5 Truths About Selling to C-Level Executives

All sales training programs extol the virtues of selling at the C-level. However, they underestimate how difficult it is actually to reach C-Level executives and truly don’t explain what to say and do when you finally reach them. That’s exactly why I wrote Heavy Hitter Sales Psychology: How to Penetrate the C-Level Executive Suite and Convince Company Leaders to Buy. Selling at the C-level is an increasingly uphill battle because of these five truths:

 

1. C-Level Executives Are Inundated By Salespeople

With the accessibility to information that has been unleashed by the Internet and other online information tools, it’s easier than ever to find the names of the top executives at almost any company. Guess what that means: everyone and his brother are calling the same people you are. The chances of that C-level executive returning or forwarding a generic voice mail or e-mail is remote. Instead of a generic message, in today’s world you need a very individualized messaging campaign strategy to reach C-Level Executives.

 

2. C-Level Executives Usually Aren’t “Product” Decision Makers

While a C-level executive will often stamp his or her approval on a purchase decision, it’s increasingly more common that they are not the ones making that product decision (except when it comes to the largest capital expenditures). Executives today empower their senior- and mid-level management to collect the facts and present “their” recommendation. The winning strategy is to have the executive mandate these lower-level decision makers conduct “their” evaluation with a predisposition towards your product or service.

 

3. C-Level Executives Might Not Feel the “Pain” and Sense of Urgency

The surest way to get someone to respond to your message is if they personally feel the business pain your solution solves. Oftentimes, senior executives don’t have visibility into the detailed daily operational issues. Consequently, they don’t appreciate the relevance and importance of your solution.  Never assume the executive knows why your solution is applicable to his business. Instead, structure your message based upon your customer successes at similar businesses to motivate the executive to investigate further.

 

4. Blindly Calling C-Level Executives Can Damage Your Low & Mid-Level Relationships

No one likes to have an unknown sales rep call their boss’s, boss’s, boss. Rather, you need to execute a sales strategy that logically engages all levels the customer’s organization and emotionally influences them to promote you to the highest levels of the company.  

 

5. You Must Know What to Say When You Reach C-Level Executives!

Never forget, you only get one chance to make a great first impression with a C-Level executive. Many times, the worst thing that could happen to you is the executive you’re calling actually picks up the phone! Chances are you won’t be able to connect with him in the precious few moments  you have to talk. That’s why it is absolutely critical that you understand Sales Linguistics (the study of how the customer’s mind uses and interprets language).

 

 

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Comments

[Scott R. Sheaffer]

Really agree with your point #4. Old school used to say "start at the top." That alienates too many DM's along the way.