R
R

Reviked

Federal Account Manager

Contributor
Fire Starter
Good Citizen

Reaching out on LinkedIn

Hey War Room, 

I am trying to move into the SaaS space from hardware sales. I’m not getting any traction reaching out to recruiters on Linkedin. I want to come up with a great message to send to managers and sales reps on Linkedin but I am a terrible writer.

How does this message sound?

Hey,

Hope things are well with you. I see that you work at COMPANY X and I’ve heard really good things about the company. 

I saw a role on your companies career page that interested me and I want to learn more about it to see if I would be a good fit.

Would it be okay if I gave you a quick call to learn more about the role and your company sometime this week or next?

Best Regards,
John Smith
🎯 Career Development
😌 Email Templates
🗣 Interviewing
11

22 comments

Sort by:
realname
Valued Contributor
4
Grocery Clerk
Honestly, this reads like spam messages that I receive almost daily from crypto accounts on IG

- Cut “hope things are well with you” and “best regards.” It’s bullshit small talk and everyone knows it.

- Also, there’s no need to tell them you know where they work if they have it listed on their profile.

If there’s a role you’re interested in, name the role. If you’ve heard good things about the company, spell them out.

Also, don’t send them a message that puts work on their plate by asking them to hop on a call to describe the role and their company to you — that’s what the wrote the job description and all the copy on their website for.

Send them a message that saves them time.

- Save a .pdf of your resume along with a general (or tailored) cover letter to Google Drive and include a link to the document in your message.
- In the Google Doc, sell the fuck out of yourself in the letter, make your email and phone number visible, and say something like “I’d love to leverage my skills to aid your team in your next stage of growth. Looking forward to hearing from you, John Smith”
jefe
Arsonist
3
🍁
100000% agree with this, was going to say drop the 'hope you're well' fluff. (check Corp.'s 'finds you well' video)

And the rest are also very applicable.
Reviked
Contributor
0
Federal Account Manager
Oh wow, I really like this. Good points about the small talk and pointing out the company they worked at.

I think a cover letter is a great idea. How long do you think it should be? I don’t want to dissuade them from reading it.

What do you think my initial message would be then?

Hey Blah,
I am trying to break into SaaS from hardware sales and Company X is one of the companies I’d love to work at.

I want to apply to Account Manager (req #) but don’t know much about it. Could I chat with you sometime to learn more about the role and company?

Attached is a link to my resume and cover letter.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon, John Smith.
realname
Valued Contributor
1
Grocery Clerk
Much stronger!

Here are some tweaks:

——

Hey Blah,

I’m seeking to transition from hardware sales into SaaS, and Company X is one of my top choices, because [reason].

I’ve applied to [job posting], and I’m reaching out to ensure I end up on your radar.

[Here, VERY briefly lay out what you can bring to the team]

If you believe my skills are a match for your needs, you can view my resume and a bit more about me here: [add link]

Looking forward to chatting soon,

John Smith

——

I would argue that you’re better off pitching them to ensure they pull your resume than you are pitching them for a call.

Leave them some space for curiosity and then push more explicitly for the call in the cover letter.

Also, for the cover letter, make between half a page and a full page and format it like a blog post (not a formal letter) — plenty of white space, no walls of text

The contents of the cover letter should expand on the stuff you mention in your initial message — especially the skills and experience you’d bring to the team
Reviked
Contributor
0
Federal Account Manager
Thank you so much for the help!

I really like the idea of giving them my information then making them decide if they want to respond. There is no pressure by asking them to call me, the decision is theirs to make.

I can see how you think differently because you’ve actually sold compared to me. I’ve only done AM work and on contracts for the govt so there isn’t a chance to really cold call, prospect, or pitch. My role does give me a lot of corporate experience and working on large deals.
AnchorPoint
Politicker
2
Business Coach
No, No, No, No, NO.  Treat your search as a sales call.  Same process.  Find out who the decision maker is and put a plan to attack.  Pick up the phone, email, text, send them something to get their attention... everything you would do to land a major client.  Not, "hey"... NO.
Reviked
Contributor
0
Federal Account Manager
if I’m trying to get someone to eventually put in a referral or point me in the direct of the hiring manager I don’t think calling or texting them would be the best approach. That’s way too direct for someone I don’t know who I’m asking a personal favor of.
AnchorPoint
Politicker
0
Business Coach
??? Too direct??? So, if you have something that you know will benefit someone, are you shy about it?  Brother, if you know of an open position or heck, if there is a company you want to work for, call someone in a position of authority and sell them on at least having a conversation to see if you are a fit for each other.  IF YOU CAN SOLVE THEIR PROBLEM AND ADD TO THEIR BOTTOM LINE, THEY WILL APPRECIATE YOUR DIRECTNESS. If you don't ask, the answer is always no.
ThatNewAE
Big Shot
1
Account Executive - Mid enterprise
I personally am not a fan of starting a LN note with their role alone. It shows as an opening line, that I did not put enough efforts to get relevant line apart from their role - at the end of the day, they are getting a foot in the door. I'd probably just start with why I am reaching out, good stuff about company and asking if they would be the right role for this referral. 
Reviked
Contributor
2
Federal Account Manager
I’m worried about writing too much. I know if someone reached out to me I would want maybe 5-6 sentences max.

How does this sound then?

Hey,

Hope things are well with you. I’m reaching out because I am about to apply to this role at your company and I wanted to learn a little more about it.

I’ve heard really good things about Company X, they have really good sales training, and an amazing set of products.

I don’t know if you’re the right person to reach out to about this position but could you help point me in the right direction? Are you available for a quick chat?
CatMom
Politicker
1
Account Executive
I had someone send this to me once on LI (I’m a nice person tho so I said yes to helping her out but it was quick and straight to the point)

Hi [my name]! Hope to connect. I have been researching [company] and have found that my values align with theirs. I am very interested in looking deeper into the open position of CSM. Let me know if you are free sometime to discuss [company] and possibilities for my future or can connect me with someone who can!
Reviked
Contributor
1
Federal Account Manager
That’s a good note. I think the most important part is finding someone willing to help
Gasty
Notable Contributor
1
War Room Community Manager
Might wanna change that John Hancock.
Might wanna change it to John Hancock.

Also: Try Video Message (Loom / Vidyard / etc). It's more impactful and leaves an impression.
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
Hi Amy, 

I am trying to break into saas from hardware sales and Company X is one the companies I would love to work at. 

I see you are a AE there and I am hoping to be an AE as well. 

Would you be open to chatting for a few minutes? id love to learn about your experience and so far and see if you had any suggestions on getting connected. 

Would you be open to that? 

Thanks! 

Thats what I would say. 
Reviked
Contributor
1
Federal Account Manager
Thank you!
realname
Valued Contributor
1
Grocery Clerk
Treat it like a funnel. In the pitch, send them a link to a cover letter and a .pdf resume hosted on Google Drive

In the .pdf, give them several reasons to call you, then tell them you’d like to set up a call
Pachacuti
Politicker
0
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
That works.  PERSONALLY I would replace the last paragraph with "I don't know if you're the right person to reach out to about this position, but could help point me in the right direction?  Are you available to have a quick call about it?"
Reviked
Contributor
0
Federal Account Manager
Thank you! I’ve reached out to maybe 10-12 people total on LinkedIn and no responses so far. I stupidly thought working at a Fortune 100 company would help but I barely get any traction.

Do you know how important LinkedIn skills and endorsements are? I finally got to 500+ connections and am active daily.

Companies could be freezing hiring now which is slowing my progress
Pachacuti
Politicker
1
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
There's nothing magical about 500.

Skills and endorsements are ok, but I don't think anyone takes them seriously.

Having a F100 resume is never bad.  

Yes, with the economy the way it is, there could be freezes going on.  You may want to ask that in the LI message.
Corpslovechild
Politicker
0
Inbound Sales Manager
Make it more personal. Take a look at their post or comments and talk about that to grab their attention.
The_Sales_Badger
Notorious Answer
0
Account Executive
Hey Prospect,

Considering your role as __________, I figured a connection would be the logical way to reach out.

I work with other leaders in the (industry), so I share content that is applicable to (company name).

Thanks,

The Badger
The_Sales_Badger
Notorious Answer
0
Account Executive
Point is - dont sell, offer value. But follow through

Related posts

7

LinkedIn

Discussion
👑 Sales Strategy
12
19

When do you connect with prospects on LinkedIn?

Discussion
👨‍💻
🤝
🔎
18
When do you connect with your prospects on LinkedIn?
106 people voted
24
Members only

More LinkedIn Fuckery

Discussion
👨‍💻 LinkedIn
26
Bravado is a community of trusted sales professionals endorsed by their customers.
Apple Store logo
Products
The War Room Jobs Salary Guide Tech Sales U
Company
About Us How It Works Blog Bug Bounty
Contact
Press Careers
© 2024 Bravado Inc. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy Legal and Privacy Center Sales Jobs
If you are hired as a contract sales rep by a Bravado customer, we may ask you to prove access to the employee email account provided to you by that customer. This data will be shared with customers to track your sales productivity; customers can use this data to confirm you meet the minimum activity requirements to pay out your ramp stipend and commission.