How to sell to CTOs at Professional services companies
CTOs in professional services firms prioritize technology that enhances operational efficiency and client satisfaction. They respond to outreach that clearly outlines how a solution can streamline project delivery or improve data security, directly impacting their KPIs like project turnaround time or client retention rates.
Written and maintained by the SoloRiff team, who build outbound software and run outbound with it. The figures below are our own: we measured 565 professional services company domains over public DNS on 2026-09-03. Last updated 2026-09-03.
What actually hurts
- long project delivery times
- inconsistent client feedback
- data security concerns
- difficulty integrating new software
The playbook
- 01
Identify firms with recent tech upgrades
Use LinkedIn to filter for professional services firms that have recently announced technology upgrades or new software implementations. Focus on companies that have shared press releases or blog posts about these changes, as they often indicate a willingness to invest in new solutions.
- 02
Target firms with high client churn
Analyze client reviews and feedback on platforms like G2 or Capterra to identify firms with high client churn rates. These firms are likely looking for solutions that enhance client satisfaction and retention, making them more receptive to your outreach.
- 03
Craft messaging around compliance and security
When reaching out, emphasize how your solution addresses specific compliance and security concerns that are prevalent in professional services. Use examples relevant to their industry, such as data protection in legal services or regulatory compliance in accounting.
- 04
Follow up after industry events
Monitor industry events or webinars where CTOs participate. Send a follow-up email referencing a specific topic discussed during the event to create a connection. This shows you are engaged with their industry and can relate to their current challenges.
- 05
Suggest a brief tech assessment call
In your outreach, propose a short call to discuss their current technology stack and any pain points. Position it as a complimentary assessment that could provide insights into potential improvements, making it more appealing for them to engage.
Can professional services companies even receive your mail?
We measured the DNS of 565 professional services 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: 18.3% of 1–10-person companies against 86.1% of the largest — 68 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
- Enhancing client satisfaction
- Streamlining project delivery
- Addressing compliance challenges
Questions
- Why do CTOs at professional services firms ignore cold emails?
- CTOs often receive numerous cold emails that lack relevance to their specific challenges. If the outreach doesn't address their current technology needs or pain points, it is likely to be overlooked. Personalization and relevance are key to capturing their attention.
- What common objections do CTOs have to new technology?
- CTOs frequently cite concerns about integration with existing systems, potential disruption to ongoing projects, and the return on investment of new technology. Addressing these objections with clear examples of successful implementations can help alleviate their concerns.
- How can I demonstrate value to a CTO in professional services?
- Demonstrating value requires showcasing how your solution can directly impact their operational efficiency and client satisfaction. Use case studies or testimonials from similar firms to illustrate the tangible benefits and outcomes they can expect.
- What role does compliance play in a CTO's decision-making?
- Compliance is a critical consideration for CTOs in professional services, as they must ensure that their technology solutions meet industry regulations. Highlighting how your solution addresses compliance issues can significantly influence their decision-making process.
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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