Sofie warms people up

Cold DM templates for web designers.

Five first messages to founders and small businesses whose website is holding them back, written to get a reply rather than to pitch. Fill in the [brackets] from what they wrote.

Write one for a specific personMonty for designersFollow-up writer

What they care about

  • Whether the site will bring in leads or sales, not how it looks in a portfolio
  • How long it takes and how much of their time it eats
  • Not having to rebuild it again in a year

What gets ignored

  • “Your website could use a refresh”: it reads as an insult from a stranger
  • Attaching a mockup they didn’t ask for
  • Talking about tools (Webflow, Framer) before outcomes
1 · They posted about a launch

Congrats on launching [product]. Is the site doing the selling yet, or are you still explaining it on calls?

Ties your work to the thing they care about this week: the launch.
108 characters
2 · They just followed you

Thanks for the follow. Saw [company] does [what they do]. Is the website something you’re happy with, or one of those “we’ll fix it later” things?

Gives them an easy, honest way to say where they are.
146 characters
3 · They complained about their site

Saw your post about [the site problem]. I fix exactly that for [type of business]. Want the one change I’d make first? No call needed.

Offers something small and useful, as a yes or no.
134 characters
4 · They’re hiring

Noticed you’re hiring for [role]. Is the website part of their job, or is that still on your plate?

Hiring posts reveal gaps. This asks about the gap without assuming.
99 characters
5 · A few days later, no reply

Different question: if your site could do one thing better tomorrow, what would it be?

A new, easier question instead of “just bumping this”.
86 characters
Don’t send this

Hi! I’m a web designer with 8 years of experience. I noticed your website could use some improvements. Would you be open to a quick call to discuss?

All about you, vague criticism, and a call before they’ve said a word.
Monty

Monty writes these for every good follower, every morning.

Templates are a start. Monty reads your new X followers, finds the founders and small businesses among them, and writes a first message from what each one actually posted. You decide and send.

Start a 7-day trial for $0You decide and send every message yourself.

How to use these templates

  1. Pick the moment, not the template. Each one fits a situation: they followed you, posted about a problem, launched, are hiring, or haven’t answered yet. Use the one that matches what just happened.
  2. Fill every bracket with something true. The specific detail is what makes the message worth answering.
  3. Read it out loud. If it doesn’t sound like you, change the words until it does. Then send it yourself.

One specific detail, one easy question, and nothing to sell yet. The pitch comes after they reply.

Want more? What to say in a first DM on X has forty openers sorted by situation, from launches to hiring posts.

Questions

How do I write a cold DM as one of the web designers?

Start from one specific thing the person wrote or did, ask one easy question, and leave your pitch for later. The templates on this page show five common moments to message founders and small businesses whose website is holding them back, with the parts to fill in marked in brackets.

Can I send these templates as they are?

Fill in every bracket with something true about the person, then change a few words so it sounds like you. If a template could still go to 500 people after you’ve filled it in, it isn’t personal enough yet.

When should I follow up?

After a few days, with a new angle: something useful, or an easier question. Twice is plenty. The last template on this page is a follow-up.

Does Monty send these for me?

No. Monty finds the people worth messaging among your X followers and writes a first message for each, but you always decide and send it yourself.

More templates

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