Why 2-line emails outperform your full pitch
You’re saying too much (and getting ignored). Try this instead.
Most cold emails try too hard yet say nothing. We’ve all done it.
Here’s how I think about writing better ones—and what else I’m watching this week.
Today’s agenda:
✉️ A cold email trick that earns replies in just two lines
🤖 A smarter way to use AI when you’re stuck writing
🕵️ The right way to analyze a competitor’s site before copying it
💼 Briefly: The biggest signals in AI, search, and strategy this week
💬 Quote of the week
📥 Don’t overthink your emails
We often ask too much of our cold emails—trying to convince, explain, pitch, and close in a single shot.
The same thing happens on cold calls. The rep talks too much before they’ve earned a real conversation.
That approach usually backfires.
🎙️ In this short clip from my recent guest spot on the Noob School podcast, I share how I approach cold emails (and follow-ups) that get read—and why I aim to write them in just two lines:
Remember, email is one of the few channels you actually own. You control who gets it, when it shows up, and what it says.
✍️ What to try this week:
Write one email that’s just a few lines.
Make it feel natural—like something you’d say if you bumped into them at a conference.
Don’t try to explain everything. Tease just enough to earn a response.
🎧 Listen to the full podcast episode.
🤖 Stuck on what to say? Try this.
If a shorter, sharper message lands better, the question becomes: How do I say what matters—in a way that actually lands?
This is where you can lean on AI, like ChatGPT or Perplexity. Not to write for you, but to help you get “unstuck,” clear up what you’re trying to say, and pressure-test your ideas before you hit send.
Try this approach:
1. Assign the chatbot a role
Before you write anything, tell it who it is: “You’re a VP of Sales at a fintech company.”
Then, ask:
What kind of email would stop you from scrolling past?
What makes this feel like a pitch instead of a real message?
What’s missing that would make you care enough to reply?
This will help you get out of your head and into theirs.
2. Use it to refine your message
Drop in a rough paragraph and ask it to tighten it into two lines.
Not marketing copy—just a clearer version of what you’re trying to say.
If you’re stuck this week…
Pick a role (the person you’re writing to)
Ask ChatGPT what they care about
Take your rough draft and tighten it up
Chatbots don't replace your insight, they just remove the friction between your ideas and the words that get them across.
🕵️ Before you copy a competitor’s website…
You’ve probably seen a competitor’s site and thought, “Ours needs to look more like that.”
But, a good-looking site doesn’t mean it’s working. It might not be driving traffic, ranking for meaningful keywords, or even be part of their real growth engine.
If you're benchmarking, ask:
Are they getting traffic from non-branded search terms, or just people who already know them?
Is their site designed to convert? Or just to look polished?
Do they have a team focused on SEO, content, or digital acquisition?
A little research goes a long way. Don’t copy the surface—understand the system behind it. Or the lack of one.
👉 Read more: How to Evaluate a Competitor’s Website
Briefly
🌐 Google’s new AI Edge Gallery shows how on-device AI might evolve. It lets users run open-source models locally, no internet required. Still early, but it points to a future where AI tools could run faster and more privately—right from your phone.
💳 The subscription economy is expanding into B2B, with companies now offering hardware and talent-as-a-service models. The shift from ownership to flexible access continues—and personalization is becoming the key to long-term retention.
🤖 Notion just launched built‑in “AI agents” that can pull data, write reports, update databases, and automate multi‑step workflows inside the app. It’s a big step toward letting your tools do the busy‑work so you can focus on what actually moves the needle.
🗓️ Strategic planning for 2026 is getting tougher as AI and global instability reshape the landscape. New guidance focuses on scenario planning, AI readiness, and shifting from lead scores to real-time intent signals in both B2B and B2C.
🔍 SEO experts say the real shift isn’t from search to AI—it’s in how we understand user behavior. As LLMs blur the lines between tools and interfaces, businesses are being forced back to fundamentals: earning attention through how people actually search.
Quote of the week
“Don’t worry about failure; you only have to be right once.”
- Drew Houston, co-founder and CEO of Dropbox