# Cold Outreach Templates — v2
**Updated:** 2026-02-19
**Status:** DRAFT — Needs Michael's approval before any sends
**What changed from v1:** Added market-pressure messaging based on Radar intel (ABS wage data, Western Sydney squeeze, $193B market + labour bottleneck). New SMS-5 and EMAIL-4 templates. Updated SMS-1 and EMAIL-1 with optional cost-pressure angles.

---

## SMS Templates

### SMS-1: The Cost Shock (Best performer — lead with numbers)
```
G'day [Name], saw you're hiring [trade] in [area]. Quick question — would you rather pay $4,000 or $50 to fill that role? RateRight charges $50 flat per hire. No markup, no subscription. Worth 5 mins? - Susan
```
**Character count:** ~195 (1 SMS)
**Use when:** Lead has an active job ad on Seek/Indeed/Gumtree
**Personalise:** Trade, suburb, their company name if possible

### SMS-2: The Agency Comparison (For leads using labour hire)
```
Hi [Name], heard you use [agency/labour hire]. They take 20-40% of every worker's rate — that's $4K+ for a 10-week hire. RateRight does the same thing for $50 total. Same workers, your pocket. Quick chat? - Susan
```
**Character count:** ~210 (2 SMS)
**Use when:** Lead is known to use agencies or has complained about costs
**Personalise:** Agency name if known, specific trade

### SMS-3: The Referral / Social Proof (Once we have users)
```
G'day [Name], [Referrer/X contractors] in [area] switched to RateRight for hiring [trade]. $50 flat per hire vs agency markups. Happy to show you how it works — 5 min call? - Susan
```
**Character count:** ~180 (1 SMS)
**Use when:** We have local social proof or a referral
**Personalise:** Referrer name, area, trade

### SMS-4: The Follow-Up (48h after no response)
```
Hey [Name], just Susan from RateRight again. $50 to hire a [trade] — no catch, no subscription. If the timing's not right, no worries. But when you're next hiring, worth having in your back pocket. 🤙
```
**Character count:** ~190 (1 SMS)
**Use when:** No response to first SMS after 48 hours
**Tone:** Low pressure, leave the door open

### SMS-5: The Margin Squeeze (NEW — market pressure angle)
```
G'day [Name], costs are up everywhere and margins are tight. Finding a good [trade] shouldn't cost $4K+ on top of everything else. RateRight — $50 flat per hire. No agency markup. Worth a yarn? - Susan
```
**Character count:** ~195 (1 SMS)
**Use when:** Lead is in Western Sydney or known to work on projects where margins are tight. Good for formwork/concrete contractors affected by feasibility squeeze.
**Why it works:** ABS data shows real wages falling (WPI 3.4% vs CPI 3.8%). Everyone's feeling cost pressure. Leads with the money objection need to hear this differently — we're not another cost, we're savings.

---

## Email Templates

### EMAIL-1: The Cold Opener (Primary template)
```
Subject: $50 vs $4,000 to hire the same [trade]

G'day [Name],

Saw [company] is hiring [trade] in [area]. Quick maths:

- Labour hire agency: 20-40% markup = $4,000+ for a 10-week hire
- RateRight: $50. Total. One-off. Done.

Same qualified workers. You interview them directly. No middleman markup, no subscription, no lock-in.

We're a Sydney-based platform matching contractors with rated tradespeople. Think Seek, but built for construction and priced fairly.

Worth a 5-minute call this week?

Cheers,
Susan
RateRight | 0468 087 171
```
**Use when:** First contact with a quality lead (score 70+)
**Personalise:** Trade, area, company name, any specific project mention

### EMAIL-2: The Value Stack (For warmer leads / follow-up)
```
Subject: How [area] contractors are cutting hiring costs by 98%

Hi [Name],

Three things that make RateRight different from agencies:

1. **$50 flat fee per hire.** Not per lead, not per month — per successful hire.
2. **Direct connection.** You talk to workers directly. No recruiter playing telephone.
3. **Rated workers.** Every tradie has ratings from previous jobs. You see them before you call.

No subscription. No lock-in. Cancel anytime because there's nothing to cancel.

Happy to jump on a 5-minute call and show you who's available in [area].

Cheers,
Susan
RateRight | 0468 087 171
```
**Use when:** Second touch, or lead who engaged but didn't commit

### EMAIL-3: The Break-Up (Final touch before nurture)
```
Subject: Last one from me

Hi [Name],

I've reached out a couple of times about cutting your hiring costs from $4K+ to $50. Totally understand if the timing's off.

I'll leave it here — but if you're ever hiring [trade] and want to skip the agency markup, RateRight is at rateright.com.au.

All the best,
Susan
RateRight | 0468 087 171
```
**Use when:** 3rd or 4th touch with no response. Moves to monthly nurture after this.

### EMAIL-4: The Market Conditions Opener (NEW — cost-pressure angle)
```
Subject: Hiring costs are squeezing margins — here's one you can cut

G'day [Name],

Real wages are falling, materials are still elevated, and project feasibility is tighter than it's been in years. You don't need me to tell you that.

But here's one cost you can fix today: hiring.

Agencies charge 20-40% markup on every worker. For a $200/day [trade] over 10 weeks, that's $4,000+ out of your margin. RateRight charges $50. One-off. Same workers, direct connection, no ongoing fees.

Construction is heading to $193B this year, but finding good people is still the bottleneck. We built RateRight to fix that — for $50, not $4,000.

Worth a 5-minute call?

Cheers,
Susan
RateRight | 0468 087 171
```
**Use when:** Lead is in a margin-sensitive segment (Western Sydney, mid-rise residential, civil). Also good for leads who've gone quiet — re-engages with fresh market context rather than just "following up."
**Why it works:** Positions RateRight as margin relief, not another pitch. Uses real ABS/industry data that they're already feeling.

---

## Worker-Side Messaging (NEW — dual-sided platform)

### SMS-W1: For Workers / Tradies
```
G'day [Name], looking for [trade] work in Sydney? RateRight connects you directly with contractors — zero commission, you keep 100% of your rate. Free to join. rateright.com.au 🤙
```
**Use when:** Targeting worker-side growth (job board replies, social, tradies looking for work)
**Why now:** Real wages falling (WPI 3.4% < CPI 3.8%). Workers feel every dollar. "Keep 100%" resonates harder when pay isn't keeping up with prices.

---

## Sequence Cadence

| Touch | Timing | Channel | Template |
|-------|--------|---------|----------|
| 1 | Day 0 | SMS | SMS-1 (Cost Shock) or SMS-5 (Margin Squeeze) based on lead profile |
| 2 | Day 2 | SMS | SMS-4 (Follow-Up) |
| 3 | Day 5 | Email | EMAIL-1 (Cold Opener) or EMAIL-4 (Market Conditions) |
| 4 | Day 10 | Email | EMAIL-2 (Value Stack) |
| 5 | Day 14 | Email | EMAIL-3 (Break-Up) |
| 6+ | Monthly | Email | Nurture content (industry news, tips) |

**Choosing between originals and new variants:**
- Use SMS-5 / EMAIL-4 for Western Sydney leads, margin-sensitive segments, or re-engaging stale leads
- Use SMS-1 / EMAIL-1 for leads with active job ads (the job ad makes Cost Shock more immediate)
- When in doubt, lead with numbers (SMS-1/EMAIL-1) — it's proven

---

## Key Rules
- **ALL templates need Michael's approval before sending**
- **Always personalise** — name, trade, area, company at minimum
- **Best send times:** Tue-Thu, 9-11 AM
- **Never on:** Monday mornings, Friday afternoons, weekends, before 7 AM / after 8:30 PM
- **Compliance:** Platform facilitator only. Never promise worker quality, insurance, or immediate placement.
- **Market data source:** ABS WPI Q4 2025, Construction market forecast (Radar intel Feb 2026)

---

*Based on: v1 templates, Radar market intel (Feb 18-19), MEMORY.md performance data, SOUL.md tone guidelines*