04 Mar SELLING INTO THE “C” SUITE

My background has primarily been selling enterprise-wide financial, human resource, medical, anti-money laundering, and manufacturing solutions.  In most cases, the prospective buyer has strategically decided to change their infrastructure. The highest-level executives typically make these decisions in an organization.  So, when deciding who to sell to in the organization, it is a mistake to ignore the importance of reaching the “C” Suite executive. They are the ones who approve all decisions and expenditures.

The approver is sometimes called the “economic buyer” or the “key decision maker.”² Lower-performing sales pros often make the mistake of focusing solely on their user buyer contacts and ignoring the others.

Most sales pros are very comfortable selling to contacts at lower organizational levels. They are more accessible, have more time to spend with you, and are often friendlier. The C-suite executives, on the other hand, typically do not choose to engage with sellers and are frequently protected from contact with them.  Sometimes, this is through an executive assistant (EA), or they may have instructed their subordinates to keep sellers away.  When you reach a C-suite executive, there will often be limitations on the time they will give you to explain the value of your solution to them.

So, how does a sales pro reach a C-suite executive? It is a million-dollar question.  I will offer some tips that have worked for me.

• Understand that you have the right to meet the economic buyer.  Both you and the prospect are making investments in the sales process.  If they do not give you access to this person, you must evaluate whether the sales effort wastes time.  But you must give the executive a reason to meet or speak with you.
• You must identify the actual decision-maker/approver. Sometimes, your contacts intentionally or unintentionally mislead you, or the decision-maker may change during sales.
• The preferred path is to have your user contact or champion introduce you to the C-suite executive.  But they will often not be willing to do so. They may feel threatened if you go above them in the organization.  So, you must inform them of your intention, which is to educate the decision maker of the value of your solution and gain their approval.  I would not go around them unless the opportunity is close to a lost cause.
• It is best to establish a relationship with the executive as early in the sales process as possible, not wait until the end, as some sales pros do.  The opportunity should not be moved to the final stages in your pipeline report if you have not met with the C-suite executive.
• Your message to the C-suite executive should be about her, not you.  What value can you or your solution bring to their company? How can you help her achieve her goals?  A brief, compelling, strategic message (“elevator pitch”) must be ready. Ask questions about their immediate and long-term goals. Do not go into a rehearsed sales pitch or introduce a proposal during your meeting.
• The executive is key to opening conversations with others you need to meet, including technical buyers, procurement people, and the attorneys negotiating the contract with your company.
• The EA is often the “gatekeeper” or “supreme blocker.”  As I explained in “Above Quota Sales Management”³, making the EA your ally, not an adversary, is essential. You must gain their trust. If you ignore or try to go around the EA, you will make a lifelong enemy and may never reach the executive. It makes reaching the business executive much easier, and when you work with them, you will not have to apologize for any deceitful conduct if you try to go around them.

My first rule in working with the EA is always to have a valid business reason for her to allow you access to the C-level executive. For example, explain that you wish to discuss how your unique value proposition will increase operational efficiencies, help them enter new markets, or provide the executive with current industry information. You are not calling to chat.

Secondly, you should have previously scheduled the call with the executive or the EA and followed up with an email invitation confirming the call to get on their calendar. Then, when you call, you remind them, “I have previously scheduled this call at 10:00 AM today. Your call will be accepted once the EA confirms it has been scheduled.

Here are a few other tips on reaching the C-suite executive:

• Call the executive before 8:30 AM or after 5:00 PM, and never on Monday morning or late Friday afternoon.  They are likely to answer their telephone.  That will not usually respond to an email that appears to be spam.
• Approach the executive with respect. You do not need to pander to them or be condescending. You must know their background and responsibilities in the company.
• Should you leave a voice message? I have studied this and concluded that a concise, provocative voice message is best.
• A “warm” introduction or referral from someone they know is desirable. You should network through LinkedIn.com to connect to the executive.
• Bring your company’s C-suite to meet with key prospects. I found this to be extraordinarily effective. Fortunately, my company’s executives were always willing to meet with prospects, especially those in the C-suite. (I used to bring Frank Dodge, the co-founder of McCormack & Dodge, or David Fehr, an Executive Vice President of Dun & Bradstreet, in to meet their “C-suite executives. Later, I brought in Hugh Jones, the CEO at Accuity.)
• Never waste the executive’s time—it is too valuable. And don’t bore them with lower-level details, extraneous conversation, or a standard company PowerPoint presentation. You will not receive a “do-over” if your meeting fails.
• The executive will always be interested in learning about their competitors or the latest developments in their industry.
• You usually have only one opportunity to meet with a prospect’s top executive.  There are no “do-overs.”
• Listening is always more valuable than speaking.  Get the executive to share their ideas and thoughts with you.
• You will likely lose the sale if your contact or champion refuses to introduce you to the C-suite executive.
• Your best outcome from the call or meeting is an invitation from her to schedule another conversation.

In summary, there is no single magic way to reach a C-suite executive. You will need to try different approaches each time.  But if you sell to enterprises, you must call and meet with the key decision-maker, usually someone in the C-suite.  Not meeting with this person and gaining their trust is akin to playing “Russian roulette” with the outcome of your sales opportunity.  But you will lose more often than with a six-shot revolver.

Steve

¹ C-suite includes the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Risk Officer (CRO), Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), and General Counsel.

² Steven Weinberg. Above Quota Performance. (Estes Park, CO., Armin Lear Press, 2022) pp. 63-73.

³ Steven Weinberg. Above Quota Sales Management. (Estes Park, CO., Armin Lear Press, 2024) pp. 52-55.