How to sell to IT Directors at AI & machine learning companies
IT Directors in AI & machine learning companies are primarily measured on the uptime and reliability of their systems. They respond to outreach that clearly demonstrates an understanding of the unique challenges posed by large language models and the integration of AI agents. Addressing their specific pain points, such as system scalability and data security, 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 561 ai & machine learning company domains over public DNS on 2026-09-03. Last updated 2026-09-03.
What actually hurts
- system downtime during AI training
- data security breaches
- scalability of AI models
- integration issues with legacy systems
The playbook
- 01
Identify recent AI project launches
Search for companies that have recently announced new AI initiatives or product launches. Use platforms like LinkedIn or industry news sites to find announcements. Target companies that are expanding their AI capabilities, as they are likely to be investing in new technologies.
- 02
Highlight scalability challenges
In your outreach, mention common scalability challenges faced during AI deployments, such as managing increased data loads or ensuring system performance. Reference specific instances where these issues have led to downtime or project delays in similar companies.
- 03
Reference compliance and data security
Include a note on the importance of compliance with data protection regulations in your messaging. IT Directors are often concerned about how new technologies will impact their compliance posture, so addressing this head-on can spark interest.
- 04
Follow up after major AI conferences
Plan your follow-ups for shortly after major AI conferences or events where your target companies are participating. Mentioning their presence at these events can create a connection and show that you are engaged with their industry.
- 05
Ask about their current technology stack
In your outreach, ask open-ended questions about their current technology stack and any pain points they are experiencing. This approach encourages dialogue and allows you to position your solution as a fit for their specific needs.
Can ai & machine learning companies even receive your mail?
We measured the DNS of 561 ai & machine learning 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: 26.3% of 1–10-person companies against 86.2% of the largest — 60 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
- Scaling AI systems effectively
- Addressing data security in AI
- Optimizing AI project outcomes
Questions
- Why do IT Directors in AI ignore outreach about new tools?
- IT Directors often receive numerous outreach messages, and many lack specificity about how a tool directly addresses their unique challenges. If the outreach doesn't demonstrate a clear understanding of their AI initiatives, it is likely to be overlooked.
- What challenges do IT Directors face with AI projects?
- IT Directors frequently deal with issues such as ensuring system reliability during AI model training, managing compliance with data regulations, and integrating new AI solutions with existing infrastructure. These challenges require thoughtful solutions that align with their strategic goals.
- How can I make my outreach stand out to IT Directors?
- To stand out, focus on specific pain points relevant to AI initiatives, such as scalability and data security. Use case studies from similar companies and ask insightful questions that demonstrate your understanding of their operational challenges.
- What timing is best for reaching out to IT Directors?
- The best timing for outreach is often after significant AI industry events or product launches. This is when IT Directors are evaluating new technologies and are more open to discussing solutions that can enhance their current 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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