How to sell to CTOs at Agencies companies in Australia
CTOs at agencies are primarily measured on their team's ability to deliver projects on time and within budget. They respond to outreach that demonstrates a clear understanding of operational inefficiencies, such as project delays or resource allocation challenges. Highlighting a specific case where you've helped similar agencies streamline their processes will catch their attention.
Written and maintained by the SoloRiff team, who build outbound software and run outbound with it. The figures below are our own: we measured 558 agencies company domains over public DNS on 2026-09-03. Last updated 2026-09-03.
What actually hurts
- project delays
- resource misallocation
- budget overruns
- team burnout
The playbook
- 01
Identify agencies with recent project delays
Use project management tools like Asana or Trello to find agencies that have reported delays in their project timelines. Filter for agencies in Australia that have publicly shared project updates within the last month. This will help you target those feeling the pressure of missed deadlines.
- 02
Research technology stack changes
Look for agencies that have recently switched their tech stack or adopted new tools, which may indicate a willingness to invest in solutions. Use LinkedIn or industry blogs to find announcements about new software implementations. This indicates a readiness to discuss improvements.
- 03
Craft a message addressing resource allocation issues
When drafting your outreach, specifically mention how your solution can help optimize resource allocation, a common pain point for CTOs. Reference case studies where you've helped similar agencies reduce overhead costs or improve project turnaround times. Be direct and concise.
- 04
Follow up on recent industry events
After your initial outreach, send a follow-up email referencing an industry event or webinar that the agency attended. This shows you are engaged with their interests. Mention a key takeaway from the event that relates to their operational challenges, prompting a response.
- 05
Propose a time-sensitive consultation
In your final outreach, suggest a consultation that focuses on addressing their current project challenges. Emphasize a limited-time offer for a free assessment of their tech stack efficiency. This urgency can motivate them to respond quickly.
Can agencies companies even receive your mail?
We measured the DNS of 558 agencies companies, sampled evenly across company sizes, to see how many authenticate their own email. It matters in both directions: a domain that does not authenticate is a domain whose team is used to mail going missing — and if your own domain is in the gap, yours is the mail going missing.
Publishes a DMARC policy of quarantine or reject — the domain actually asks receivers to act on failures.
The gap is the finding: 16.8% of 1–10-person companies against 55.4% of the largest — 39 points apart. Small companies are where the unauthenticated domains are, and small companies are who most cold outreach is aimed at.
Where does your domain sit?
Same three lookups, run live against your domain. Nothing is stored and nothing is emailed to you.
How this was measured
Company domains were sampled within employee-count bands, then queried over public DNS for SPF (TXT at the apex), DMARC (TXT at _dmarc.) and MX. One domain per company, deduplicated. Anyone can reproduce any single row of this with dig.
DKIM is deliberately absent. A DKIM key lives under a selector that cannot be enumerated from outside the domain, so a company with flawless DKIM under a name we did not guess would be counted as having none. That would measure our guess list, not the industry.
Domains with no MX record are excluded rather than counted as failures — parked and redirect-only domains would otherwise drag every figure down and make the result an artefact of the sample.
Sampled within bands, so this describes the population of companies, not of employees: a 10-person company counts once, as does a 10,000-person one. Each band is at least 60 domains; bands below that are not published. Figures are percentages of the sample, not of the whole industry, and we publish no company names — only counts.
Measured 2026-09-03. Re-measured monthly.
The full census across every industry — sortable, with sample sizes, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.
Subject lines that fit
- Addressing your project delays
- Optimizing your resource allocation
- Streamlining agency operations
Questions
- Why do CTOs at agencies ignore outreach about new software solutions?
- CTOs often receive numerous outreach messages, many of which lack relevance to their specific operational challenges. If the outreach doesn't address their immediate pain points, such as project delays or resource allocation, it's likely to be overlooked. Tailoring your message to their unique context is crucial.
- What common objections do CTOs have when considering new technology?
- CTOs may object due to concerns about integration with existing systems, potential disruption during implementation, or the ROI of new technology. Addressing these concerns upfront in your messaging can help alleviate their fears and open a dialogue.
- How can I demonstrate value to a CTO at an agency?
- To demonstrate value, provide clear examples of how your solution has helped similar agencies improve project delivery or reduce costs. Use specific metrics or case studies that resonate with their current challenges and show tangible results.
- What factors influence a CTO's decision to adopt new technology?
- A CTO's decision is influenced by the technology's compatibility with existing systems, the potential for team productivity improvements, and overall cost-effectiveness. They also consider how quickly the technology can be implemented without disrupting ongoing projects.
Or have it run itself
SoloRiff does every step above on its own — finds the companies, finds the people, writes each of them individually, and handles the replies. Drop your URL and watch it work before you sign up for anything.
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