Business Development for Recruiters: AI Prompt Pack for Outreach

Business development has become a critical part of many recruiters' workflows — but we aren't born with the knowledge of how to structure + send a perfect bizdev nurture sequence. Many have taken to AI tools and LLMs to help them create these emails, but without the right prompts, the results are lackluster.

The good news? 

This helpful guide will have you well on your way to creating Business Development nurture sequences for your recruitment business in no time: simply follow these instructions and get ready to CTRL+C and CTRL+V! 

Quick start

Step 1 — Choose a prompt below

• Use Prompt A for general client or business-development outreach (cold or warm).
• Use Prompt B for outreach tied to specific live job postings (warm leads).

Step 2 — Fill in the blanks

Replace everything in [square brackets] with your details before pasting into your AI platform.

Step 3 — Paste into the AI tool of your choice

Copy the entire prompt — including filled-in inputs — and paste it into the chat.

If the result isn’t what you want, try follow-ups like:

• “Make this sound more conversational." 
• “Add 5 alternative subject lines.”
• “Shorten email 1 by 30%.”
• “Swap {{first-name}} tags for [[FirstName]] style tags."

‍Step 4 — Review & send

Edit tone and calls-to-action (CTAs), confirm merge tags, and paste the final version into your sequencer or CRM.

Prompt A — General business development outreach

Purpose: Start a conversation with potential client decision-makers and position yourself as a trusted recruiting partner.

Copy everything below, fill in the inputs with your specifics, and paste into your AI tool.

I’m a recruiter creating a personalized, high-converting client outreach email sequence to engage potential decision-makers (hiring managers, HR leaders, or business owners).

Please write a [#]-email sequence designed to start a conversation about hiring needs and position my agency as a trusted partner.

Audience & context (fill these in):

Target role / decision-maker: [e.g., HR Director, VP of Operations, Owner]

Industry / market focus: [Insert here]

Agency niche / proof points: [e.g., finance talent, 15-day average fill time, 90%

retention rate]

Geographic focus (optional): [Insert here]

Tone preference: [Friendly / Consultative / Straightforward]

Common pain points solved: [e.g., long hiring cycles, candidate quality, turnover]

Please include in the output:

• 5–10 creative subject lines (avoid clichés such as “Quick question” or “Exciting opportunity”).‍
• Human, peer-to-peer tone — concise, personal, and natural.
• A clear reason to engage (“what’s in it for them”).
• A strong but low-pressure CTA in each email (e.g., "Would you be open to a quick call next week?”)
• Merge tags ready for sequencer use ({{first_name}}, {{company_name}}, {{industry}}).
• Slight tone variation across the sequence (friendly → confident → consultative).
• Keep each email around 100–150 words.

Recommended structure:‍

Email 1: Identify problem + credibility + soft CTA

Email 2 (2–4 days later): Proof point, data, or quick success story

Email 3 (7–14 days): Social proof or market trend + new CTA

Email 4 (14–21 days): Value add (resource/tip) + final soft check-in

‍Formatting to request in AI output:

• Subject lines (list)
• Email 1 (body)
• Email 2 (body)
• Email 3 (body)
• Email 4 (body)

Prompt B — Outreach for “warm” leads (active job postings)

Purpose: Reach out to companies that have active job postings or open roles.

Copy everything below, fill in the inputs with your specifics, and paste into your AI tool:

I’m a recruiter creating a short, targeted client outreach email sequence for companies with active job postings.

Please write a [#]-email sequence that:

1. Acknowledges their open role(s),

2. Offers a quick insight or value point, and

3. Starts a light, helpful conversation.

Audience & Context (fill these in):

‍Company: [Insert here]

Live role(s): [e.g., Operations Manager, Controller, HR Business Partner]

Industry: [Insert here]

Agency niche / proof points: [e.g., specialize in placing similar roles within

manufacturing and logistics]

Tone preference: [Helpful / Consultative / Insight-led]

Common pain points: [e.g., candidate shortage, time-to-fill, bandwidth]

Please include in the output:

• 5–10 subject lines referencing the role or challenge (e.g., “Quick thought on your [job_title] search”).
• Use merge tags ({{first_name}}, {{company_name}}, {{job_title}}).
• Keep tone peer-to-peer and messages under 130 words.

Recommended structure: 

Email 1: Recognize posting + brief market insight + soft CTA.

Email 2 (3–5 days): Add a new angle (quality, retention, location data) + CTA.

Email 3 (10–14 days): Value add (micro case note, tip, or checklist) + alternate CTA.

Formatting to request in AI output:

• Subject lines (list)
• Email 1 (body)
• Email 2 (body)
• Email 3 (body)
• Email 4 (body)

Optional add-on prompt — Subject line generator

Purpose: Copy, fill, paste into AI when you want more subject line ideas.

Copy everything below, fill in the inputs with your specifics, and paste into your AI tool:

Write 25 subject lines to reach {{target_role}} at {{company_type / industry}} about hiring {{job_title or talent type}}.

Guidelines:

• Under 7 words.
• Avoid “quick question," “let’s connect," or exclamation points.
• Mix tones: curiosity, insight, friendly, or lightly witty.
• Return results as:
  
  • A numbered list (1–25)
  • A second list of A/B test pairs

Inputs:

• ‍Target role: [Insert here]‍
• Industry/company type: [Insert here]‍
• Hiring focus: [Insert here]‍
• Tone: [Friendly / Straightforward / Playful]

Pro tips for best results

Keep it human

‍Read every message aloud before sending. If it sounds like a brochure, simplify.

Use one CTA per email

‍Be specific — reply, call, or share feedback.

Test subject lines and CTAs

‍Run 3+ versions to learn what drives opens and responses.

Nurture non-responders

‍Move to a monthly or quarterly check-in campaign.

Swap merge tags

‍Adjust {{first_name}} / {{company_name}} to your sequencer’s tag format.

Avoid spam triggers

‍No all caps, no “Act now,” no image-only or link-heavy emails.

Our comprehensive guide to all things email deliverability will help you understand how to make sure your outputs aren't seen as spammy, especially as Google cracks down even harder each year.

Iterate

‍Track open, click, and reply rates. Re-prompt AI with, based on this feedback.