Hey, it’s Ren. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving if you are celebrating, I hope you have a wonderful time!
I had a hiccup in sending the newsletter, I just discovered it got stuck ‘In processing mode for two days.”
And that was before Sam Altman of OpenAi was fired. It's crazy how that went. How meta is this newsletter discussing key executives?
Thank you for being here. I wish you a great week ahead.
Have you ever experienced the loss of a business opportunity due to a lack of established relationships with key executives?
I have been there, and I knew I needed to make a change.
This change was pivotal for my sales and professional career, thanks to key executives who mentored and sponsored me.
Accessing key executives or CxOs in your sales deals can mean the difference between closing a deal and losing a potential opportunity.
This week, let's explore why connecting with key executives is crucial, what they care about, and how to secure more meetings with them.
Why Access Key Executives?
I bet you all know why.
CxOs hold decision-making power and influence over the strategic direction of their organizations. Their insights can give you a deeper understanding of the company's needs, challenges, and goals.
By engaging with CxOs, you can position yourself as a strategic partner, accelerating the sales process and increasing the likelihood of closing a deal.
What Do Top Executives Care About?
Understand what your target CxOs are driving.
Are they driving company growth?
Launching a new product?
Increase their stock price?
They value partners who deeply understand their business objectives, ways of working, culture, and politics.
They look for salespeople who can drive a tangible positive impact and monetize the results of working with you. This is crucial in getting their attention.
Some examples below and add a specific percentage or number:
Increase ARPU
Decrease Cost
Win larger clients
Grow subscribers
Decrease Customer Churn
Improve Employee Morale
Improve Productivity Ratio
Launch early innovations
Win a strategic brand together
Move faster than the competition
Improve Customer Experience (Net Promoter Score)
*ARPU= average revenue per unit
What are the key factors that top executives consider when engaging with salespeople?
1. The sales team have done extensive research on their business.
In our first fireside chat of the Elite Sales Athlete Cohort, we gained insight from a Chief Learning Officer, Dr Mary McNevin.
Mary is the former VP for Global Company McCain Foods and has also held several key executive positions across the healthcare and transportation industries.
Mary emphasized-- that to make a lasting impression on CxOs like her; the account manager needs to have a strong knowledge of their company, industry and future trends and act as an adviser who deeply cares for their company.
How to do this?
Create and write a Customer Account Profile to understand your account better and develop a sales strategy. Grab the Strategic Account Playbook here. You can duplicate a copy.
First, it will help you familiarise yourself with your account; second, it capitalizes on your thinking and acts as a forcing function to build a sales strategy.
2. They have a strong work ethic.
They are fast, nimble, and always take action.
3. They are constantly building their network.
They are actively participating in industry events and conferences. They introduce prospective clients to their clients or align key executives with each other.
How to Get More Meetings with Key Executives?
Getting a meeting with Key Executives/ CxOs requires a well-crafted, value-driven approach.
1. Leverage existing connections:
Utilise your network to get an introduction to the CxO. A warm introduction can significantly increase your chances of securing a meeting. I have very strong opinions on cold calling myself.
In the third cohort of Elite Sales Athletes, our CXO fireside chat guest Bart Giordano, the CEO of Ruckus Wireless, shares his insights on how to approach executives like him.
2. Tailor your messaging:
Craft your communication to highlight your research and industry trends to align with their business objectives and challenges.
3. Offer value upfront:
Provide valuable insights or resources that can assist them in addressing their business challenges even before the meeting.
4. Be resilient:
You have to find a way to get their attention.
If it means getting your CEO to connect with your prospect CxO on LinkedIn or if you are a founder, leverage your board or shareholder to make an intro.
5. Be persistent yet respectful:
Follow-ups are critical, but ensure you respect their time and availability.
What to Do When You Get There?
Once you've secured a meeting, preparation is critical. Understand their business, industry trends, and potential challenges they might be facing. During the meeting:
1. Speak less and listen more. Avoid pitching on the first meeting:
Take the time to truly understand your client's business goals, needs, and concerns. Give them the chance to express themselves fully and actively listen to what they say.
It's easy to fall into the trap of talking excitedly about your company and its products or services. I must confess that I, too, have made this mistake.
Instead, share what you have learned during your account profiling and research, and ask them about the current development of the projects aligned with your area of expertise and how you can help them achieve their goals.
Building a solid relationship with your clients starts with active listening and genuine interest in their success.
2. Adapt to the CxO communication style:
Adapt the communication style of the CxO you are meeting. Some CxOs prefer direct, fast, and concise communication, while others may value a slower pace, detailed explanation, and use of visual diagrams. Adapting your communication style can improve your chances of building strong relationships and achieving successful outcomes.
Learn the EDISC framework. It is a great tool to have.
3. Help your CxO build buyer confidence.
Build the potential positive and magnifying impact you can have on their business.
To increase buyer confidence, don't position yourself as the source of information. Instead, be an expert who helps customers make sense of everything they're learning.
4. Build and earn trust early:
The development of trust begins before the first meeting. Your LinkedIn profile, company website, relationship network, social proof, and brand will matter.
During the meeting, your goal is to help your prospect to be confident in your capability because they need to feel confident in their decision to work with you.
5. Establish credibility:
Share case studies, testimonials, or industry insights that position you as a reliable partner.
Accessing key executives can be a game-changer in the B2B sales process. It requires a strategic approach and a commitment to delivering value.
With the proper discipline, planning and execution, you can earn the opportunity to present your solutions to CxOs and help you win and close high-value deals.
What was your biggest takeaway on getting access to CxOs?
What are you inspired to put into action this week? I would love to hear from you.
Update on Sales Maturity Assessment
After receiving positive feedback from previous students, clients, mentors, and coaches, I have now finalized the Rubric assessments.
I am currently focusing on developing my Visual Mental Model.
To help with this, I am collaborating with a Graphic Designer who has expertise in instructional design. Together, we aim to enhance my Visual Framework and create visually appealing assets that can help my students and clients achieve results quickly and effectively.
Looking at the early December release now, that would be my Christmas gift for you.
Here is a sneak peek, it’s an example of how it works:
Thank you for confirming that you want to receive the Sales Maturity Assessment once it is launched. If you haven't confirmed yet, please click the button below.
Introducing Tella
Do you incorporate asynchronous videos in your sales execution?
I'll tell you why it's a great idea.
Using Tella will increase familiarity with your client.
Did you know that it takes a minimum of seven contacts to warm up a client and create openness? These can be a combination of text, email, face-to-face or video conference.
What if you can build familiarity faster and more efficiently?
Your buyers prefer to avoid interacting with sales reps.
The first generation of digital natives, millennials, have become decision-makers. They are more skeptical of sales representatives than their predecessors.
44% of millennials prefer not interacting with sales reps when making B2B purchases.
According to Gartner research, buyers see little unique value (apart from their knowledge) from sales representatives.
But our prospective buyers have a tremendous amount of information.
You can help by reducing the complexity of the information environment by filtering and processing information for customers by using videos.
Enhanced Prospecting and Follow-up.
Asynchronous video is a powerful tool for prospecting and follow-up activities.
As sales professionals, you can use video to share product demonstrations, reinforce an idea using graphics or explain a business case visually and engagingly.
In the follow-up stage, asynchronous video allows for a more compelling recap of discussions, addressing any specific points raised during meetings.
This reinforces key messages and is a valuable reference for clients as they move through the decision-making process.
Next week, I will share specific examples of how to do this on Tella. It's going to be fun!
In the meantime, you can try Tella by clicking the button below!
You have thirty (30) days trial instead of the default seven (7) days trial plus a whopping 30% discount.