I’ve been putting off reaching out to VPs for weeks because my draft messages sound either desperate or robotic. Last week I found some templates that structure the intro/ask/follow-up parts better, but I still hesitate to hit send. How did you guys overcome that initial fear of cold outreach? Any phrases or approaches that made senior bankers actually respond without judging?
lol ‘anxiety’ disappears when you realize everyone above MD is just faking confidence anyway. pro tip: write it drunk, send it sober. nobody cares about your perfect grammar - they care if you can make them money or not. 80% of my ‘polished’ emails got ignored, the sloppy ones that mentioned specific deals? replies within hours
i send 15-20 msg/day using the 3-sentence rule! subject: quick q about [their recent deal]. body: compliment + single ? + calendar link. got 3 replies last week! dont overthink just mass spam tbh
Focus on demonstrating you’ve done homework. Instead of ‘I’d love to learn’, try ‘I analyzed X merger and noticed your approach to Y - could we discuss how that aligns with current market trends?’ Specificity cuts through the noise. Schedule sends for Tuesday 10:30am - highest response rates in banking.
You’ve got this! Remember they were once in your shoes. A short genuine note shows initiative - that’s admirable!
Totally froze before messaging a MD last year. Finally sent a msg referencing her podcast take on ESG due diligence. She replied ‘This is why I record those things’ and gave me an intro to her team. Sometimes showing you actually consume their content works better than sucking up.
Analysis of 200 outreach attempts shows 37% higher response rate when messages include: 1) Reference to recipient’s recent professional achievement (within 3 months) 2) Clear ask under 10 minutes (call/coffee) 3) Follow-up within 72 hours if no reply. Template length ideal at 90-110 words.