Cold email - how many people to send

Just keep going until the you are served the restraining order.

In reality, I would do 2 emails and one phone call.

Agreed, I would not email more than 2 people within the same company.

@ alexpasch,

Just because I am also curious, what is the rationale behind this? Isn't cold calling all about calling as many people as you can with a well played pitch? Thanks

Also, you want to get on their radar, but not annoy the shit out of them. That way if they don't have anything readily available, they may give you a call in a few months if something opens up.

Don;t think theres too many, just do it within reason.

I.e. once a month unless your getting traction from a person at a shop

Alright, thanks guys. I think I'll send out 2 and send 2 more if the first 2 don't respond within a couple weeks.

Another thing. The purpose of networking with MD's is to get an interview. Once you make the connection with one and feel that you are in a good position to ask for an interview, there isn't any need to contact other MD's at the same bank.

Contact the ones you are most interested in connecting with first and if they don't respond continue trying others. I doubt they are going to spend their time talking about some kid who cold emailed them so I wouldn't worry about sending too many. People in that position have far greater things to do with their time than check to see if others received a similar email from someone they don't even know.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I've started emailing and have gotten some response so far.

Now I realize this is wishful thinking, but if more than 1 MD helps me land an internship, how am I supposed to tell the other MD that I can't take his internship?

Ballmouse and others: would you send follow-up emails to MDs if they don't initially respond to your first?

I haven't had to do that yet. I have amassed this huge list of companies to email and I'd like to get through them all first.

I suppose once I'm done with the list, I can always email the unresponsive MDs again, but only if no one else in that firm has responded to me.

I guess if you're being quite selective with your networking and only have a handful of banks, sure why not? Maybe write something about how you've narrowed your search to this bank or that you really want this company, etc. And if they don't respond to that, I'd call them up.

But then again, this is my first time doing this so I don't know how it'd actually work out, but I think what I've written sounds like a solid plan.

I'm going to give you some advice:

1. Tell the MDs what you're bringing, how you can help. Offer your services instead of asking.
2. "I don't have much to offer now, but I give back whenever I can."
3. Reasonable ask. Would you pass me along to someone in, IB, S&T, etc.
4. Sometimes you have to say you are taking initiative. Write it out. "I want to take the initiative to reach out."
5. Do not ask, "Is this a good time?" My old bosses say, "No it's not." And hang up.

I suggest a letter before a cold call. Just like texting instead of calling after a date (other thread). Don't be a creep. Good thinking about doing this NOW, isntead of in August (20x people calling that MD).

Short and sweet.over lengthy and stalker-like.

If you haven't been told to stop contacting them, continue following up. Nothing bad can come of doing something like a weekly follow-up or a follow-up every two weeks, as far as I know.

EDIT: Since someone threw MS, I feel the need to clarify. Sending several follow-ups- maybe something like 2 or 3 is not a big deal and I'm not sure why you think this is the case. I have had a considerable number of people respond to my second follow-up, and some to my third follow-up. Nobody has ever told me to stop emailing them or 'blackballed' me in their group, as far as I know. Generally speaking, someone 'ignoring' you usually means they are too busy to respond or didn't see the email, not that they think you're annoying.

If you've emailed one person, and it's been a week or two and they haven't responded it's totally fine to email a different person about it as that person likely isn't going to respond. It's not good form to send the same email to everyone in the group at the same time.

Yes I would definitely be more tentative to sending that many unanswered follow-ups than to reaching out to someone in the same group

Thanks everyone.

Yes for the time being. Cool it with the contacts and try back in a year.

It's a pretty big bank and I have a call scheduled with their M&A head. Still no hope?

Why so many cold emails? ...And how did you get a call with the head of M&A? ...And if you had a call scheduled with the head of M&A then why did you feel the need to send out so many cold emails? ...And did you send out all of the cold emails within the same short span of time? ...And if so, why did you do that instead of trying to do a few at a time, space them out, and give them time to respond? ...And did you cold email a bunch of people within the same group? At the same time? And if so, why did you do that instead of limiting your cold emails to a couple of people in each various group, as they're not likely to talk to each other and bitch about some kid cold emailing them and realizing they all got emails and then decide to ignore you thinking you're Jo-Jo the Crazy Circus Monkey?

I would imagine the email from HR probably means they feel something like...someone asking a bunch of rapid fire presumptuous questions without giving you any time to respond...coming across as weird and annoying.

Christ. Yes, you're screwed. The M&A head probably took the call to tell you to quit harassing his employees. I know that many people swear by cold emails but I think it reeks of desperation. Would never do it personally. At least start with a LinkedIn connection or something. Good luck.

Bobby Digital:

Christ. Yes, you're screwed. The M&A head probably took the call to tell you to quit harassing his employees. I know that many people swear by cold emails but I think it reeks of desperation. Would never do it personally. At least start with a LinkedIn connection or something. Good luck.

I don't think the M&A head would waste his time by taking the call just to tell some kid off for networking... who knows if anything will come of it but it's definitely a good sign in my opinion.

Anyways, obviously stop sending more emails to the firm, see what comes from what you've already done. Learn the lesson to be learned here, and send fewer emails to other places in the future.

.

I wish I could of been there to see your face when you received a cease emailing email from HR. Too funny

how many did you send...

Have a good call and cool it with the emails. Send out a handful a week or so, that way you can learn from mistakes, set up networking calls and tailor your emails. Mass emails are impersonal and don't give you an opportunity to adjust.

Keep emailing them. Probably they are just testing how persistent you are...

im curious to know how many emails you actually sent to them to email you back to stop.

i can't imagine how many texts this guy sends his girlfriend on "girl's night out"

Hahaha I spaced out some with one firm over the course of a few weeks like I do with every other. But after I emailed the fourth person (this was over the span of a month) they just sent me a link to their online app and said "we appreciate your enthusiasm to apply for the analyst position, use this link."

Funny thing is, I ended up getting an interview there but fucked it up. So maybe there is some hope for you.

this is obviously a troll post.

"strong username to post ratio"

This comment made me spit out my drink on a conference call. Just had to tell my confused MD I choked on coffee. Silver banana for you sir.

IbankerWannabe:

Hey all. I sent out too many cold-emails at one firm and just got and email asking me to cease emailing. Am I screwed? Am I done with this bank?

This is badass. (Not kidding)

IbankerWannabe:

It's a pretty big bank and I have a call scheduled with their M&A head. Still no hope?

Lol while I admire your emailing and still think that it's badass...if you have a call scheduled why are you still emailing the shit out of their employees?

Focus on the task at hand. First it was emailing...when you got the call it became "the call," not sending more emails

Bobby Digital:

Christ. Yes, you're screwed. The M&A head probably took the call to tell you to quit harassing his employees. I know that many people swear by cold emails but I think it reeks of desperation. Would never do it personally. At least start with a LinkedIn connection or something. Good luck.

No