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5 C-level Sales Truths

August 11, 2010

Do you know what is keeping you from making a sale with a CEO?

Five simple truths stand between you and C-level sales, according to Steve W. Martin, author of “Heavy Hitter Sales Psychology: How to Penetrate the C-Level Executive Suite and Convince Company Leaders to Buy.”

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Martin’s five C-Level sales truths and some possible solutions:

  1. Truth: C-Level executives are inundated by salespeople.
    Solution:     Do not use generic messages. Only a unique, individual messaging campaign has a fighting chance with C-level executives.
  2. Truth: C-Level executives are generally NOT the real product decision makers.
    Solution:     Focus your efforts on senior and mid-level management (the real decision makers)and build a predisposition towards your product.
  3. Truth: C-Level executives do not always feel the “pain” or sense of urgency.
    Solution:     Never assume that an executive knows how your solution applies to his business.  Structure messages based on success at similar businesses to motivate further investigation.
  4. Truth: Blind calling C-Level executives can damage your relationships with low and mid-level managers.
    Solution:     Execute a sales strategy that engages all levels the customer’s organization and influences them to promote you to the higher level.
  5. Truth: You must know what to say when you do reach C-Level executives.
    Solution:     Learn sales linguistics (how a customer’s mind interprets language) or the call is doomed.

Full Story – Heavy Hitter Sales Blog about 5 C-level Sales Truths

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  • http://www.commdiscussion.com Communications Forum

    I agree that the decision-makers tend to be mid-level managers. Most of the executives delegate down to this level. They’re the ones who can really make a sale happen.