The Art of Persuasion: Selling to CEOs and senior executives - What it takes to be successful

Recently I worked with an entire executive team, helping them enhance their effectiveness at selling their services (big ticket) to senior executives (mostly CEOs) of Global 1000 companies. The CEO and CFO understood that success in selling is primarily a psychological endeavor that requires interpersonal finesse rather than simply a matter of touting who has the best product or service. They also understood that you get one chance at the CEO level to make your pitch and you don't want to blow it. Furthermore, they understood that if you can close even one more sale per year of big ticket services because you improved how you do it . . . then there is value in improving . . . significant value. I'm pleased to report that my client used what they learned well and had immediate positive results. We'll review a few key insights in this briefing.

However, be forewarned. Insight alone isn't sufficient. This executive team subjected themselves to video taping of mock sales meetings, my critique and suggestions, group input -- all in front of each other -- and, then they went out and practiced what they learned, returning to debrief and retune. That's what high-performance teams do! Everyone was in it together: CEO, CFO, SVPs & VPs! No one was spared.

The first and most important point is attitudinal; you must relate to senior executives as a peer, not as a vendor/supplicant. It should not be a meeting of adversaries, but one of successful business people meeting together because they are interested in solving problems, being creative and succeeding. You are there to see if you can be of help because you have something of value to offer.

I've worked with many CEOs and they put their pants on one leg at a time like the rest of us, and sometimes backwards. CEOs want to deal with people who are their equals. Yes, there are some arrogant ones who are so full of themselves that they won't let you breathe the same air they do and with those it's absolutely imperative that you behave as their equal or you'll regret earning their business (they will undoubtedly be pain in the rears) if you actually do get their business. Being an equal does not mean you have to have the title CEO, but it does require you to believe and "feel" that you are equal to them and that your product or service has as much value as theirs. As one of my mentors, Alan Weiss, often says, "The first sale is to yourself." If you don't see yourself as a peer, you'll be dismissed, figuratively and literally.

The second step is to understand that peers don't do presentations, they have conversations. The moment you walk into a senior executive's office and pull out your laptop PowerPoint or nifty looking presentation folder you've become another vendor hawking his or her wares. Unless you represent a company involved in visual media, presentations break down the interpersonal connection you must build to develop a relationship where the executive sees you as someone who can understand and help them. However, even if you are involved in visual media, if you don't connect on the interpersonal level with your prospect, your competitor who does will win the sale.

Thirdly, it's important that you take more control of the conversation by asking questions about the prospect's needs and then provide relevant examples of how you've helped other clients solve similar problems. Focus on results achieved . . . not content or processes. Relevant examples prove your capabilities. Reciting a list of services doesn't. Try not to get hooked by, "Tell me about yourself or your company." Don't go into a sales spiel. Instead, give a VERY brief overview and then ask the prospect about themselves and their needs, "Why were you interested in meeting with me/us today?' Once they respond, you will have some material to which you can relevantly respond and a peer-to-peer conversation will begin.

Fourth, you need to have practiced (know your stuff) so well that you can converse and respond in a relaxed and confident manner. Practice until you can answer questions "spontaneously" about your company and services. Become light on your feet. Also, being conversant in current events and other topics, not just business or sports, is very important. Developing a business relationship takes more than just talking business. I remember once meeting with a COO of a $1 Billion/year public company. He had a collection of Indonesian masks on his wall. My first comment after shaking his hand was to ask him about them and we ended up talking 15+ minutes about his interest in Eastern philosophy and religion. He became an executive coaching client of mine . . . still is. Interestingly, he told me that in ten plus years no one at his company ever asked him about the masks, much less talk about philosophy and religion!!

Fifth, you should anticipate every possible objection and have succinct rejoinders well rehearsed and ready to respond. Objections are predictable and part of the territory. You should have ready, proven in the trenches, answers for all the usual suspects. There is no excuse for being unprepared for predictable objections. Always acknowledge (validate) the prospects concerns . . . just don't make a big deal out of them. Don't over defend or over sell.

Sixth, keep track of the time . . . don't make your prospect tell you it's time to wrap up the conversation. If you scheduled a 30 minute meeting and the conversation is flowing but you haven't covered everything . . . great! Don't panic and try to fit in everything you wanted to say in the remaining two minutes. Acknowledge that you're running out of time. Assume that they will want to continue the conversation because there is more to discuss. Ask for a follow up meeting and get it in the calendar before you leave the office. You'll get that meeting if you've been connecting with the prospect and having a conversation where you have provided information of value. They will want to follow up. They will want to learn more about how you might be able to help them. Remember, the slower the sale, the better the sale.

Lastly, debrief after every sales call. Write down any new questions, curve balls thrown, new objections and develop new SUCCINCT responses. Then, practice, practice, practice.

Obviously, there is much more involved with selling at this level then we can cover in this briefing. As always, if you have comments or suggestions on this subject and want to share them, send them my way. I may post them in a follow up briefing.

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