What is a CXO letter that allows you to connect with key personnel at major companies?

With the spread of remote work, marketing and sales venues have shifted to digital, including online exhibitions and online business negotiations. Among these, the CXO letter is currently attracting attention as a way to get in touch with key personnel at major companies.

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A CXO letter refers to a measure to send letters to corporate executives. This time, we will introduce why non-digital CXO letter measures are attracting attention, and how they can be effective.

What is a CXO letter?

A CXO letter is a letter sent to a company executive. CXO is an abbreviation for Chief This is a measure taken to directly approach the decision-maker who makes the final decision to introduce a service, or the key person who has a great influence on the introduction, of the target company with which you want to win business.

A similar measure is DM (direct mail). DM is a postcard or envelope that sends advertisements about products, services, campaigns, etc. for sales and advertising purposes, based on the company’s house list or a company list obtained from a specialized directory agency.

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The difference between DM and CXO letters lies in personalization and customization. DM is extremely efficient as it sends out the same content to a large list all at once. On the other hand, CXO letters are created for each company with content tailored to that company, so they can only be sent to a limited list.

For this reason, many companies have adopted CXO letters as a measure to approach decision-makers and key personnel at major companies, with whom it is difficult and limited in number to have direct contact.

Why many companies pay attention to CXO letters

Remote work has rapidly become popular due to the coronavirus pandemic. This has made it difficult to conduct tele-appointments and company visits in which you approach the person in charge directly, and new measures are now required. This is why CXO letters are once again attracting attention. There are two reasons for this.

①Do not give a bad impression to the person in charge

Unlike tele-appointments or company visits, CXO letters allow you to promote your company’s products and services without forcibly taking away the person in charge’s work time, and do not leave a bad impression on the person in charge. Also, even if it takes a while for the person in charge to see the letter due to remote work, if the person in charge thinks it is a good idea, the company can contact you for an appointment.

② Reliably reach executives at major companies

The presence of a secretary is a huge reason why CXO letters are effective for major companies. Items sent to executives are sorted in advance by a secretary and then delivered directly. Therefore, if the CXO letter you send is distinguished from other DMs and delivered to the executive’s desk, the chances of it being noticed by the executive will increase.

CXO letter steps and points

We will introduce the steps and points for working on a CXO letter. There are four steps to take: 1) list selection, 2) list cleansing, 3) letter writing, and 4) follow-up calls.

①Create list

First, decide which companies to send the letter to and the criteria for selecting the company list. We analyze data such as companies that have received orders so far and usage history, and extract industries and company sizes with high order rates and LTV. We will also identify the positions, duties, and departments of key people to approach.

Once you have determined the list selection criteria, consider where you will obtain the list of companies. By utilizing external company databases, information other than industry and company size is covered, making it possible to create segments that better match products and services.

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Also, you will need to confirm with sales whether you are sending a letter to a company that you are already negotiating with or have contact with, or a company that you have had contact with in the past, so that it will be reflected in the list. Sending letters to companies you are currently negotiating with will give a bad impression on the company, so it is important to create a list management method that will ensure that nothing is left out.

②Wrist cleansing

From the list of companies obtained based on the selection criteria, we check to make sure the information is up-to-date and find out who the letter should be addressed to. This will be effective if you work on it together with writing the next letter. Specifically, we look at the company’s homepage, check the IR information if it is a listed company, and check the address, company name, and addressee to write on the envelope.

③Creating a letter

After doing the list cleansing, the next step is to create the letter to be enclosed. Letters are customized for each company by checking the company’s website and IR information, but it is more efficient to prepare templates for common parts such as the opening greeting and introduction of products and services.

It is important to write content that conveys the message to the company, such as “Why are you sending the letter?” and “What can be achieved by introducing the product/service?” in order to obtain appointments. It is also important to pay special attention to the envelope, stamps, and stationery used to send the letter, and to make it seem like the letter is important when the secretary is sorting through it.

④Follow call

By making a follow-up call after sending the letter, you can more easily get an appointment. A follow-up phone call will be made approximately three business days after sending the letter. When making a call, it will be smoother if you have a talk script ready.

It is a good idea to create talk scripts in advance for when the letter is being read, when the letter is not being read, and when the secretary is responding. Also, even if you are unable to connect by phone, try to make follow-up calls at least three times at different times to get in touch with the person in charge.

Letter tips to further increase the effectiveness of your CXO letter

All four steps of the CXO letter are important efforts, but you can differentiate yourself from other companies and gain appointments by devising your letter.

When the letter arrives at the secretary, it must be recognized as an important letter and must be delivered to the desk of an executive or key person. To do this, we need to be creative with the appearance of the letter, including the envelope, stamps, and address writing.

①Envelope

Don’t use your company’s envelopes; you can definitely use Japanese paper envelopes. Corporate envelopes give the impression of a business letter, like a sales letter sent to a secretary, and are more likely to be thrown away.

②Stamps

Regular stamps won’t catch your eye and will give the same impression as a company envelope. You can make a special impression by pasting commemorative stamps that can be purchased at post offices or post office online shops. Also, using the sticker type allows you to enclose letters more efficiently.

Special stamps mail order | Post office online shop

③Address writing

If you use a copy machine to print the address on the envelope, it will give a businesslike impression. Even if you are creating one for each company, prepare it by hand. If you have a certain amount of paper, you may want to ask a calligraphy service.

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