Selling software development services to CTOs and CIOs?
Then you'll need hyper-tailored outreach approach to stand out from competitors!
But how to write cold emails that will stand out in their inboxes and push engagement?
In this article, Tristan, Co-founder of Stepward, offers strategic tips to effectively communicate your software services and convert prospects into paying customers.
Here's an example of a bad cold email that targets CTOs and CIOs of real estate companies 👇
Here are Tristan’s insights on what needs to be improved to get more replies:
Mistake #1 → Wrong target audience
Ensure your email content targets the pain points of the exact person you’re talking to. Here, the focus is more on sales, so this email would target better salesperson or CMO than a CTO/CIO.
Mistake #2 → Unclear intent
This email looks more like a follow-up than an initial email. Make sure to introduce your prospects to your product service before pushing sales so they are fully aware of how it can help them achieve their goals.
Mistake #3 → CTA is unclear
This CTA doesn’t clearly tell whether leads should respond or wait for another email. Instead, make the next step obvious and easy to accomplish!
Mistake #4 → Lack of personalization
Instead of at the end of your email, add a personalized icebreaker as an intro line. This will help you catch prospects’ attention right off the bat and push them to read the rest of your cold email.
Here is how Tristan would rewrite the previous cold email and his tips for booking more meetings!
Tip #1 → Link personalization to email topic
Personalize your icebreaker and introduce the topic in a friendly and non-intrusive way. This will help you grab prospects’ attention and intrigue about the rest of your cold email.
Tip #2 → Adapt email content to specific target
Mention opportunities and difficulties specific to the person you’re talking to. Since this email is targeting CTOs/CIOs it doesn’t focus on sales and marketing goals as the previous one.
Tip #3 → Help prospects visualize their desired outcome
Mention use cases to help your leads visualize how your solution can help them. Maybe some new ideas will pop out, and they will be even more willing to talk to you.
Tip #4 → Use value-oriented approach
Make sure your email offers free value, even in the initial message. Push your prospects to engage by getting the value in the next step of the sales funnel.
Subject Line: Last VR update for your visits
‍
‍Hello {{firstName}},
I see you've {{implemented/not implemented}} VR into your business.
Have you heard about Vision Pro, Apple's upcoming VR game-changer? It's creating a buzz for its simplicity, immersion, and innovation. Gen Z, a massive market in real estate, is especially interested.
I've thought of several ways this could benefit your clients: virtual tours, neighborhood exploration, renovations, and more. However, using this tech effectively needs specific skills and time.
Is your team equipped to develop for this new platform? It's a whole new coding landscape.
If you're interested, are you free this week to chat? I've got some tips to share.
Thanks,
{{signature}}
Here are Tristan's critical strategies for successful cold emails to CTOs and CIOs in software development:
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-> Start with personalized icebreakers linked to the email topic
-> Adjust the email content to address the specific challenges of CTOs/CIOs
-> Use practical examples to help recipients visualize the benefits
-> Offer immediate value in your communication, leading to a clear call-to-action
You can watch Tristan's complete cold email teardown here!
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PS: Want more tips? Request outbound experts to review your cold emails here!
G2 Rating | Price | Best for | Standout feature | Con | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
4.9 star star star star star | $30/mo $75/mo $2,999/mo | Large, distributed sales teams | AI evaluation precision, gamified KPIs | Lack of tracking system | |
4.6 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Sales operations and finance teams | Powerful configurability | Limited training resources and complex to navigate | |
4.4 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Mid-market and enterprise businesses | Comprehensive incentive management | Potentially high cost and steep learning curve | |
4.7 star star star star star-half | $15/user/mo $40/user/mo Enterprise: custom price | Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes | Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes | Steep learning curve | |
4.6 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Collaborative teams | Connected planning | Complexity and steep learning curve | |
4.6 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Companies with complex sales structures | Complex incentive compensation management (ICM) with high efficiency and accuracy | Complexity for smaller teams and potentially high costs | |
4.7 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Companies who want to automate commission calculations and payouts | Simplicity and ease of use | Lack of features like redirection | |
4.7 star star star star star-half | $30/user/mo $35/user/mo Custom: upon request | Businesses that need a comprehensive and user-friendly sales compensation management software | Ease of use and adoption | Lack of ability to configure the product based on user needs | |
4.8 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Companies with modern sales culture and businesses who want real-time insights | A built-in dispute management and real-time visibility | Users say it works slowly, customer support is slow | |
4.9 star star star star star | $30/user/mo $50/user/mo | Smaller sales teams | Powerful automation | Lesser user base and average user interface | |
4.7 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Companies with scalable needs | Automated Commission Calculations | Lack of filtering by date, no mobile app |
PRM Tool | Rating | Feature | Pro | Con | Mobile App | Integrations | Free Plan | Pricing |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4.65 star star star star star-half | Org-wide alignment | User-friendly layout and database | Suboptimal as a personal CRM | square-check | Lack of tracking system | square-check | Team: $20/month Business: $45/month | |
4.7 star star star star star-half | Social Media Integration | Easy contact data collection | No marketing/sales features | square-check | Lack of tracking system | square-xmark 7-day trial | $12/month | |
4.75 star star star star star-half | Block Functions | High customization capability | Not a dedicated CRM | square-check | Limited | square-check | Plus: €7.50/month Business: €14/month | |
N/A | Open-source | Open-source flexibility | Requires extensive manual input | square-xmark | Limited | square-check Self-hosted | $9/month or $90/year | |
3.1 star star star | Simple iOS app | Ideal for non-tech-savvy users | iPhone only | square-check iOSÂ only | Limited | square-xmark 1-month trial | $1.49/month or $14.99/month | |
3.6 star star star star-half | Smart Contact Management | Feature-rich and flexible | Reported bugs | square-check | Rich | square-xmark 7-day trial | Premium: $13.99/month Teams: $17.99/month | |
4.4 star star star star star-half | Customizable Interface | Customizable for teamwork | Pricey for personal use | square-check | Rich | square-xmark | Standard: $24/member Premium: $39/member | |
4.7 star star star star star-half | Integrated Calling | Integrated Calling | Too sales-oriented & pricey | square-check | Rich | square-xmark 14-day trial | Startup: $59/user/month Professional: $329/user/month | |
4.8 star star star star star | Business Card Scanning | Business Card Scanning | Mobile only | square-check | Limited | square-check | $9.99/month | |
4.45 star star star star star-half | 160+ app integrations | Comprehensive integrations | No free app version | square-check | Rich | square-xmark 14-day trial | $29.90/month or $24.90/month (billed annually) |
Capterra Rating | Free Trial | Free Plan | Starting Price (excluding the free plan) | Maximum Price (for the most expensive plan) | Best for | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4.5 star star star star star-half | square-check 14-day | square-check | €15/month/seat billed annually | €792/month/3 seats billed annually + €45/month for each extra seat | Versatility and free plan | |
4.2 star star star star | square-check 30-day | square-xmark But it offers reduced price to authorised nonprofit organisations | €25/user/month | €500/user/month billed annually (includes Einstein AI) | Best overall operational CRM | |
4.3 star star star star star-half | square-xmark | square-check Limited to 3 users | Comprehensive incentive management | €52/user/month billed annually | Small-medium businesses and automation | |
4.5 star star star star star-half | square-check 14-day | square-xmark | €14/seat/month billed annually | €99/seat/month billed annually | Sales teams and ease of use | |
4.1 star star star star | square-xmark | square-check Limited 10 users | $9.99/user/month billed annually | $64.99/user/month billed annually | Free plan for very small teams up to 10 |
CRM goal | Increase the sales conversion rate for qualified leads from marketing automation campaigns by 10% in the next 6 months. | ||||
SMART Breakdown | 1. Specific: It targets a specific area (conversion rate) for a defined segment (qualified leads from marketing automation). | 2. Measurable: The desired increase (10%) is a clear metric, and the timeframe (6 months) allows for progress tracking. | 3. Achievable: A 10% increase is possible based on historical data and potential improvements. | 4. Relevant: Boosting sales from marketing efforts aligns with overall business objectives. | 5. Time-bound: The 6-month timeframe creates urgency and a clear target date. |
Actions | Step 1: Refine lead qualification criteria to ensure high-quality leads are nurtured through marketing automation. | Step 2: Personalize marketing automation campaigns based on lead demographics, interests, and behavior. | Step 3: Develop targeted landing pages with clear calls to action for qualified leads. | Step 4: Implement lead scoring to prioritize high-potential leads for sales follow-up. | Step 5: Track and analyze campaign performance to identify areas for optimization. |
Outcomes | Increased sales and revenue | Improved marketing automation ROI | Marketing and sales alignment | Data-driven marketing optimization |