Module 4 · Chapter 6

Writing for different personas

9 min read

A CEO and an SDR Manager both work at the same company, but they live in entirely different worlds. Their priorities are different. Their language is different. The way they evaluate information, make decisions, and respond to outreach is different. Sending the same message to both is like speaking French to someone who only understands Mandarin. The words might be well-chosen, but they won't land.

This chapter breaks down the four most common B2B personas you'll encounter in outreach. For each, you'll learn what they care about, how they like to be communicated with, what CTA style works best, and you'll get a full template you can adapt.

Persona 1: The CEO / Founder

What they care about

Revenue growth, competitive advantage, market positioning, and strategic risk. CEOs think in quarters and years, not weeks. They care about the "what" and the "why," not the "how." They're time-starved and ruthlessly filter incoming messages. If your email doesn't signal strategic relevance in the first sentence, it's gone.

How to write for them

  • Tone: Peer-to-peer. Never subservient or salesy. Write as if you're a trusted advisor, not someone trying to sell something. Direct, confident, and concise.
  • Length: Ultra-short. 3-5 sentences maximum. Every word must earn its place. CEOs skim. If your email can't be processed in 10 seconds, it won't be read.
  • Content: Business outcomes only. No features, no technical details, no implementation specifics. Revenue, growth, competitive edge, efficiency at the company level.
  • CTA: Ultra-soft or referral-based. "Is this worth exploring?" or "Who on your team should I talk to about this?" CEOs rarely take first meetings themselves on cold outreach. They delegate.

CEO template

"Hi firstName,

Congrats on recent achievement/news. Companies at [Company]'s stage typically face a choice: scale outbound manually (expensive and slow) or build the infrastructure to make it a predictable channel.

We helped similar company CEO turn outreach into their #1 pipeline source within 6 months. Thought it might be relevant given where [Company] is heading.

Worth a conversation, or should I reach out to someone on your revenue team?"

Persona 2: The VP of Sales / CRO

What they care about

Pipeline, quota attainment, team productivity, and forecast accuracy. VPs of Sales live in the gap between targets and reality. Every quarter they need to hit a number, and they're constantly looking for levers to pull. They're data-driven, metrics-obsessed, and skeptical of unproven approaches. They've heard every sales pitch and can spot BS instantly.

How to write for them

  • Tone: Direct and metric-driven. Speak their language: pipeline, conversion rates, meetings booked, cost per meeting, ramp time. Numbers resonate more than narratives.
  • Length: Short to medium. 5-7 sentences. Enough to make the case with data, not so long that it feels like a pitch deck.
  • Content: Specific results from comparable companies. "We helped [company] increase meetings booked per rep by 3x" is compelling. "We help sales teams be more productive" is not.
  • CTA: Moderate commitment. "Open for 15 minutes to see if the numbers would work for [Company]?" VPs of Sales respect directness and will take meetings when the ROI case is clear.

VP Sales template

"Hi firstName,

Noticed [Company] is scaling the sales team based on your recent hiring activity. Growing from current to target reps usually creates a pipeline gap that takes 3-6 months to close.

We helped similar company's VP Sales close that gap 2x faster. Their reps went from 8 to 22 meetings/month within 60 days of launch, without adding headcount to the list-building function.

Would it be useful to see how they structured it? Happy to walk you through the numbers in 15 minutes."

Key insight

VPs of Sales are the most responsive persona to social proof from peer companies. If you can name a similar company (same industry, similar size, comparable stage) and cite specific metrics, you're dramatically more likely to get a reply. They think competitively: if a peer is getting results they're not, that's a problem they need to solve.

Persona 3: The Marketing Director / VP Marketing

What they care about

Lead quality, attribution, brand perception, and cross-channel performance. Marketing leaders are under constant pressure to prove ROI and align with sales. They're analytical but also creative, and they care deeply about how their brand is perceived in the market. They're wary of anything that could damage brand reputation.

How to write for them

  • Tone: Thoughtful and strategic. Marketing leaders appreciate nuance. They want to understand the framework, not just the results. Show that you understand the complexity of their role.
  • Length: Medium. 5-8 sentences. Marketing people read. They appreciate a well-constructed message if every sentence adds value.
  • Content: Frame your solution in terms of what matters to marketing: attribution, alignment with sales, scalable processes, and brand-safe approaches. If your product touches outreach, address how it maintains brand quality.
  • CTA: Value-first. Offer an insight, resource, or framework before asking for time. "I put together a short analysis of [Company]'s outbound opportunity. Want me to send it over?"

Marketing Director template

"Hi firstName,

Loved [Company]'s recent content piece/campaign. The approach to specific element is something more teams should study.

One thing we've noticed working with marketing leaders at industry companies: teams that add systematic outreach alongside inbound see 40-60% more qualified pipeline without increasing ad spend. The key is doing it in a way that feels consistent with the brand, not spammy.

We recently published a framework on building brand-safe outbound. Would it be useful if I shared it?"

Persona 4: The Individual Contributor / Manager

What they care about

Their own productivity, career growth, looking good to their boss, and solving the daily headaches that make their job harder than it needs to be. ICs and managers are the people who actually use your product day-to-day. They're the champions who can sell your solution internally. They care about practical, tactical value: does this save me time, make me look competent, or eliminate a task I hate?

How to write for them

  • Tone: Casual, empathetic, and practical. They don't want corporate speak. They want someone who understands their daily reality and can make it better.
  • Length: Short to medium. 4-6 sentences. They're busy with actual work and don't have time for lengthy strategy emails.
  • Content: Specific features, time savings, and ease of implementation. "Set up in 10 minutes, saves 5 hours per week" is exactly what they want to hear. They need to imagine using it tomorrow.
  • CTA: Low-barrier. Free trial, quick demo, or a resource they can consume alone without involving their boss. They want to explore before they champion.

IC / Manager template

"Hi firstName,

Quick question: how much time does your team currently spend building prospect lists each week? If it's more than a couple hours, there's probably a faster way.

We built a tool that automates the research-to-sequence workflow. Most SDR managers tell us it saves their team 8-10 hours per week and lets reps focus on actual conversations instead of spreadsheet work.

Want to see a 3-minute walkthrough? No call needed, just a quick video I can send over."

Watch out

Don't assume ICs can make purchasing decisions alone. Even if they're enthusiastic, they usually need approval from a manager or VP. Your outreach should make them a champion: give them the ammunition (data, case studies, ROI calculations) to sell your solution internally. An IC who loves your product but can't get budget approval is a dead end.

The multi-persona approach

For complex deals, consider reaching out to multiple personas at the same company simultaneously or sequentially. A common pattern:

  • Start with the IC/Manager. They're more likely to reply and can validate that the problem exists at their company. Their response gives you intelligence for the executive outreach.
  • Then contact the VP/Director. Reference that you've been in touch with their team member (with permission) or that you've noticed a pattern at companies like theirs. The IC engagement gives you credibility.
  • Only reach the CEO for strategic deals. CEOs should be contacted when the deal size or strategic importance warrants it. For most deals, the VP level is where decisions happen.

Different personas require different messages, different tones, and different CTAs. Master the art of writing for each, and you'll dramatically improve both your reply rates and the quality of conversations that follow. One size never fits all in outreach. The teams that write distinct messages for distinct personas consistently outperform those that use a single template for everyone.