The 5-point checklist before your first line ships

The 5-point checklist before your first line ships

Everyone says: "Open with a compliment to warm them up." Myth. Compliments read as setup for an ask, and they know it. Your first line passes only if:

— It mentions something they'd recognize as specific to them, not their industry.
— It contains zero adjectives about their "amazing" work.
— It could not be sent verbatim to a competitor.
— It earns the second sentence — does it create a small gap they want closed?
— It survives being read with no greeting attached.

Fail any one, rewrite. The first line isn't a handshake, it's a filter — and it should filter you out of the spam pile.