Ask HN: Founders, what title do you use in email?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=763867

by ericb • 17 years ago

15 36 17 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I'm wondering what title people use when emailing customers? For my load testing consultancy, I have to periodically send introductory emails to sales prospects, and I'm struggling with what I should call myself. So I'm wondering, what do you list as your title in emails?

idlewords• 17 years ago

Just use your name and explain in human language what you do.

alexsolo• 17 years ago

What about in the signature?

I usually don't put any titles in the actual email itself. In the signature, I sometimes go with Co-founder, other times, just put the company name.

delano• 17 years ago

VP Sales.

ErrantX• 17 years ago

It depends entirely on what your selling and what your client is like.

For example when I am prospecting work for my day job I always use "VP <company>" or "Senior Analyst"

On the other hand for my own company I usually choose something light heartened related to the rest of the mail: "the man" or "the tech guy" etc. it goes down quite well.

Frocer• 17 years ago

Depends on how you want to be perceived. One of the most interesting article I read talked about how this founder carries 2 business cards. When he meets prospective clients, his title on the card says "VP of Sales" so his organization seems much bigger than a 1 man shop. But if he is meeting investors, he uses his CEO title card so he seems to be the one in control.

I think this scenario would apply to you pretty well :)

charlesju• 17 years ago

I also like the VP of Sales pitch if you want an out in any negotiation, "well I have to talk to higher management, but what if I could do xyz for you..."

lucumo• 17 years ago

Just my name and my company's name. We're dealing mostly with consumer's though.

byrneseyeview• 17 years ago

He carried two business cards: a plain one with just his name and another that read "I'm CEO...Bitch."

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/21129674/the_battle_f...

erlanger• 17 years ago

Casual: First name

Introduction: Full name

Sales email: Full name + "\nOwner, {{ company }}"

p01nd3xt3r• 17 years ago

I use the title of "Product Manager" because that is what role I play.

jasonlbaptiste• 17 years ago

Sincerely,

Paul Blart

Mall Cop

dmpayton• 17 years ago

Do not lie to me.

tdavis• 17 years ago

Janitor

sho3• 17 years ago

Vice President for Special Projects

zach• 17 years ago

All my business cards I've chosen when working for other companies say only "Programmer." I like that.

But when you're a founder or such, you have to cop to it. You don't want it to look like you're evading responsibility or jerking people's chain.

So it's "CTO and Co-Founder" on my business cards and (when appropriate) on email.

andrewljohnson• 17 years ago

It depends... when speaking with people I want to make deals with, I use my title. If I'm dealing with users/customers, I just ID myself as co-founder.

leviathant2• 17 years ago

Chief Nerd

leviathant2• 17 years ago

Really, a downvote for that? I answered the question truthfully - http://theninhotline.net/features/staff/

pbhj2• 17 years ago

Or nearly truthfully (ie not!) "Founder, Chief Nerd".

brk• 17 years ago

You should use whatever you think your actual title is at this point in time. "President" or "Founder" would probably work well. For a small shop "CEO" and "VP" titles can be a little over the top. 90% of the time, this isn't an issue, but in some cases people will honestly have more of an impression of "Oh, isn't that cute!" instead of "Oh, he is is the CEO". I guess what I'm saying is that in general you will do well with no over or understating your reality in the company.

Do what you say, say what you do.

effektz• 17 years ago

Make something up, make yourself the "Senior Sale Maker"

zandorg2• 17 years ago

I put my degree BSc (Hons) even though a friend says it's irrelevant.

I earned those letters dammit!

sho3• 17 years ago

Sorry to say this but .. I agree with your friend. Your qualifications are pretty much irrelevant in an email; mentioning them anyway may well be taken negatively by some people.

Still, at least it's a respectable degree. I once had to converse regularly with a guy who signed his emails "(full name), M.C.S.E.", flaunting those letters like they were equivalent to Medical Doctor or Order of the British Empire or something. Needless to say, merciless ridicule ensued.

zandorg2• 17 years ago

I'd rather have THAT than my stupid degree!

bdmac97• 17 years ago

I've just been using Founder... especially since it's jut me here.

hwijaya• 17 years ago

Optimist Prime at Blindoptimists

rokhayakebe• 17 years ago

Depends on who I am emailing.

Creative Director, Business Development manager, Creatively Directing Product Development.

ScottWhigham• 17 years ago

I don't use a title.

Scott Whigham

LearnItFirst

<phone>

<fax>

http://www.learnitfirst.com

yef• 17 years ago

Call yourself what you are, don't be too cute, keep yourself out of Valleywag.

warwick• 17 years ago

Generally I sign emails to customers with my title as "Developer". When you're responding to a support email or a pre-sale email, a lot of customers think it's very cool that they can contact the guy who built the product, not some random support person.

abalashov3• 17 years ago

I take after Mobutu, myself: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobutu_Sese_Seko)

"In 1972, Mobutu renamed himself Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga ("The all-powerful warrior who, because of his endurance and inflexible will to win, goes from conquest to conquest, leaving fire in his wake."), Mobutu Sese Seko for short."

No, but seriously, I use "Principal." It conveys my central role in the company from a financial perspective without having the dangers of sounding pompous, pretentious or immodest to the ears of people who think "President" or "CEO" is a bit lofty for a 1-3 man show.

ericb• 17 years ago

Principal might be good--I've seen that used. I tried googling to figure out what it implies exactly, and wasn't successful. Can define for me what it "means" a little better?

abalashov3• 17 years ago

It has a somewhat flexible meaning, but is usually used to refer to the partners (owners) of a business with an emphasis on the financial aspect of their ownership. The ownership has to be significant; elementary shareholders don't qualify. It is also sometimes used more loosely of corporate officers, i.e. CxOs.

The signature of a principal is often required in serious contracts. In other words, the defining attribute of a principal is his or her ability to represent the firm in a legally binding way with no limitations.

abalashov3• 17 years ago

http://www.allbusiness.com/glossaries/principal/4945311-1.ht...

Ask HN: Founders, what title do you use in email?

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