Cold emailing for startup interviews
I’ve had a lot of success cold emailing my way into interviews and jobs at tech startups. After a recent Twitter thread resulted in 50+ people asking for a template, I put together this guide. Please feel free to reach me on Twitter @elikamerow with any questions or comments.
General Principles
The goal of a cold email is to get time, not to get hired. First, the person has to read your email.
Subject Line
Template: Prospect’s First Name | Your First Name intro — job title
Example: Hannah | Eli intro — Growth Generalist
That subject line format works well for me and gets us over the first hurdle, actually getting someone to open the email. I always leave “intro” and usually leave “job title” uncapitalized because having every word capitalized feels a little salesy. Now you’re past the subject line, you need a convincing message that can be read without scrolling down on a phone.
Structure
- First paragraph — make it clear why you are writing.
- Second paragraph — tell your narrative and show credibility
- Third paragraph — focusing statement, explain your interest, make a clear ask
The goal of a cold email is to get time, not to get hired. The most common mistake I see on cold emails is people making them too long. Make it concise and easy for the other person to read and help you. A well-written cold email shares your narrative and answers the three big questions (Why do you want to work here? Why do you want this particular role? Why now?)
Who Should You Target?
If you are targeting an early stage company, let’s say under 20 employees or Series A, you most likely want to email the CEO. If the company is slightly bigger then you should target the VP for the department or the hiring manager for the role you are interested in.
Where Do I Get their Email?
It’s pretty easy to guess someone’s email if they work at a startup. It is likely their email follows one of the patterns below, the first two are more common.
- firstname@company.com (most common at earlier stage, smaller companies, most founders/CEOs have this email)
- firstname.lastname@company.com (most common at series B and later)
- firstinitial.lastname@company.com (sometimes there is no period)
- firstname.lastinitial@company.com (sometimes there is no period)
Technology
You can use tools like Name2Email, Hunter.io, and Skrapp.io to find or verify email addresses. I’ve used all three in the past and I’d say Name2Email had the best results and fastest UX.
LinkedIn is helpful to see what someone has shared or interacted with. You can use that information to better tailor the narrative you’re putting in your email. You can also send cold messages on LinkedIn but I find that folks check emails more often than LinkedIn messages.
Sample Email #1 — Email to CEO when there’s a job posting (Seed stage company)
This is the email that started my interview process at Alloy, where I ended up with an offer.
Subject: XXXX | Eli intro — Growth Generalist
Hi XXXX,
I saw that you were hiring for a Growth Generalist at Alloy Automation and I thought an intro might make sense.
Since 2016 I’ve been focused on selling SaaS, first helping XXXXXX’s sales team grow from well under $XX million to almost $XXX million in revenue over three years and then helping XXXXXXX launch their east coast office and sales team. Before that, I did BD work in the music industry and in the food industry helping Honest Tea and Galley expand into new cities before their acquisitions by Coca-Cola and Sweetgreen, respectively. I also ran my own consulting firm helping companies figure out their growth and market penetration strategies.
I’ve got experience with Amazon stores (ahh the heydey of fidget spinners) and have sold to all types of companies from SMB to Enterprise. I’m really interested in the work you’re doing with Alloy Automation and would love to talk about automating ecommerce and the growth role if you’ve got any time this week or next.
Thanks, XXXX, I hope you are having a great start to the year!
Sample Email #2 — Email to CEO when there is no job posting (Series A company)
This is an email I sent to a company that didn’t have a job opening that fit my profile. This email led to several interviews with the CEO. Notice that the first two paragraphs are similar to the previous email and it’s only the third paragraph, the focusing statement, that really differs.
Subject: XXXX | Eli intro — first sales hire
Hi XXXX,
I just learned about XXXX today and as I excitedly read more I thought an intro might make sense.
I spent the past four years helping XXXXXX’s sales team grow from well under $XX million to almost $XXX million in revenue and then helping XXXXXXX launch its east coast office and sales team. Before that, I did BD work in the food industry helping Honest Tea and Galley expand into new cities before their acquisitions by Coca-Cola and Sweetgreen, respectively. In parallel — I ran my own consulting firm helping companies figure out their growth and market penetration strategies.
I believe deeply in the importance of making it easier for founders to start companies, move quickly, and maintain control of their companies which is why I’m writing even though I didn’t see any open sales positions listed. If you have any time in the next week or two, I’d love to talk more about what you’re building at XXXX and how I might be able to help the team.
Thanks, XXXX, I hope to speak soon.
Sample Email #3 — Email to Department VP at later stage company (Series C)
This is the cold email that started my interview process at Ironclad. The VP wrote right back and connected me with a recruiter. That intro was far more powerful than me applying through a website.
Subject: SaaS AE w/ experience selling to GC/legal interested in applying
Hi XXX,
I heard XXXXX XXXXX on 20 Minute VC earlier today (from his Oct. 4th appearance) and immediately began researching Ironclad.
I have about a decade of BD experience with startups (2 acquisitions) and currently work as an AE at XXXXXX, a SaaS company that primarily sells to GC/VP Legal. I was over 100% of 2018 quota, over 116% of H1 2019 quota, and over 160% of my most recent q3 quota. I also have closed some of the largest deals in company history both by ARR or TCV. I have experience scaling teams and processes and don’t need micromanagement to find my way in new territory.
I’d love to learn more about Ironclad. Do you have availability for a short informational interview in the coming weeks? My schedule is rather flexible and I am happy to meet at a time that is convenient for you.
Thank you,
Eli
Questions??
If you have questions, comments, or would like me to add any information to the guide please contact me via twitter @elikamerow Thanks and good luck!
