In some sales situations, you might work with middle managers or lower-level employees. In other situations, you get to meet directly with the senior executives. When you secure a meeting with the higher-ups, the stakes are higher. You have to immediately articulate your value and show how you can help them with their most pressing challenges.

Dealing with senior executives can feel intimidating, but it’s worth learning how to work with this high-level group.

Jack McKissen, a LinkedIn Top Voice, gleaned some helpful tips from the course, “B2B Sales Strategy: How to Effectively Engage Executives.” We share what he learned in this issue of PromoPro Daily.

  1. Focus on impact. When dealing with senior executives, McKissen recommends flipping the script and focusing on impact – not finances. Look for the executive most affected by your solution and prioritize that person. When you do, talk about value instead of cost.
  2. Do your homework. C-level executives expect you to know about their industry, their company and what’s going on in their world. Don’t show up to a meeting and ask questions that you should already know from basic research. Do some digging to learn about the senior executive’s professional achievements, personality and what might influence their thinking. Make sure you focus on their priorities, not your solution, McKissen says.
  3. Assemble your team. Determine your promo peers who can help you make the most of the meeting. You might include a sales manager, account manager and marketing manager. Then, McKissen says it’s important to remind them that intent matters. You want the C-level executive to discover something they didn’t already know.
  4. Work on your “win themes.” These are essentially the blending of your promo company’s strengths and the executive’s priorities. It’s the opposite of the kitchen-sink approach, where you throw everything you can think of at the buyer, hoping they can see the value, McKissen says. To create your win themes:
  • Dig deep to discover your prospect’s top two or three priorities. 
  • Find out why these priorities are important to your executive and the company.
  • Connect their priorities to an exclusive strength of your company. 
  • Show you can deliver solutions that address your client’s priorities through supporting evidence.

Landing a meeting with a C-level executive is a big deal. If you’re pitching someone who sits in the corner office, consider the tips above to make the most of the opportunity.  

Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Jack McKissen is a thought leader and LinkedIn Top Voice.