How to craft an effective business development cover letter

From setting budgets and growth goals to pursuing leads and researching prospective clients, business development professionals have a major role to play for any growing company. To become a business development professional, you will need a well-written cover letter that captures your drive and dedication.

in this guide, we will teach you everything you need to know about writing a business development cover letter. Keep reading to learn how to:

Create a well-formatted cover letter header & headline
Personalize the greeting on your business development cover letter
Write an effective business development cover letter introduction
Show your professional value using accomplishments
End your cover letter with a strong closing statement

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1. Create a well-formatted cover letter header & headline

Before diving into the introduction and body paragraphs of your cover letter, the first step you need to take is to create a properly formatted header and headline.

A cover letter header is a short block of information that generally contains between 3 to 4 lines of text. The header will include all necessary details about the applicant and the company they are applying to.

As for the cover letter headline, this is a brief title statement that leads into the introduction and body of the cover letter, as well as helping to hook the employer’s attention.

Check out the following breakdowns of each of these elements for a more in-depth explanation and examples of each:

Formatting the header

The header of your cover letter can vary in format and order of information, depending on the overall style and visual flow you are trying to achieve.

No matter what aesthetic or style you opt for, you should always include:

The name of the company (and department, when applicable) you are applying to
Your name and professional title
Your professional contact information (phone number, email address, etc.)

Here is an example of a well-formatted business development cover letter header

To: The Logistics Group, Business Development Department
From: John Doe, Business Development Professional
(123) 456-7890 | johndoe@email.com | linkedin.com/in/john-doe

Writing the headline

Along with your header, you will need a well-written cover letter headline. To write this headline, you should always use a keyword related to the position, an eye-catching number or trigger word, a powerful adjective or verb, and a promise.

Here is an example of a strong headline from a business development cover letter

How My Top 3 Business Development Skills Can Grow Your Company’s Revenue and Client Base

Trigger Word/Number: Top 3 Skills
Keyword: Business Development
Adjective/Verb: Grow
Promise: Your Company’s Revenue and Client Base – this addition to your headline shows employers that you will not only be discussing your skills but also relating them to the needs of their company.

2. Personalize the greeting on your business development cover letter

Whenever you write a greeting on a cover letter, you should opt for a personalized greeting over a generalized one.

Generalized greetings – such as “To Whom It May Concern” – are too vague and do not help you in catching the eye of your preferred employer. On the other hand, personalized greetings address a specific person or department within the company, showing the reader you have great attention to detail.

If you have thoroughly researched the company and are unable to uncover the exact person who will be reviewing your application, try out one of the following alternatives:

To the [Company Name] Team

To the [Company Name] Hiring Manager

3. Write an effective business development cover letter introduction

Once your header, headline, and greeting are in place, your next key step is to write a compelling cover letter introductory paragraph. In this introduction, you should include:

A brief overview of your professional history and goals
A statement on why you are enthusiastic about applying to this company
A mutual acquaintance (when possible)

Here is an example to help demonstrate how to write a business development cover letter introduction

To the [Company Name] Hiring Manager,

As a Business Development professional with more than 5 years of experience in the technology industry, I am highly adept at moving customers through high-value sales cycles. I met with your company’s Senior Business Analyst – Jack Smith – last week to discuss your current openings and company objectives, at which point Mr.Smith recommended I apply for this position.

4. Show your professional value using accomplishments

Following the introduction of your cover letter are the body paragraphs. Ideally, your business development cover letter should contain between 2 to 4 body paragraphs, providing in-depth answers to each of these questions:

What excites you about working at this company?
What do you hope to learn from working at this company?
What accomplishments or qualifications make you stand out as an applicant?
What key skills do you possess that are relevant to the position?

Placing extra emphasis on accomplishments is crucial, as your real-life achievements help to show employers the quantifiable value you can bring to their company.

Here is an example of how to describe an accomplishment in a business development cover letter:

As the Business Development Assistant Manager at [Former Employer], I assisted in the acquisition of 6 new business assets that led to a 110% growth in revenue, with a market value of more than $2M annually.

5. End your business development cover letter with a strong closing statement

The final component of any well-written business development cover letter is a strong closing statement. This closing statement should include:

An enthusiastic sentence saying you are looking forward to hearing from them
An additional sentence stating you will follow up, including how you will contact them or how they can contact you
A formal sign-off

Here is an example of how to write a closing statement on a business development cover letter

The innovative approach of [Company Name] excites and inspires me. I know that as your Business Development Associate, I will help you to exceed growth expectations and increase your revenue with high-quality acquisitions and growth strategies. I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to speak in person and am available all weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The best way to reach me is at (123) 456-7890 or via email at johndoe@email.com.

Warm Regards,

[Applicant Name]

Follow this cover letter outline for maximum success.

Published on March 28, 2022

Martin Poduška

Editor in Chief / Resume Writer

Martin is a resume expert and career advice writer at Kickresume. In his five years at Kickresume, he has written nearly 100 in-depth, painstakingly researched resume advice articles and, as chief editor, he has also edited and revised every single article on this website. Tens of thousands of job seekers read Martin’s resume advice every month. He holds a degree in English from the University of St Andrews and a degree in Comparative Literature from the University of Amsterdam.