The Perfect Teaser Email: Andrew Wilkinson & Tiny’s Template to Start the Conversation
The Perfect Teaser Email: Andrew Wilkinson & Tiny’s Template to Start the Conversation
The Perfect Teaser Email: Andrew Wilkinson & Tiny’s Template to Start the Conversation is the plain-English, copy-paste note that actually gets a fast, founder-friendly reply.
You’ll get my four-line structure, battle-tested subject lines, and tailored variants for SaaS, e-commerce, marketplaces, and agencies.
You’ll see what to include, what to skip, how to follow up, and how to convert that email into an LOI and a ~30-day close.
I’ll keep it first person, direct, and every sentence on its own line.
What a teaser email must do in 30 seconds
It must tell me what you are, prove you’re durable, and make a clear ask.
It must be scannable on a phone.
It must be forwardable without extra context.
For ruthless brevity that gets replies, see our blog post: I Don’t Respond to Long Emails.
The four-line structure I actually reply to
Line 1 — Positioning.
What you are and who you serve.
Line 2 — Snapshot.
TTM revenue, TTM EBITDA (or ARR/EBITDA for SaaS), growth, gross margin.
Line 3 — Durability.
Retention/cohorts, concentration, pricing power in a phrase.
Line 4 — The ask.
Your preferred terms and a ~30-day close timeline.
For story over fluff, see: Never Tell, Always Storytell.
Subject lines that get opened
“Quick intro: $X EBITDA, clean cohorts, 30-day close possible.”
“Founder-led, $X ARR / $Y EBITDA, low churn, simple deal.”
“Fit for Tiny: durable cash, tight peg, ready data room.”
“Not shopping broadly — are you the right home.”
The positioning line that lands
Use category + wedge + who.
“Workflow SaaS for property managers with built-in inspections.”
“DTC home goods brand with 58% GM and subscription reorders.”
“Two-sided marketplace for skilled trades with escrow and warranty.”
Skip metaphors and buzzwords.
Snapshot metrics I expect to see
Revenue and EBITDA.
Growth rate.
Gross margin.
NRR/GRR or repeat purchase rate.
Top customer percentage.
If you’re SaaS, add payback and churn.
If you’re e-commerce, add turns and returns rate.
Proving durability in one bullet
“NRR 103%, churn flat after +8% price change.”
“Top customer 14%, contracts 2–3 years, 92% renewal.”
“Repeat purchase 48% at 12 months, returns down 220 bps after redesign.”
Durability beats adjectives.
The ask that accelerates yes
“Prefer mostly cash at close, modest escrow, clean peg, no long earnout.”
“Open to small rollover if helpful.”
“Data room ready; happy to close in ~30 days.”
For trade-offs on structure, read: The Andrew Wilkinson & Tiny Guide to Earnouts vs Cash Upfront.
Copy-paste template (general)
Subject: Quick intro — $X EBITDA, low churn, ready to move fast
Hi {Name},
We run {what you are + who you serve}.
TTM revenue ${X}, TTM EBITDA ${Y}, {Z}% growth, {GM}% gross margin.
Durability: {NRR/GRR or repeat}, top customer {<25%}, {pricing power or moat}.
Prefer {cash-heavy, modest escrow, clean working-capital peg}.
Room is ready and we can close in ~30 days if there’s a fit.
Worth a quick call.
SaaS variant (ARR, cohorts, payback)
Subject: Founder-led SaaS — $X ARR / $Y EBITDA, NRR {≥100%}
We’re B2B workflow SaaS for {buyer}.
$X ARR, $Y EBITDA, {GM}% GM, payback {≤12 months}.
NRR {≥100%}, churn {low/stable}, pricing power proven with {+%} increase.
Open to cash-heavy close with a tight peg; 30-day close realistic.
For SaaS criteria and process, see: Sell Your SaaS ($1M+ EBITDA) to Andrew Wilkinson & Tiny.
E-commerce variant (turns, returns, CM)
Subject: DTC brand — $Y EBITDA, 58% GM, turns 5.2×, returns trending down
We’re a DTC brand in {category} with strong repeat and disciplined CM.
$X revenue, $Y EBITDA, {GM}% GM, turns {#}×, returns {trend}.
Pricing power held after {+%} price change; MAP enforced; clean 3PL SLAs.
Prefer cash-heavy with seasonally adjusted peg; 30-day close works.
For peg mechanics and examples, see: Working Capital Peg Explained.
Marketplace variant (liquidity, take rate, leakage)
Subject: Liquidity pockets + positive CM/Tx — short path to close
We run a {geo/category} marketplace with verified liquidity pockets.
Median time-to-match <24h, fill rate {≥80%}, take rate {x}%, leakage <{y}%.
CM/Tx positive pre fixed costs; warranty + on-platform payments defend take.
Open to cash-heavy close; peg + escrow defined; can move in ~30 days.
For how I price marketplaces, read: Marketplace Exits: Network Effects and Liquidity.
Agency / productized services variant (SOPs, bench)
Subject: Productized agency — $Y EBITDA, SOPs, founder <10 hrs/week
We deliver {service} via packaged SOPs with bench capacity.
$X revenue, $Y EBITDA, {GM}% GM, NPS {##}.
Top client {<25%}; 12-week rolling capacity plan; low key-person risk.
Cash-heavy close with modest escrow works; data room ready.
What not to include in a teaser
No multi-paragraph origin story.
No vanity metrics without cash.
No attachments larger than a few MB.
No NDA requirement just to read four lines.
Keep it clean.
For writing discipline, see: Delete 95% of Your Email.
Attachments and links: the minimum viable pack
Link to an 8-slide deck in view-only.
Offer the Vital 20% data room on request.
No 40-page CIM in the first email.
For the deck recipe, see: Founder FAQ: Submitting a Deal.
Personalization without homework
Reference one specific fit reason (“we value durable cash, low concentration, simple ops — that’s us”).
Mirror the buyer’s style: short, numbered, concrete.
Skip flattery.
Show alignment.
The follow-up cadence
Day 0 send the teaser.
Day 3 bump with one new proof (price test, cohort note).
Day 7 bump once more with a crisp “close-by” window.
Then stop.
Let signal work.
For cadence that keeps you shipping, read: 02: Journaling With AI.
Make it forwardable
Assume your email will be forwarded internally.
Keep the top block self-contained.
Use a subject line that explains the value without the body.
Include your calendar link on its own line.
Handling risks in the teaser (don’t hide them)
Name concentration or platform risk in one clause plus the mitigation.
“Top customer 28%, 5-year history, 18-month dilution plan in motion.”
Candor preserves multiples.
Peg, escrow, and terms in one sentence
“Cash-heavy close, tight working-capital peg (12-month average, dollar-for-dollar true-up), modest 12-month escrow.”
That one sentence saves five emails.
For details, see: Close in ~30 Days: Streamlining Diligence.
The eight-slide teaser deck alignment
Snapshot.
3-year + TTM financials.
Unit economics.
Cohorts/retention.
Customer or SKU mix.
Moat.
Org chart.
Risks + the ask.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Pre-send checklist (60 seconds)
Subject line clear.
Four lines tight.
Numbers bolded.
Ask explicit.
Calendar link included.
No heavy attachments.
Proof link works on mobile.
Teaser → LOI → 30-day close: your next steps
Teaser gets the call.
Deck + Vital 20% gets the LOI.
Calendar + one thread gets you to close.
For the week-by-week map, read: From LOI to Close: Timeline.
FAQs
How long should the teaser be.
Four lines plus a short signature and one link.
Do I need an NDA before sending a teaser.
No.
Save NDAs for the data room.
What if my numbers are good but messy.
Say so, attach a cash→accrual bridge plan, and share timing.
Clarity beats polish.
Should I include valuation expectations.
Only if you’ll stand by them.
Structure and certainty often beat headline.
Can I send the teaser as a LinkedIn DM.
Email first.
If you must DM, paste the four lines and ask for an email.
What if I have concentration.
Name it, show contracts and renewal history, and the dilution plan.
What if I rely on one platform.
Say it, show mitigations, and add a 90-day plan.
Do I attach the 8-slide deck.
Link it view-only.
Keep the email lightweight.
How do I handle earnouts in the teaser.
Say “prefer cash-heavy; open to small, short, single-metric earnout if aligned.”
What’s the fastest realistic close after a teaser.
LOI in 7–10 days and close in ~30 with a ready room and one crisp thread.
Conclusion
The Perfect Teaser Email: Andrew Wilkinson & Tiny’s Template to Start the Conversation boils down to four lines that prove durability, state a clean ask, and invite a fast path to LOI.
Send the teaser, align the deck to your memo, and keep one thread to close in ~30 days with more cash and less drama.
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