Individual
Framework
Free
Cold Email PAS Copywriting Framework
A Problem-Agitate-Solve structure for cold email copy, with a fill-in-the-brackets template, three worked persona examples, subject-line formulas, and a 10-minute build process reps can run on any account.
How to use it
Fill in the bracketed master template with the persona's specific problem, cost, and mechanism, following the 10-minute build process, and pick a subject line from the five formulas.
What's inside
- The PAS structure explained line by line
- Fill-in-the-brackets master template
- Worked example, CFO persona
- Worked example, VP Sales persona
- Worked example, Head of IT persona
- 5 subject line formulas
- Do's and don'ts checklist
- 10-minute build process with time allocations per step
Problem → Agitate → Solve. Three short paragraphs, one ask. Apply to any persona in under 10 minutes.
The structure
| Line | Job | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Problem | Name the specific problem this persona has: not a generic pain, a concrete operational one | 1–2 sentences |
| Agitate | Show the cost of leaving it unsolved: time, money, risk, or reputational cost | 1–2 sentences |
| Solve | Position your solution as the resolution, tied directly back to the agitated cost: end with one specific ask | 1–2 sentences |
Master template
Subject: [Subject line: see formulas below] Hi [Name], [PROBLEM]: [specific process/task] at companies like [Company] usually means [named problem], especially when [condition that makes it worse]. [AGITATE]: left alone, that usually shows up as [cost: hours lost / dollars / risk / missed target], particularly around [specific trigger, e.g. quarter-end, headcount growth, audit]. [SOLVE]: we help [peer company/persona] fix exactly that by [one-sentence mechanism, not a feature list]. Worth 15 minutes to see if it applies to [Company]? [Specific day/time options, or scheduling link]. [Rep name]
Worked example: CFO persona
Subject: the manual close is costing more than it looks like Hi Priya, Finance teams at ~200-person SaaS companies usually still close the books with a mix of spreadsheets and manual reconciliation, even with a modern ERP underneath. Left alone, that typically means 3–5 extra days per close cycle, and it gets worse exactly when it matters most: right before a board update or fundraise. We help finance teams like [Peer Co]'s cut close time by automating the reconciliation layer, no ERP migration required. Worth 15 minutes to see if the same gap exists at [Company]? Tuesday 10am or Thursday 2pm both work for me. [Rep name]
Worked example: VP Sales persona
Subject: pipeline coverage math for Q3 Hi Marcus, Most VPs of Sales at your stage are running 2.5–3x pipeline coverage on paper, but a chunk of that is stale or single-threaded deals that never move. Left unaddressed, that shows up as a Q3 forecast that looks fine in the CRM and misses by 15–20% in reality, usually discovered too late to course-correct. We help sales leaders get an honest read on real coverage before it becomes a miss, not after. Worth 15 minutes to walk through how [Peer Co] caught this two quarters early? [Rep name]
Worked example: Head of IT persona
Subject: shadow SaaS spend at [Company] Hi Jordan, IT teams at companies your size usually have 30–40% more SaaS tools running than what's on the official approved list: bought by individual teams, unmanaged. Left alone, that's both a security exposure and a renewal-negotiation blind spot, you can't negotiate what you can't see. We help IT leaders get full visibility into shadow SaaS without a heavy rollout. Worth 15 minutes to see what's actually running at [Company]? [Rep name]
Subject line formulas
| Formula | Example |
|---|---|
| The cost, named | "the manual close is costing more than it looks like" |
| The math problem | "pipeline coverage math for Q3" |
| The blind spot | "shadow SaaS spend at [Company]" |
| The peer reference | "how [Peer Co] fixed [problem]" |
| The direct question | "still reconciling by hand?" |
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Name a specific, credible problem: vague pain kills credibility instantly
- Keep total email under 100 words
- End with one specific ask, never "let me know your thoughts"
- Use a real peer company or persona reference if you have one
Don't
- Don't open with "I hope this finds you well" or "My name is..."
- Don't list product features: PAS never mentions the product until the Solve line
- Don't stack two asks (a meeting AND a reply AND a forward)
- Don't agitate with fear-mongering that isn't backed by a real, common outcome
10-minute build process
| Minutes | Step |
|---|---|
| 0–2 | Identify the persona and their single most common operational pain (check ICP notes / battlecards) |
| 2–4 | Write the Problem line: be specific, not generic |
| 4–6 | Write the Agitate line: attach a real cost (time, money, risk) |
| 6–8 | Write the Solve line: one mechanism, one ask, one time option |
| 8–9 | Write the subject line last, using one of the 5 formulas |
| 9–10 | Read aloud once, cut anything that sounds like a pitch instead of a diagnosis |