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C Level Engagement

Added 25th of September 2009

We all know that we should “sell high” — but how many salespeople really know what to say when you actually get in the presence of a C-level exec?   Sales training can teach you the questioning techniques and needs analysis for lower level employees.  Selling at the C-level requires an entirely different approach. 

Lower level employees don’t mind if you probe around and ask questions to get a better picture of their requirements and needs.  C-level execs don’t have time to give you an education, so you’d better have done your research long before you meet them

Lower level employees love to talk about features, functions and price, they’ve probably been trolling around on the Web, reading brochures and white papers.  C-level execs don’t have that kind of time to waste.  They’re interested in broad business issues like corporate strategy, revenue and profitability. So you’d better have a business-focused value proposition that justifies C-level attention. 

Lower level employees will sit though presentations of all the detail. When you present to a C-level exec, your sales approach has got to be fully-researched, short and sweet, and targeted at C-level challenges.

When you meet you need to focus on their business challenges, you need to have researched their business. They won't just provide you with information in the way that lower level employees might. If you have to present the no more than 10 slides and 25 words per slide, no more. Now, although the specifics of the presentation will vary, it must be structured into three segments:

1.    A research-based summary of the business, strategy, challenges and opportunities inside the exec’s firm. This summary must use the language that’s used inside the customer’s firm. Personalise your presentation, add their logo.

2.    A VERY brief summary of your company and offerings.  One slide ( what you have done for them in the past if they are a customer)

3.    A business case for how your two firms can work together, using your offerings to solve a C-level problem or achieve one or more of their C-level goals.

Similarly, if the purpose of the meeting is to close business, add a slide at the end that bridges to your close.

C-level executives will “drill down” into one area of presentation to find out whether there’s actual substance behind it.  So you should still have all the detailed slides that you used on the lower-level employees on hand, just in case. 

 


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