Running a business is far from easy. You have to put in your creativity to come up with ideas that will make the business better. And you have to do this on a daily basis.
That’s why you have to write an impeccable cover letter. A recruiter hiring for a managerial position like business development will expect to see a well written covering letter.
And you may wonder – is a cover letter really needed in 2022? The short answer is yes. A cover letter is the best way to show off your business skills and quantify them with numbers and accomplishments. See, a resume shows facts, while a covering letter tells stories – so tell your professional story.
A business developer cover letter example.
Focus your cover letter on one amazing achievement and make it all about it. We mentioned above that everything comes down to telling your professional story and that’s true. You shouldn’t repeat your resume and make it in the form of a cover letter.
Furthermore, you can talk about your soft skills in the body of your letter. Leave the hard skills for the resume.
Now, let’s go a step further into what you should have in your cover letter.
The right salutation is a must.
You’re applying for a fairly high-level position. That means you have to be professional in your salutation – “hi” won’t cut it.
We advise you to address the cover letter directly to the person responsible for the recruitment process. If you don’t know their name, take some time to research it.
This will show that you’re attentive to detail and are willing to go the extra mile when necessary.
Here's a list of salutations you can never go wrong with. Note that some of them can be used even if you don’t know who the hiring manager is.
- Dear Mr. John
- Dear Ms. Petersen
- Dear Hiring Manager
- Dear Dr. Todd
- Dear Head of [team you're applying for]
The introduction of your Business Development cover letter is without a doubt crucial for the first impression you’ll make as an applicant. But is there a way to make sure your opening line is good enough?
Yes, there is. You can start by sharing your enthusiasm for the job or the field (or why not both!). You could also share your reasons to find the company exciting.
Try to be original. Don’t go for phrases like “I want to apply for the position that I saw advertised on platform X”. They're outdated and sound like you’ve got nothing better to say.
For a really in-depth look, read our guide on how to craft a cover letter salutation.
Focus on soft skills.
There’s one general difference between skills on a resume and those you have in your cover letter. Your cover letter should show how you shine with your soft skills. Of course, when you’re telling a story about an accomplishment, it’s okay to mention hard skills as well. Just don’t forget that your cover letter is meant to show your personality and who you are.
The most sought after business development soft skills include creativity, leadership, teamwork, organization, interpersonal and communication abilities, and how well you perform working under pressure.
Of course, make sure you mention hard skills like analytical thinking, marketing, sales, and negotiation.
It’s especially important to include skills and qualifications that have been mentioned as part of the job description or the requirements section of the advert. This will help you pass applicant tracking systems that screen documents for certain keywords.
For a huge list of skills to your on your cover letter (and why not your resume), check our list of 300+ skills to use in your job application.
Show how passionate you are to join the company.
Showing that you’ve researched the company and are excited to become part of its team is definitely one of the best ways to prove you're a strong candidate.
Recruiters want to make sure that you’re at least as passionate about the industry as the rest of the team. Being a business development professional requires to have know how the industry works from the inside out.
It’s also a good idea to mention how your previous experience could help you in your work and what impact it could have on your long-term performance.
In addition, showing that you are aware of industry or even company issues and are not afraid of facing them will give you additional points!
Choose the right ending.
By now you’ve managed to make a good impression on the hiring manager, and it’s important not to ruin it. That’s why you need your ending to be just as great as your cover letter’s body.
But what are the things that make up a memorable closing line? Expressing gratitude for the reader’s time and consideration, and saying that you look forward to their reply, to name a couple.
You can stick to traditional phrases (e.g. Looking forward to hearing from you soon) if you wish to be on the safe side. Just make sure that the language you use matches the company culture. Read more about how to end a cover letter in our guide.
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