Been grinding through cold outreach for IB summer internships and getting ghosted by every MD I ping. Last week I tried modifying a template some analysts recommended, but my reply rate’s still in the gutter. Heard some veterans here have cracked the code on value-first messaging that doesn’t sound like a favor grab. What’s the magic ratio of flattery to insight in these invites? Does mentioning their recent deals come across as stalkerish or prepared? Would love to see examples that worked for others.
save yourself the effort. most templates are recycled trash from career centers. real ones know you gotta find the banker’s pet project in alumni notes or corp press releases. ‘saw you worked on X – we did something similar in my class project’ beats any ‘passionate about finance’ drivel. but hey, keep wasting stamps.
pls share any examples that worked! my last 20 linkedin msgs got 1 reply 
does subject line matter more than content? maybe adding emojis??
Focus on specificity. Last year, a mentee secured 8 chats by referencing the banker’s recent podcast appearance on ESG M&A trends in their first sentence. Keep it under 3 sentences: 1) Context for contacting them specifically, 2) One focused question about their expertise, 3) Flexibility for timing. Attach a relevant industry chart as a conversation starter.
You’ve got this! Persistence pays off 
Try adding a quick market observation – bankers love actionable insights!
When I was breaking in, I’d scan Fed filings for deals that closed >5yrs ago – bankers get nostalgic. Got a VP at Goldman to reply by asking how their 2017 retail acquisition thesis held up. He ended up forwarding my resume. Old deals = lower ego stakes, imo.
Analysis of 142 successful coffee chat requests showed 73% led with non-transactional hooks. Top performers: 1) Referencing niche sector reports the bank published (32% response rate), 2) Asking comparison questions between past/present deal structures (28%), 3) Proposing resource exchanges like sharing target school club templates (19%). Average word count: 87 words.