How to address a ceo in an email

Written by admin | Jul 21, 2015 5:19:21 PM

A CEO or director of a company has multiple roles and responsibilities when it comes to managing, building and expanding a brand or business. One of the roles includes recognizing new and innovative business solutions that can take that brand to the next level. As such, they receive countless requests for meetings, appointments and presentations from salespeople. Chances are most of them do not go past his/her PA’s desk and are discarded. This is due to the fact that it did not convey their messages from the get-go. For a CEO to perk up their interest about a sales pitch, the introductory letter needs to be precise and to-the-point.

In order to know how to write a B2B sales letter, there are some don’ts that should be avoided at all costs:

1. Avoid writing an extremely short or long letter. Remember, a CEO only has a few seconds to pick out what they need from an introductory letter. Making it too short or vague will make them disregard not only the letter but the brand. In the same breath, a long letter (in any situation) can be easily dismissed.
2. Avoid focusing excessively on the brand you are selling. Many sales letters, regardless of how revolutionary the product or service is, are trashed because they sound more like a praise session from the salesperson. More focus on the client is preferred.
3. Avoid using informal language when writing an introductory sales letter, especially to a CEO. While social media and more modern approaches to sales have borne fruit, some traditional habits are still revered, like formal letters to a high-level executive.
4. Do not insert multiple ideas or pitch introductions in the letter. It is understandable that a salesperson would like to share as much of their product or service as possible in one letter, but this will bring more confusion and end up being trashed.

When a seller is aware of what to avoid, it becomes easier to draft up a professional B2B letter to a CEO. There are some basics that need to appear on the letter, but a seller’s signature personality also needs to come forth when the CEO reads the letter.

• Salutation: When learning how to write a B2B sales letter, the salutation is one of the things that needs to be paid attention to. In order to get it right, do a research on the company and CEO so as to know who you are addressing. Starting with "Dear Mr. /Mrs. /Ms /Dr." followed by their full name is usually the best way to go. However, to be on the safe side if unsure of the CEO’s identity or background, "Dear Sir/Madam" will do.
• Subject line or headline: A short, powerful and precise subject line is very effective when addressing an introductory letter to a CEO. According to Retention Science, subject lines between 6 to 10 words long have a 21% open rate.
• Seller’s Introduction: It is very key for a seller to introduce themselves, their credentials and current position as well as how relevant they are in this sales pitch should it sail through. This needs to be very short and precise, no more than one short paragraph. At this time, add some lines about the company and brand that is being offered.
• Summarize the proposal: This is actually the meat of the introductory sales letter. It is a summary of the proposal that your company intends to pitch to the CEO and his team. Keep the proposal introduction short but precise. Where possible, use bullet points to give a neat summary.
• Highlight the benefit of the product or service being offered: At this point, the research done about the CEO and the company that he/she is in-charge of will come in handy. Make use of emotional triggers that will make the reader get interested in the sales pitch. If the CEO is known to have some vanity about them, take advantage of this fact. When highlighting the benefits, make it more about the client and company. In this case, using regular sales terms and praising the brand should be avoided.
• Call to Action: This is the point where you are giving an opportunity for a follow-up or booking an appointment. In this case, request for a time and date that you can call or visit the company for a meeting. Avoid being the one to set the date and time because CEOs are usually busy and their PA’s are the ones in control of their calendars. This is also the point where the seller gives their contact details so that if the CEO is interested in a follow-up, they will know how to reach the seller.
• Sign off: When learning how to write a B2B sales letter, it is important to sign off just as respectfully as the salutation. A phrase like "looking forward to hearing from you" is acceptable in such a case. In this case, avoid ending it with "yours truly" or something as informal. Instead, use "Best Regards’", "Sincerely", or "Regards." This is where you put down your full name and title in the company you represent.

Here are some extra tips that sellers can consider when writing introductory sales letters to a CEO.

1. Consider sending a lumpy letter, but with caution. A lumpy letter is one that has a gift or product alongside the letter. One way a seller can give an introduction of their product or service is through a sample. A DVD containing a short, catchy video of the company or branded merchandise such as a pen, notebook or calendar are an interesting idea. However, this should be done with caution so that it is not referred to as a bribe. In addition, make sure the letter is stellar and will hold its own when read.
2. Sending a hard copy introductory B2B sales letter is still preferred. It is not just CEO’s who receive countless emails and this means that a seller’s letter, no matter how great it is, can get lost in the sea of emails received. A hard copy of a traditional letter that is either dropped off at the CEO’s office or sent via post is a good way of catching the CEO’s attention. It also makes the lumpy letter a possibility.
3. It is alright to follow up with the CEO after a week or so. It is good to do so in case they have been out of office or were unable to read the letter for any number of reasons. A follow-up will also show that the seller is serious about working with the CEO and their company.

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Sending an email to your CEO can feel like approaching a celebrity — exciting and nerve-racking all at once.

That's because, while you could impress your CEO with your knowledge of the company and passion for your job, you could also turn them off with signs of carelessness or stepping out of line. 

To help you figure out how to craft the perfect message, we consulted career experts to get their best advice on how to reach out to executives. Amanda Augustine, career advice expert for Talent Inc., outlined key steps to sending a thoughtful, readable email — and getting the feedback you need. 

1. Consult your direct manager first.

Unless the CEO is your direct manager or you're responding to a direct request from him or her, it's wise to let your boss know that there's something you'd like to email the CEO about. 

That way, your boss can decide whether it's something that really requires the CEO's attention.

Your manager "probably has better insight into what makes sense and what doesn't make sense," Augustine said. "You want to go through the right chain of command and the right lines of communication." 

It doesn't matter if you have the most wonderful idea for the company, Augustine added — you'll want your boss to vet it first. Once you get confirmation that an email to the CEO is appropriate, you can CC your boss or add him or her to the message.

2. Write a short and action-oriented subject line. 

You should always write your subject line before you write the body of the message. Otherwise, you might forget to include one.

Augustine advises that you limit your subject line to eight or fewer words, especially since your CEO may be reading the email on a mobile device that cuts off part of the text. 

You'll also want to indicate if you need a response by a certain date, so your boss can prioritize the requests he or she is receiving that day. Augustine suggested setting the deadline a day or two before you actually need your CEO's response. That way, if your CEO gets really busy and responds late, you won't be in trouble.

Here's an example of an ideal subject line: "Project XYZ proposal — please reply by EOD."

And unless you have a really good reason, avoid marking your message high importance or high priority. "That's almost as bad as putting everything in caps," Augustine said.

3. Keep your greeting concise. 

Barbara Pachter, a business etiquette expert, suggests using a general greeting such as, "Hi, name," instead of "Good morning" or "Good evening." Or if you're sending an email to the CEO and their assistant, "Hi everyone." 

4. Use a salutation and sign-off that's appropriate for your company culture.

If you're uncertain how to address your CEO, Augustine suggested asking coworkers on your level how they've addressed him or her when they've sent emails in the past. You could also ask your direct boss for advice. 

Another option is to look for email threads between the CEO and other employees and see which salutations they used. 

But if you still can't figure out what's appropriate, Augustine said you should always err on the side of formality (e.g. "Dear Mr. Smith"). 

Your sign-off should be similarly short and simple. "Best, [your name]" generally works well. If you've already established a rapport with your boss, you can also use your initials. 

5. Keep the text short and specific. 

You definitely don't want to send an email with blocks of text, Augustine said, especially since your CEO could be reading the message on a mobile device. 

In order to make the email more easily readable, Augustine recommends using a short opening paragraph and then outlining each topic using bullet points. You may also want to bold or highlight the call to action (e.g. "Please reply by EOD").

Though you don't need to adhere to a specific word count, Augustine said, "use just as many words as you need to get your point across and not a sentence or a letter more than that." 

Think of the email as being a summary, or the CliffsNotes version, of the topic you want to discuss.

Ultimately, Augustine said, keep in mind that "if they want more information, they'll be sure to ask for it." 

6. Review your message for misspellings and grammar mistakes.

Always re-read your email before you send it, especially since there are words that your computer's spell-checker doesn't automatically pick up. 

In many cases, Augustine said, this message will be your CEO's first impression of you and your professional brand. "You don't want to be thought of as the person who can't spell correctly and can't string a sentence together without making a mistake." 

7. Avoid jokes. 

Because we're so accustomed to communicating via texts and social media, we might be less formal than we should in important emails. 

Specifically, Augustine said, "sarcasm can often be lost in [email] translation," so be careful not to include anything that can be misconstrued.

"Don't leave your message up for interpretation," she said.

8. Follow up politely. 

Your email should include a call to action, or a deadline when you need a response by. Set a reminder in your calendar to follow up the day after that if your CEO still hasn't gotten back to you. 

Here's an example of an appropriate follow-up (you can tweak as necessary): "I'm following up on [whatever issue] and wanted to make sure you saw this item. Please let me know if you need any additional information from me before you can respond."

9. Throughout the process, remember email etiquette. 

All professional emails you send should be filtered through certain standards that apply more intensely when you communicate with someone higher up. For example, use exclamation points sparingly in your message to your CEO to avoid appearing overly emotional or immature. When you're drafting your message, consider your audience and the time they have to spend looking at your email. Make sure to tailor your message accordingly.

A useful tip is to add the recipient's email last, after you've gone through your email thoroughly and checked it for errors. You don't want your CEO to receive a half-drafted email you didn't mean to send. 

Sherin Shibu contributed to an earlier version of this piece.