4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Cold Emailing a CMO

Maggie Andrews -

If you're an agency or technology company pitching to Chief Marketing Officers via cold email, here are few things to consider before clicking Send, plus real emails that generated meetings with CMOs.

Table of Contents:

  1. Does the subject line look like something I would find in my own inbox?
  2. Will the CMO know that I've researched their company and industry by the second sentence?
  3. Will they understand what my product/service is really really good at by the third sentence?
  4. Do I have a Call To Action that is a simple yes or no question?

Does the subject line look like something I would find in my own inbox?

Quickly scroll through your own email inbox and check out the subject lines there. Chances are, when you email someone directly the subject is short, clear, and might even be all lower case. It should NOT look like the title to this blog post. Also try to stay away from words that might get trigger spam filters, like “cost savings” or “reduce risk.”

Bad: We Can Help You Grow Your Business while Reducing Advertising Costs

Good: {{Company}} growth chat

Will the CMO know that I've researched their company and industry by the second sentence?

Yes, the second sentence, as in the one that comes right after the first. CMOs are incredibly busy and may receive up to 50 cold emails a day. Opening lines like "I found you on LinkedIn, or "looks like you are selling x widget" don't cut it like it used to. Think about the reason you are contacting them in the first place. It likely has to do with the fact that you are an expert in their space, and have a general affinity for the brand they own. Why not mention those things right off the bat?

Pro tip: Company size, industry, and time in their role are all huge influencers on reply rate. Check out the results from our last 6 months of client campaigns to increase your chance of getting a reply.

Will they understand what my product/service is really really good at by the third sentence?

We've asked our own c-suite clients about pet peeves of being sold to, and a big one is claims of "we can do everything for anybody." Even if your software has the capability to streamline lots of areas of business, or your agency does full service performance marketing across many channels, try to hone in on the real pain point that the CMO is experiencing, and pitch them on what you do best.

Start by thinking about the differentiator that landed you your best client, or an influential campaign that you ran for a big brand. What is the most memorable thing you have done, and how does that relate to a busy CMO?

We have a boutique agency client who designs websites and marketing campaigns like many other agencies, except for all of their work is guided by Behavioral Science. They lead with this unique knowledge base in all their cold emails, rather than "we can build you a better website" (even though that is true).

Do I have a Call To Action that is a simple yes or no question?

Coming back to the idea the CMOs are very busy and have mandatory short attention spans, it's important to make it easy for them to say YES. Call to actions like "let me know if we should schedule a time to meet" puts the responsibility on your prospect to take an action, which means a meeting is highly unlikely even if they liked your pitch. A yes or no question also makes it easy for the email-ee to opt out, which makes your unsolicited message feel more polite and less irritating.

This format also encourages the writer to think outside the box. What is something that would be of value to this CMO that I could offer?

Bad: Here is my calendar link if this sounds interesting to you.

Good: Can I share some consumer behavior trends that might help guide your eCommerce strategy?

Email Breakdowns

Large B2C Brand

Let's take a look at this email that generated a meeting between this digital agency and the Global CMO at Imax.

Subject: {{Company}} tik tok idea

Hi {{FirstName}},

My colleagues and I are huge fans of Imax, and they suggested I reach out after we saw "In The Heights" last week.

Curious...what's the best thing you've seen on Tik Tok lately?

We craft inspiring stories and use thousands of influencer connections to recruit new brand loyalists on Tik Tok (and other social channels), and I put together a few examples for IMAX.

Can I show you?

Subject: short and sweet, indicative of the body of the email

First sentence: highly personalized and authentic

Third sentence: the marketing niche that is their specialty

CTA: easy yes or no question

Global Non Profit

Here is another email that started a conversation between a branding agency and EarthDay.org.

Subject: {{Company}} brand story

Hi {FirstName},

Reaching out because we work with (and admire) lots of big thinkers and change makers like Earth Day Network.

My firm creates visual stories that compel people to take action, so you don’t have to be in the room for your organization to be impactful.

Can I share an example that might be relevant to your global education initiatives?

Subject: simple, accurately portrays the topic of the email

First sentence: shows respect for the non profit's work

Second sentence: exactly what they do, and why Earth Day should care

CTA: personalized yes or no question

B2B Technology Company

This email helped an augmented reality tech company land United Imaging as a client.

Subject: Virtual education experience

Hi Krista,

Curious if you're using any 3D or AR technology for customer education  at United Imaging?

We're working with another medical company to illustrate complex medical topics using AR. The experiences include 3D visualizations and informational touch points to outline concepts. So far, we're seeing up to 11x longer dwell time (AKA more knowledge retention) with the experiences.

Would you be interested in seeing what this looks like?

Subject: enticing without any big claims

First sentence: peaks interest and acknowledges that United Imaging is a complex product that requires education

Sentences 2-4: demonstrates experience in their field, describes what they do with concrete benefits

CTA: casual and exploratory yes/no question

For more strategies and examples to get your wheels turning, check out our Outbound Email Examples for Marketing Agencies.