How do you send a cold email to a CEO?

The first thing that came up when we were writing this article was the question of whether or not it would be better to use your own name as opposed to using your company’s name. In fact, there are quite a few things at stake here. First, if you use your own name, then people will know who wrote it. If they don’t like what you have written about them, they can block you from contacting them again (which might hurt your career). Second, if you use your company’s name, people may think that you work for someone else, which is bad for business. Finally, if you use your own name, others will see that you are trying to get into their good graces by contacting them on behalf of your employer. That could backfire. So, if you want to be successful with these kinds of communications, you need to figure out how best to approach them.

We hope that this guide has helped clarify some of those questions. Let us know what you thought of our tips!

How do you write an email to a CEO?

Before you even begin thinking about addressing someone as “CEO” or anything else, you must decide exactly whom you’re talking to. You probably won’t say: “Hi, this is John Smith, head of Marketing at Acme Corp.” Instead, you’ll probably say something more along the lines of: “Hello Mr. Jones, CEO of XYZ Corporation. This is John Smith [your name]. We have met before and I am currently working on some projects with ABC Company. Would you mind taking a look at them sometime soon? Here is a link to the website where you can find information on all of our services. Thanks very much!”

If you’re having trouble figuring out how to write an effective email to a CEO, try asking yourself two simple questions: “What does he/she care about?” and “Why should I contact him/her?” These questions will help you determine both what kind of person you’re dealing with and why you should bother getting in touch with them. Then, once you have answered these questions, you can craft your introduction accordingly. A lot of CEOs and other executives live online now, but if you haven’t already done so, make sure that you check out LinkedIn profiles—they often provide useful insights into the personalities behind companies.

When you’ve found someone whose interests match yours, you can then move forward with your pitch. But remember that you shouldn’t waste time pitching unless you actually believe that the recipient will respond favorably. And since many CEOs receive hundreds of requests each day, you only stand a chance if you come across as different than everyone else. Make sure to include compelling reasons why they should pay attention to you instead of the thousands of other applicants vying for their attention.

Finally, you should always keep in mind that the CEO doesn’t owe anyone anything. They aren’t obligated to answer any correspondence, nor are they under any obligation to meet with you or talk to you. Just because they said yes once doesn’t mean that they will necessarily agree to another conversation. So, while you may feel compelled to continue pursuing them after you’ve gotten no response, you should still respect their wishes.

How do you start an email to an executive?

Once you’ve decided who the right executive to target is, it becomes easier to compose your initial message. Again, ask yourself “Who cares?” and “Why should I contact her/him?” Once you’ve figured out who you should communicate with and why you should, you can proceed with the actual writing process.

First off, take a moment to brainstorm possible opening sentences. Don’t spend too long coming up with one though, lest you end up with a sentence that reads “Dear Sir/Madam” or similar. After you’ve settled on a phrase that works well enough, you can then take a step further and choose between a formal greeting (e.g., Dear Ms./Mr.) or a casual salutation (e.g., Hey!). You also have a couple of options regarding tone. Sometimes it makes sense to go straight-forward and simply state your purpose without being overly polite; sometimes, however, you should show proper etiquette and avoid sounding rude. Ultimately, you should pick the style that seems appropriate given the circumstances. Either way, you’re going to need to follow through with your closing line anyway.

Now, let’s consider ways to structure your introductory paragraph. There are several strategies worth considering depending on the situation. Some examples include:

1) Introduce yourself briefly, followed by a statement of purpose and motivation. Example: Hi, I'm John Smith and I've been working on a proposal for ABC Co. for the past month. I'd love to discuss it with you.

2) State your reason for reaching out and why you're excited to speak with them. Example: Hello, Mr. Smith, I wanted to reach out to you today and tell you about a project that's important to me. It involves building relationships with high-level decision makers within your organization.

3) Give an overview of your background and experience. Example: My passion lies in developing meaningful connections with senior leaders. I recently completed my MBA at Northwestern University and graduated magna cum laude.

4) Share your story. Example: I grew up playing sports and excelled academically throughout school. I went on to earn dual degrees in Economics and Business Administration from Stanford University. While attending college, I interned at Microsoft and eventually joined the marketing team full-time.

5) Ask for permission to connect. Example: Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm looking forward to connecting with you and discussing a mutual opportunity.

6) Close with a request. Example: I'd appreciate the chance to learn more about you and your organization. Thank you for your consideration. Best regards,

7) End with a thank-you note. Example: Your support means a great deal to me. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

There are plenty of other possibilities as well, but hopefully you'll find inspiration among some of these ideas. Now, that you’ve got your intro down, it’s time to follow through with your body. Be careful not to ramble on unnecessarily, especially if you’re requesting a phone call. Remember, the goal is to create interest, not bore them to death. Also, don’t forget to mention any relevant details such as previous meetings or conversations, awards received, etc.

How do you address a CEO in a message?

After you’ve finished crafting your entire email, it’s finally time to hit Send. Before doing so, however, you should probably read over your final draft a few times to ensure that everything looks okay. If necessary, fix typos and grammar mistakes. Also, double check for spelling errors, missing punctuation, and capitalization issues.

And finally, proofread your whole email thoroughly. Even the smallest typo can give away your true intentions. Plus, there’s nothing worse than starting an interview with a false impression of who you really are.

When you’re ready, click Send and wait patiently. Hopefully, your hard work paid off and you ended up making a connection that will lead to future opportunities. Otherwise, don't worry. Chances are that if you didn’t hear back from them immediately, they weren’t interested in hearing from you.

I'm writing this article as someone who has been struggling with getting into product development since graduating university. While I have some skills that allow me to find work in tech (e.g., web dev), it's clear that those aren't enough to make any kind of decent income. It took me about two years of applying to jobs before I got one - something which was frustrating given that I had a degree from a top-tier institution.

It wasn't until recently when I started to realize that this problem is common among young people looking to break into tech. There are many resources online where you can read up on the ins and outs of finding your first job or even creating a startup. However, these articles often focus on what to say instead of how to actually go about doing so.

In my experience, cold emails (i.e., emails without an introduction) are by far the best method to reach out to potential clients. If you want to learn more about them, then I highly recommend reading our guide to cold email templates here. In this followup, we're going to talk about how to approach a CEO and what exactly you need to know if you'd like to land yourself a gig.

Can I email the CEO of a company?

If you've done basic research on the CEO of a company (and ideally their LinkedIn profile), there should be no reason why they wouldn't respond to an email. After all, you would think that the person responsible for hiring developers would be interested in hearing from one!

However, depending on the type of business you're targeting, there may be certain circumstances under which you could not send an email directly to the CEO. This includes:

If the company operates internationally

If the CEO works remotely

The CEO doesn't reply to emails regularly

There are other reasons as well, but these are the ones I'll cover in this article. Let's dive right in!

How can I contact a CEO of a company?

As mentioned earlier, I believe that cold emails are the quickest manner to reaching out to executives at companies. That being said, you must understand that the process of approaching a CEO differs significantly than contacting anyone else within a corporation. Here are a few tips to help you prepare beforehand:

Research the CEO  You never want to assume anything about who will receive your message. Therefore, you should always start off by researching the CEO of each company you wish to reach out to. You can use Google search tools such as WhoIs and DomainTools to accomplish this easily. Once you've found their name, you can also check their social media accounts to see whether they engage with others.

Create a compelling subject line  One thing that makes cold emails stand out from typical replies is the subject line itself. Your title should communicate that you're making an effort to connect with the individual in question. A good example might be "Hey [CEO]'s Name', I hope you enjoy the content on [website]!".

Know the company culture  Once you've decided whom to target, you'll need to decide what tone you want to take. Do you want to come across friendly? Or do you want to appear professional? Either way, you probably don't want to offend the CEO. Knowing what sort of personality they tend to exhibit can give you ideas for how to phrase things.

Send multiple messages  While it's certainly possible to send only one email to the CEO, it's better to send several messages rather than waiting around hoping they'll eventually respond. This gives you a chance to build rapport while maintaining a consistent message throughout.

How do I reach out to CEOs?

Now that you know how to contact CEOs through cold emails, let's discuss how to actually go about doing so. Keep in mind that there are three different types of contacts you can try:

Direct phone calls

Cold emails (email)

Email exchanges via chat apps

Here are examples of how to initiate conversations using each of these methods:

Phone call

After determining the number for the CEO, simply dial it and ask to speak to him/her. Most likely, the receptionist will put you straight through to whoever you were trying to reach. Be prepared to answer questions regarding your qualifications and why you'd like to meet with them. Also keep in mind that sometimes CEOs will prefer to meet face to face, so be sure to mention this possibility as well.

Emails

When speaking to the CEO via email, you'll need to create a simple bio that summarizes your background and interests. This allows them to quickly assess whether you'd fit in with the team and if you're worth communicating further with. If you feel confident enough to include links to relevant websites, then please go ahead! Remember though, that you shouldn't expect much response unless you provide valuable information.

Chats

To begin chatting with a CEO, make sure you set up a time and place to meet. Depending on the nature of your conversation, you may want to consider having a third party present during the initial exchange.

How do I get in touch with a CEO?

Now that you know how to contact CEOs, the next step is figuring out how to actually get their attention. Below are a couple ways you can do this:

Make a video pitch  For startups and small businesses, videos are incredibly popular due to the fact that they can be shared instantly. Since a lot of entrepreneurs spend hours upon hours every day working on their projects, they often won't have the bandwidth to watch long videos. Instead, they'll rely on quick clips to convey important details about themselves and their products.

By crafting your own short video based on your story, you can prove that you're dedicated to achieving success in their industry. Then, once you submit your video, you can sit back and wait for feedback. Sometimes, you may hear nothing after submitting, but that's okay. At least now you know that you stood out amongst the rest of applicants and that you made an impression!

Write a formal letter  There are plenty of reasons why you should avoid emailing CEOs. One of the major issues is that email communication tends to lack emotion compared to written correspondence. When you send an email, you're essentially impersonating a robot - there's no real sense of intimacy between you and the recipient. But if you really want to catch his/her eye, then you should consider composing a formal letter.

Regardless of what medium you choose, remember that it needs to contain key elements including your personal history, why you're interested in joining the organization, and why you'd be able to contribute to its growth. Finally, make sure everything is polished! Any grammatical mistakes or spelling errors will turn away readers immediately.

Should I cold email recruiters?

Yes! Although it's true that recruiters usually represent corporations and large organizations, they're still human beings. And because they frequently deal with hundreds of candidates per month, they're generally willing to listen to pitches from new applicants. So if you ever happen to run into a recruiter who seems receptive to your idea, then you absolutely have permission to introduce yourself!

This brings us to another point: don't waste your breath explaining why you deserve to join their firm. They already know that you're qualified. What you need to show them is how you'll add value to their current staff.

Remember, recruiters typically look for high performers who can bring fresh perspectives to the table. If you can demonstrate that you possess strong interpersonal skills, then you're definitely in luck. Just remember to stick to positive statements and refrain from mentioning any negative experiences you might have had previously.

Keep in mind that recruiters can be very busy, so it's unlikely that they'll pick up your call the second you leave a voicemail. Even worse, you may never hear back from them! Make sure that you send them a personalized email thanking them for taking the time to listen to you and outlining why you'd like to work together.

Finally, you can also opt to reach out to recruiters privately. Some firms may offer special bonuses to employees who refer talented individuals, so it's definitely worthwhile pursuing this path.

I'm 17 years old, but that doesn't mean I don't have access to some pretty impressive people. This is why when I decided to try my hand at writing a blog about business tips and advice, I knew exactly who I would turn to - someone with experience in the industry.

The person I turned to was the CEO of a small tech startup called Airmap. He agreed to answer all my questions via email. So here we go!

Should I cold email the CEO?

No. It takes time to build up trust between yourself and your audience. If you're not sure whether or not this is something you want to pursue further, then please skip down to How do you get a CEO's attention? below.

If you really think that you can make a difference by reaching out to them directly, though, then definitely keep reading. You'll find out what kind of things CEOs like to see (and avoid) in their inboxes.

Is it OK to email the CEO of your company?

Yes. Though there will be times where they aren't available, if you know the right person to speak to, emailing the CEO is perfectly acceptable. There might even come a point where contacting the CEO becomes necessary.

So long as you've got permission from whoever owns the domain name, you can also contact any individual on LinkedIn without worrying about violating anything.

How do you get a CEO's attention?

This is actually one of the most difficult parts of cold emailing anyone. They already receive hundreds of messages every day, many of which are spammy. But if you can convince a CEO to take notice of your message, you could potentially save months of work.

In order to stand out from the crowd, you need to show that you're willing to put in effort into making a real connection with them. That means being open-minded and willing to learn about their interests. It also means listening carefully to their answers, rather than jumping straight to asking questions. Don't ask "what does [CEO] look for?" Instead, say "why did you choose X product/service?"

For example, if you were trying to sell a new app idea to him, he'd probably respond with something along the lines of "it needs to solve problems that matter to our users", or "we need to create a simple interface". In other words, he wants to hear from you because he cares about user feedback.

Once you've established that level of rapport, you can start talking specifics. Here are three ways to approach the subject of selling your product:

"Hi [CEO], I noticed you use [product]."

"Hey [CEO], I wanted to introduce myself. My name is [your full name]. I run [company name]"

"Hello [CEO], I wanted to personally thank you for using [product]. We made the decision to invest in developing [feature xyz] after hearing about how much value you saw in it."

Keep in mind, though, that while these examples may seem obvious, everyone has different preferences. What works well for you won't necessarily work for another person.

A final note about selling products: unless you're going to be investing significant amounts of money in marketing, you shouldn't expect to bring in large profits quickly.

How do you start an email to a CEO?

When you first arrive at the subject line, you want to give off the impression that you care enough about his company to spend a few minutes crafting a thoughtful email. To accomplish this, you need to focus on building rapport before diving headfirst into the pitch.

Here are a couple rules of thumb for doing that:

Avoid "Dear Sir/Madam," or "Mr/Mrs/Ms/" since those titles imply that you're impersonal and uninterested.

Don't call them "CEO" until you've gotten past step 1.

Make sure you include your full name at the top of your message.

You should also make sure you proofread everything thoroughly before hitting send. One mistake is enough to kill your chances.

Remember, the goal of your email isn't to immediately close a deal. If you haven't built up enough rapport yet, you'll never get anywhere. And once you've reached out to more than one person, remember that you didn't meet them in person -- no one owes you anything.

Also, here's a quick tip: When you're writing your opening sentence, consider including a brief anecdote related to the topic under discussion. It shows that you understand both the context of the situation, and the importance of what they're working on.

Finally, here's a list of potential responses you can expect to get from CEOs:

They will either ignore you completely, or tell you that they're busy.

They will acknowledge you politely and forward your message to someone else.

They will acknowledge you, apologize for having been unreachable, and invite you to follow up sometime later when they're free.

They will agree to schedule a phone call with you.

They will reject you outright.

Now onto the actual content itself...

It goes without saying that your pitch should be concise: one paragraph max. But you still need to sell your product or service effectively within that space. Use bullet points whenever possible. Make sure each section contains only relevant information. And always end on a strong closing statement.

Here's an example of an effective email pitch:

"Hi Tim,

As you know, I recently started looking around for software development companies that help startups launch successful apps. After evaluating several options, I found yours to be the best fit.

My team and I used your platform to develop an application that allows us to track customer metrics during beta testing. Since launching in January, we've seen an increase in signups and revenue. Our customers love the easy integration process, and we hope to continue growing together.

Thank you again for taking the time to talk with me today!"

Do you have any tips for cold emailing CEOs? Let me know in the comments below!

1) Send a personal message

The first step for this particular tip was picking out an appropriate topic of conversation. After all, if you want something to happen, you need to be able to talk to your target audience.

For example, let's say you wanted to write a post on how to become more successful as a blogger. What would you start off talking about? If it were me, I'd probably open up by saying "Hey guys! I've been thinking about blogging lately because there seems like such great potential right now." But that wouldn't really work here since we're not necessarily looking for content from a newbie blogger.

Instead, what does work best as a starting point is something along these lines:

"Hi [name],

Thanks for taking the time to read this email. It means a lot to me that you took the time to look through my article/blog. I know you must have plenty of other things going on right now, but I thought I should take the opportunity to ask whether or not you would mind commenting on one specific part of my post regarding ____"

[insert subject matter]

This type of approach has worked well for me before, and I think it could help you too. Not only will this allow you to introduce yourself professionally and personally, but it also gives the reader a chance to express their opinion without feeling obligated to respond. In essence, you’re giving them permission to ignore your email altogether (which they may very well do).

Tips & Tricks

Now that you’ve gotten your introduction out of the way, it’s time to actually give the person reading your email a reason to engage with you. While you can always follow-up with another email later down the road, make sure you keep the rest of your initial message short and sweet. You never know when a busy executive might find themselves unexpectedly free during lunch break.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words