How to sell to Heads of Operations at Energy companies
Heads of Operations in the energy sector are primarily measured on operational efficiency. They respond to outreach that clearly outlines how your solution can streamline processes or reduce costs in renewable energy projects. Demonstrating an understanding of their specific operational challenges, like regulatory compliance or resource allocation, will increase your chances of getting a response.
Written and maintained by the SoloRiff team, who build outbound software and run outbound with it. The figures below are our own: we measured 550 energy company domains over public DNS on 2026-09-03. Last updated 2026-09-03.
What actually hurts
- inefficient resource allocation
- delays in project timelines
- high operational costs
- regulatory compliance challenges
The playbook
- 01
Identify recent regulatory changes
Research recent regulatory changes in the energy sector, focusing on renewables. Use sources like the U.S. Department of Energy or industry news outlets. Tailor your outreach to highlight how your solution can help navigate these changes effectively.
- 02
Find companies with new renewable projects
Utilize platforms like LinkedIn or industry reports to identify energy companies that have announced new renewable energy projects. These projects often require operational adjustments, making them prime candidates for outreach.
- 03
Highlight specific operational inefficiencies
When crafting your message, focus on common operational inefficiencies, such as delays in project timelines or high overhead costs. Reference case studies or examples that speak directly to these issues in the energy sector.
- 04
Address common objections about budget constraints
Prepare to counter objections related to budget constraints by showcasing potential cost savings or ROI from using your solution. Anticipate questions about initial investment versus long-term benefits.
- 05
Follow up after industry conferences
After major energy conferences or events, reach out to attendees with a personalized message referencing the event. This timing leverages their recent engagement and increases the likelihood of a response.
Can energy companies even receive your mail?
We measured the DNS of 550 energy 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: 21.6% of 1–10-person companies against 85.8% of the largest — 64 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
- Navigating recent energy regulations
- Improving project efficiency
- Reducing operational costs
Questions
- Why do heads of operations in energy ignore outreach about software solutions?
- Heads of Operations may ignore outreach if it lacks specificity about how a solution addresses their unique challenges. Generic messages fail to resonate, especially if they don't connect to current projects or industry regulations.
- What operational metrics are most important to energy operations leaders?
- Energy operations leaders typically focus on metrics such as project completion rates, cost per megawatt, and compliance with regulatory standards. These metrics directly impact their efficiency and profitability.
- How can I demonstrate value to heads of operations in energy?
- Demonstrating value involves showcasing how your solution can solve specific pain points, such as reducing downtime or improving compliance. Use industry-specific examples to illustrate potential benefits.
- What common objections do heads of operations have regarding new technologies?
- Common objections include concerns about integration with existing systems, upfront costs, and the learning curve for staff. Addressing these issues upfront can help mitigate resistance to new technology adoption.
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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