How to Write Cold Emails for Job Referrals

Your prospect has 147 unread emails. Yours just got added to the pile. What makes them open YOURS instead of the other 146? After sending thousands of cold emails and generating over $700M in sales throughout my career, I've identified the #1 mistake destroying most cold outreach: ZERO RIGHT PERSONALIZATION. Most reps "spray and pray". Sending the same generic template to 1,000 prospects hoping something sticks. Then they wonder why their response rate is 0.5%. Here's the cold email framework that consistently gets 20%+ response rates:  → Make your subject line about THEM, not you. Use recent news, achievements, or common pain points to spark curiosity. Example: "Your Inc 5000 ranking" or "Austin expansion" 1. Keep your email so simple it doesn't require scrolling. It MUST be mobile friendly, as 68% of executives check email primarily on their phones. 2. Use this 3 part structure:  → Personal opener: "Hey [Name], [specific personalization about them]"  → Show understanding: "In chatting with other [title] in [industry], they're typically running into [pain point]"  → Soft CTA: "Got a few ideas that might help. Open to chat?" 3. Research these personalization sources: • Company website (values, mission page) • Press releases • LinkedIn activity • Earnings transcripts (for public companies) • Review sites The hardest territory to manage isn't your CRM. It's the six inches between your prospect's ears. They don't care about your product. They care about THEMSELVES. Recently, one of my clients was struggling with a 1.2% response rate on cold emails. We implemented this framework, and within 2 weeks they hit 17.4% - with prospects actually THANKING them for the personalized outreach. Find your sweet spot on the personalization spectrum. You can't do hyper personalized video for everyone, but you can't blast the same generic template either. — Hey reps… want another cold email strategy? Go here: https://lnkd.in/gKSzmCda

When I was at Salesforce, I used this exact cold email framework to book meetings with CEOs, COOs, and CFOs at the biggest companies in the world. Now I coach 100s of reps to use it—and they’re landing meetings that most sellers only dream about. Most reps never get to sell to the C-suite. Not because they don’t work hard. But because they reach out with transactional garbage that looks like every other email in the inbox. Executives don’t want another seller. They want a partner who understands their business. Here’s the cold email formula that works: 1. Warm and personal Lead with a sincere compliment. “I saw your podcast on ___…” “I read your Forbes interview and was moved by…” Show them you did your homework. Not some AI-generated flattery—real human admiration. 2. Shared values or struggle Make it human. “I related deeply when you talked about overcoming ___. I’ve faced something similar.” Vulnerability isn’t weakness—it’s how you earn trust. 3. Research-backed insight Cite a 10-K, public statement, or article. “Based on your Q1 earnings call, I noticed you're focused on X.” Link to the source. Build credibility. 4. A sharp POV + direct linkage Don’t say, “We help companies like yours.” Say, “You’re trying to achieve X. Companies on that journey often hit Y. Here’s how we solve it.” Make the connection crystal clear. 5. Soft CTA, strong conviction No desperate energy. Just: “If this is a priority, would it make sense to connect?” You’re not begging. You’re offering value. If you want my exact cold email template (and to see 13 real email examples me and my clients used to book C-suite meetings) grab them here: https://lnkd.in/g84w_utx

For the first time in life, I was on the other side - people were reaching out to me for referrals. I never thought I would learn so much from the process. Lets start with numbers first. I had 1000+ connection requests. Only 35 had notes attached with them. And, only 8 of them were well written. Within 12 minutes of posting, I had 4 direct messages (this is to tell you most people have crowded inboxes). It was impossible for me to respond to everyone who reached out to me. The biggest learning i have had is that I cannot refer you if I haven’t talked to you or know you. So even if you connect with me after a job posting goes live - if there is no prior relationship - I cannot refer you. This is why I always emphasize that building relationships is important. Now, let’s come to the messages/in-mails I received. There are four important keys to a referral message ✅ brief but informative. do not write 5 paragraphs. ✅ mention WHICH job you want to apply to. attach a link or job id number. ✅ attach your resume. ✅ address the person correctly. Most of the messages didn’t spell out my name correctly. While it is so simple - most messages missed one or two of the above mentioned things. You need to make it very simple for the person referring you. I cannot spend time asking you for information. Some things that I noticed people did which I really liked: - they researched all open positions. - asked me for insights/tips or which one would be a better fit. - did not ask for a referral but showed interest. Thinking back, I am more inclined to forward these people’s resume to the HR because they GENUINELY INTERESTED. A HUGE LEARNING and hope you can learn from this and make your referral reach-outs better too. #career #job #jobsearch #referrals