People are pretty split on whether cover letters work or not. Whether you think they give you the edge or are worthless, some customer success manager job applications will still require them, so it’s a good idea to learn how to write a good one anyway.
I’m specifically writing this article for those who are trying to transition into SaaS Customer Success from a non-traditional role. I believe that most people already have some of the skills from working in different roles and that they are transferable. It’s just a matter of phrasing it in language that shows that you’ll be able to fit in. Let’s get right in.
Structure
I like to keep the structure pretty simple, all up 300-400 words:
- Intro: should be 2-3 sentences (50-100 words), with a hook,
- Body: 2-3 dot points (150-250 words), with your strongest example first,
- Conclusion: 2-3 sentences (50-100 words), with a call to action, inviting the hiring manager to contact you.
That’s it! Let’s further break down each section, using the example of being a Barista at Starbucks.
Intro
- Greeting: Hi there, my name is Johnson, I came across your Customer Success Manager role for Google on LinkedIn.
- Reason Why: I’d love to be a CSM at Google because I’m fascinated by helping people quickly find information that helps them solve problems, big and small.
- Hook: Working in the hospitality industry as a barista for the last four years I’m not your typical candidate, but I think that’s what might actually make me a strong fit for the role.
Body
- Customer Experience: Starbucks prides itself on excellent customer service. I’ve not only been through their world class training programs, I’ve also recently been asked to train up new starters and been called up multiple times to give examples of dealing with irate customers, across multiple stores. Not only do I minimize reputational damage to the brand, but I often turn these customers around to become supporters of Starbucks in the form of repeat patronage.
- Voice of the Customer: I took the initiative to jump online and run through the new Starbucks online store that launched six months ago. A few customers had mentioned that after ordering online, their orders didn’t come across their store, meaning they had to order again and pay twice. I captured these findings, found the development team in charge and made sure to resolve the issue, finally coordinating the communication after the bug was fixed by offering a free beverage voucher that was found to have a 71% redemption rate.
- Cross Functional Collaboration: While I’m at the coalface of my store, I liaise across the Starbucks organization across multiple levels daily. There’s my store team, suppliers who provide us with stuck and more recently, Starbucks corporate. While initially they found the outreach from a store member strange, I was determined to break down silos between stores and the office with the goal of helping management see the small fixes they could make to improve how stores ran. I write more about these in my CV.
Conclusion
- Thank you: thanks for your time in reading my cover letter. I hope the potential to hire a non-traditional candidate for the Customer Success Manager role at excites you. I’m certainly excited at the opportunity to work at Google.
- Call to Action: My email address and phone number are on my resume. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
What do you think of this example? Can you see how you might repurpose it for your own use? Let me know your thoughts so I can improve this for you.