Plan exactly one follow-up message
One follow-up at the 4-7 day mark. Adding more in advance is the failure mode. The follow-up references the original one-sentence thread, not 'just bumping this'.
Done when: Exactly one follow-up is queued for the 4-7 day mark, drafted, and references the original message specifically.
Step 8
Verify the reply-to inbox is monitored
If the recipient replies in the first 5 minutes, do you see it? Cold outreach that is not actively monitored is throwaway.
Done when: The reply-to inbox notifies your phone within 5 minutes of a reply landing.
Related Brunson terms
If a step fails, diagnose the element
Frequently asked
- What is a good reply rate for cold outreach?
- For indie SaaS founder outreach to a real dream-100, 10-25% reply rates are typical when the message is personal. Spray-and-pray scraped-list outreach yields 0.5-2% and burns sender reputation. The math favors named lists.
More checklists
Run the diagnostic on your live page
The free 90-second Launch Diagnostic labels which Brunson failure mode your page hits — Wrong Person, Weak Offer, or Weak Belief — so you know which checklist to run first.