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Cover letter example

Business developer cover letter example

Hiring managers for business developer roles test your letter the way they test an outbound email: is it personalised, short and focused on them?

Show that you understand who their customers are, give one concrete example of a segment or account you opened, and end with a clear next step. A generic letter here is a signal that your prospecting emails will be generic too.

Cover letter example

Replace the parts in brackets with your own details.

Subject: Business Developer application: [Your name], B2B SaaS, mid-market

Hello [First name],

I saw that [Company] is hiring a business developer to grow in the logistics sector. I looked at your customer case studies and noticed that most of them are carriers with fewer than [x] vehicles. I spent the past [x] years selling route planning software to exactly this type of company, and I think I can help you go further up the market.

At [Previous company], I opened the mid-sized carrier segment almost from scratch. I mapped the accounts by region, wrote sequences addressing their operations managers on driver shortages and delivery windows, and called every lead who opened the second email. Within a year, this segment represented a significant share of my pipeline, and I closed most of the deals myself before handing them over to customer success.

I work every day in HubSpot and Sales Navigator, I keep a strict prospecting routine in the morning, and I share objections with product and marketing every month. I speak French and English and have worked with prospects in Belgium and Switzerland.

Could we schedule a 20-minute call next week? I can bring a first list of target accounts to that call.

Best regards,[First Name Last Name][Phone] | [LinkedIn]

What to highlight

  • Your understanding of their product and target customers
  • A concrete prospecting or closing example
  • Your tools and daily method
  • The part of the sales cycle you own
  • Languages and markets you can cover

Mistakes to avoid

  • A long letter that buries the key message.
  • No mention of the company's product or customers.
  • Claiming results without saying which part of the cycle you owned.
  • Ending without a clear request for a call.

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Frequently asked questions

Is a cover letter needed for start-up jobs?

Often the application form only asks for a resume and a LinkedIn profile, but a short personalised message to the hiring manager works well. For business developer roles, a few targeted lines sent by email or LinkedIn show your prospecting skills directly.

Should I write 'Hello' or 'Dear'?

In French start-ups the tone is often informal, and 'Hello [First name]' or 'Bonjour [Prénom]' is common. For a more traditional company, keep 'Dear [Name]' or 'Madame, Monsieur'. Match the tone of the job ad and of the company's website.

Can I send a video instead?

Some sales teams appreciate it, but keep it as a complement to a written message, not a replacement. A short video showing how you would pitch their product can work well, provided it is under two minutes and clearly personalised.

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