Cold email that doesn't look like cold email. Specific prompts for life, Medicare, health, P&C, and commercial lines.
Prospecting emails are the workhorse of modern insurance marketing. Done right, they produce meetings at a cost of nothing except time. Done wrong, they land in spam and never get opened. This module: how to use Claude to write prospecting emails that actually get read.
Your audience is usually 35-75, thinking about family protection or final expenses. They're skeptical of agents. The email has to feel personal and specific.
Write a cold prospecting email to a homeowner, age 45-60, in [state]. They recently [had a kid / turned 50 / bought a home / got a raise / signed up for a life event newsletter, pick one trigger]. Goal: book a 15-minute discovery call about life insurance options. The email should: - Be under 90 words - Subject line: 4-6 words, lowercase, feels personal (NOT salesy) - First line: reference the trigger event specifically - Offer one specific angle (e.g., "I help homeowners with kids figure out the right amount of coverage without over-insuring") - Proof point: one specific number or outcome you can defend - CTA: propose a specific 15-min call time - Signature: just name, licensed-in state, phone Do NOT use: - "I hope this email finds you well" - "I wanted to reach out" - "Take a look at our comprehensive solutions" - Any mention of specific premiums Write three versions with different subject line angles.
Your audience is 63-75, thoughtful about healthcare, tired of being marketed to by Medicare agents. Respect their time; get to the point.
Write a prospecting email to someone turning 65 in the next 90 days, living in [state]. They've probably been getting calls and mail about Medicare for months. Goal: book a 20-minute Medicare planning call. The email should: - Subject line: 3-5 words, feels personal, NOT about "saving money" or "free review" - Acknowledge briefly that they've been hearing from a lot of people (without naming competitors) - Make one specific promise: you don't push one carrier, you explain the tradeoffs and they pick - Include one specific detail about their local market (e.g., "in [city], the top three MA plans are wildly different on Rx coverage") - CTA: two specific times - Under 100 words CMS compliance, this is a lead-generation email, not a marketing of a specific plan: - Do NOT name specific plans or carriers - Do NOT make claims about specific benefits or premiums - Include "We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options." Write 3 variants.
Individual market prospects are price-sensitive and overwhelmed. Small-group decision-makers are HR or owners with limited time.
Write a prospecting email to a small business owner (10-50 employees) in [state]. Target their pain: rising health insurance premiums at renewal. Goal: book a 20-minute call to review their current plan and options. Email should: - Subject: 5-7 words, about renewal / rising costs - Open with a specific data point about [state] small-group premium increases this year (if you don't have a real one, say "have seen" rather than "stat") - Name the three things that usually move the needle (plan design changes, carrier comparison, ICHRA/QSEHRA alternatives) - Propose a no-pressure 20-minute review - Under 100 words Write 3 versions, one more casual, one more data-driven, one with a short client story.
Home and auto. Your angle is usually either: they just had a life event, or they're paying too much at renewal.
Write a prospecting email to a new homeowner (bought in the last 6 months) in [state]. Goal: quote their home and auto (bundle) and compare to their current carrier. Email should: - Subject: 4-5 words, about their new home (not "save money") - Open by acknowledging the move (without being creepy about the data) - Make one specific point about [state]-specific coverage people miss (e.g., "In Texas, most standard policies exclude foundation repair, did yours?") - Offer a 10-minute quote with their existing dec page - Under 80 words - CTA: send dec page or book 10 min Write 3 variants.
Commercial is relationship-driven. Cold emails are harder here, but they work for specific vertical plays (contractors, restaurants, specific NAICS codes).
Write a prospecting email to an owner of a [vertical: restaurant / contractor / medical practice / trucking company] in [state]. Their policy likely renews in [month]. Goal: book a 15-minute call 60-90 days before renewal to review their program. Email should: - Subject: vertical-specific, 5-7 words - First line: one specific detail about their vertical's common coverage gap (research your vertical first, restaurant = assault & battery, contractor = subcontractor exclusions, etc.) - Position me as specialist in this vertical (I've placed X policies in this space) - Acknowledge their broker may be fine but a pre-renewal shop costs them nothing - CTA: 15 min, specific week - Under 120 words Do not disparage their current broker. Keep tone professional.
A single prospecting email is a waste. Most replies come to touch 3 or 4. Use Claude to generate the full sequence:
Given the first email [paste it], write a 5-touch sequence. - Email 2 (day 3): short nudge. Reference the first email. Add ONE new angle or data point. Under 50 words. - Email 3 (day 7): soft reframe. Acknowledge no reply is a reply. Offer a lower-friction ask (a 1-page PDF, not a call). - Email 4 (day 12): case study. Short story of a similar client outcome, anonymized. Under 100 words. - Email 5 (day 20): breakup. "Closing the loop, I'll stop reaching out. If [situation] changes, feel free to reply or call." Under 40 words. Keep each email in the same tone as email 1. Vary opening lines. Don't repeat the same hook.
If you're sending at volume, the first line is the personalization. Claude + a spreadsheet of prospects = custom first lines at scale:
I'll paste a list of prospects below with a short note about each (their situation, recent trigger, or something specific to them). For each, write ONE first line of a cold email, 12-20 words, that references something specific to them and doesn't sound templated. Don't use: - "Hope you're well" - "I came across your profile" - "Congrats on the [generic thing]" Be specific. Be human. PROSPECTS: 1. [Name, situation, trigger] 2. [Name, situation, trigger] ...
Paste in 20 prospects with trigger info, get 20 custom first lines. Assembly them with your email template in your cold email tool.