How to reach decision-makers via the secretariat
Published 2026-07-30 · Updated 2026-08-02
Direct answer
You do not need the director’s personal email. A workable path is an official letter to the company general inbox that names the person and title, is signed by your executive, and states a clear proposal (often in a PDF). The secretariat registers inbound mail and forwards it when the message looks like real correspondence—not a blast.
Why isn’t the decision-maker’s personal inbox the only path?
Executives’ personal addresses are scarce, go stale, and sit behind hard filters. General inboxes like info@, office@, and mail@ last longer—and someone is paid to process them.
A letter on letterhead is normal business mail. With a professional tone and a named addressee, it is more likely to be logged than a blast with a giant “Buy now” button.
What raises the chance it gets forwarded?
Name the person: full name and title in the header and greeting. Sign as your company’s executive. Attach a PDF with the point—no giant banners or shouty CTAs.
What hurts: “to all industry directors,” empty merge fields, and copy that smells like spam before the second paragraph.
What happens after inbound registration?
Someone reviews the letter and routes it to the person who can answer. Keep reply contacts clear and the reason for writing to one sharp idea.
Opens hint at activity. For this channel, an inbound reply or call matters more. Product estimate: on a relevant segment about 3–5% real leads of send volume (internal observations as of August 2026, not an independent benchmark); textbook open rate is not the main KPI.
FAQ
- Do you need the CEO’s personal email?
- No. A general inbox plus a clear named addressee is enough for official correspondence.
- Which addresses are used most often?
- info@, office@, mail@, sometimes reception@ — usually more stable than executives’ personal inboxes.
- Is a PDF required?
- Not always. An attachment with the core proposal often helps the letter travel onward as a document pack.
- Should you optimize for opens or replies?
- Replies and calls—real leads. Product estimate (as of August 2026, not an independent benchmark): about 3–5% of sends. Opens are secondary.