How to sell to CTOs at Agencies companies in United Kingdom
CTOs at agencies are primarily measured on project delivery timelines. They respond to outreach that highlights how to streamline their tech stack or improve team productivity. Understanding their pain points means recognizing the constant pressure to deliver projects on time while managing a diverse range of client needs and technology demands.
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
- delayed project deliveries
- inefficient tech stack
- team burnout
- client demands
The playbook
- 01
Identify agencies launching new campaigns
Use platforms like LinkedIn or industry news sites to find agencies that have announced new client campaigns. These agencies are likely to need tech solutions to support increased workloads and can be receptive to offers that promise efficiency.
- 02
Highlight tech stack inefficiencies
Research the technology stack of your target agency using tools like BuiltWith or StackShare. Identify any outdated tools or gaps in their stack that could be addressed. Mention these inefficiencies in your outreach to demonstrate you understand their operational challenges.
- 03
Address team productivity concerns
Look for posts or articles where CTOs discuss team dynamics or productivity issues. Tailor your message to show how your solution can alleviate these concerns, such as reducing manual processes or enhancing collaboration tools.
- 04
Mention recent industry shifts
Stay updated on trends in the agency space, such as shifts towards remote work or increased client expectations. Reference these in your outreach to align your offering with the current landscape, making your message more relevant.
- 05
Propose a brief tech audit
Suggest a short audit of their current tech setup as a low-commitment entry point. This can help you identify specific areas for improvement and demonstrate your expertise, making them more likely to engage in a follow-up conversation.
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
- Streamlining your agency's tech
- Boosting project delivery speed
- Improving team productivity
Questions
- Why do CTOs at agencies ignore outreach about new tech solutions?
- CTOs often receive numerous pitches daily and may ignore outreach that doesn't clearly address their specific pain points. If the message doesn't reflect an understanding of their unique challenges, such as project timelines or team dynamics, it risks being overlooked.
- What common challenges do agency CTOs face?
- Agency CTOs typically struggle with managing tight project deadlines, ensuring their tech stack is up-to-date, and maintaining team morale amid high workloads. These factors can lead to burnout and inefficiencies, making it crucial for them to find effective solutions.
- How can I make my outreach stand out to agency CTOs?
- To stand out, tailor your message to reflect a deep understanding of the agency's specific challenges. Use insights from recent campaigns or industry trends to show relevance, and propose actionable solutions that can help improve their operations.
- What timing is best for reaching out to agency CTOs?
- The best time to reach out is typically at the start of a new project cycle or after a major campaign launch. During these periods, CTOs may be more open to exploring new solutions to improve processes and support their teams.
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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