[Ayraa]

Agree the post over-complicates this.

Also, the message and approach should be very different depending on who you're reaching out to and for what reason (example: getting a job versus getting a client).

Providing value is important, but the goal of the first email is simply to get someone to reply, not overload them with info upfront (like what was suggested as one of the examples, a 13-page PowerPoint deck with data analysis).

I find providing 1-2 specific concrete ideas related to your product, service or ask and tailored for your prospect's business is enough to get an interested reply. Some good templates for this here: https://artofemails.com/new-clients