Reaching new executives in their first 90 days
Pipeline · Sales
Situation
New executives are significantly more likely to evaluate new vendors within their first 90 days in a role, because that's when they're building or rethinking their own stack and processes. After that, the window closes noticeably.
Key contacts
- The newly hired executive themselves
- Existing contacts at the target account who could make an introduction
Approach
Ideally reach out within four to six weeks after their start date. Too early (week one) feels pushy, too late (after 90 days) misses the open window.
The opening should reference the new role, not your product: a brief congratulations, a question about their priorities for the first 100 days, only then a careful reference to what you offer.
Common mistake
Sending a generic cold outreach message that doesn't show you know they just started. The timing itself is the actual value of this signal, not mentioning it wastes the advantage.