How to sell to CTOs at Construction companies
CTOs in construction are primarily measured on project delivery efficiency. They respond to outreach that demonstrates a clear understanding of their technology integration challenges, such as coordinating multiple subcontractors and ensuring compliance with safety regulations. Highlighting how your solution can streamline operations and improve communication will capture 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 564 construction company domains over public DNS on 2026-09-03. Last updated 2026-09-03.
What actually hurts
- project coordination issues
- technology integration delays
- subcontractor communication breakdowns
- regulatory compliance headaches
The playbook
- 01
Identify recent project delays
Search for news articles or press releases about construction projects that faced delays due to technology issues. Use databases like Construction Dive or Engineering News-Record to find relevant stories. This will help you target CTOs who are likely seeking solutions to avoid future setbacks.
- 02
Connect through industry events
Look for upcoming construction trade shows or technology expos where these CTOs may be attending. Reach out to them via LinkedIn with a message referencing the event and suggesting a brief chat to discuss industry trends and technology challenges they might be facing.
- 03
Leverage compliance regulation changes
Monitor changes in construction safety regulations that may impact technology needs. Use resources like OSHA’s updates or local building codes. When reaching out, mention how your solution can help ensure compliance, reducing the risk of fines or project delays.
- 04
Follow up on software integration challenges
If you've previously engaged with a CTO about software solutions, follow up by asking if they've encountered any integration issues with their current systems. This specific pain point can open the door for further discussion about how your offerings could resolve their challenges.
- 05
Highlight case studies on subcontractor coordination
Prepare case studies that showcase successful technology implementations that improved subcontractor communication and project timelines. When reaching out, mention a specific case study relevant to their company size, demonstrating your understanding of their unique challenges.
Can construction companies even receive your mail?
We measured the DNS of 564 construction 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: 19.2% of 1–10-person companies against 73% of the largest — 54 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
- Improving project delivery
- Streamlining contractor communication
- Navigating compliance changes
Questions
- Why do CTOs in construction ignore outreach about tech solutions?
- CTOs may ignore outreach if it doesn't directly address their immediate challenges, such as project delays or compliance issues. They often receive generic messages that fail to demonstrate an understanding of the construction industry's unique dynamics and technology needs.
- What specific tech challenges do construction CTOs face?
- Construction CTOs frequently deal with challenges related to coordinating various subcontractors, ensuring real-time communication, and integrating different software systems. They also face pressure to adopt new technologies while managing costs and compliance with safety regulations.
- How can I make my outreach more relevant to construction CTOs?
- To enhance relevance, tailor your messages to address specific pain points like project delays or compliance issues. Reference recent industry news or regulatory changes that may impact their operations, and suggest actionable solutions that align with their goals.
- What role does innovation play in a construction CTO's responsibilities?
- Innovation is crucial for construction CTOs as they seek to improve efficiency and reduce costs through technology. They are responsible for evaluating new tools and systems that can enhance project delivery, streamline operations, and ensure compliance with evolving regulations.
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.
Try it on your site