Dan: I've could use your help. I am having a tough time gaining access to the senior levels of my key accounts. Do you have any advice for me?
Sharon
Oak Ridge, NC
Sharon:
Thanks for your great question. I have written about this important topic for many years. It is one of the specific topics we cover in the Trust Triangle Selling - Level 2 Workshop which is called "Consulting with the CxO."
Let me start with a few key best practices for gaining access to and working with CxO's, and then I will share with you a very powerful approach called "The Three R's."
Selling to CxO's is NOT about selling. It is about sharing insight and stories, solving challenges, educating, preventing problems and identifying opportunities. In short, it is about gaining TRUST! Read this TTS Newsletter and be sure to watch the short video clip at the end of it. Ed Morton, an experienced CEO & CFO & Investment Firm Partner, shares his advice for gaining access to a CxO (my recommendation is to watch it twice!) http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs139/1101302425732/archive/1125223525936.html.
Let's assume for a minute that you are lucky enough to gain access to a senior executive. If you believe that your goal is to sell your solution, your meeting will be cut short and you will NEVER get another meeting. You have just learned a powerful lesson. You are currently an average sales representative. Read #1 above again over and over and you will be on your way to becoming a Superstar.
Never, never, never ask a CxO the question, "What keeps you up a night?" If you don't know the answer to that question, you should not be in the meeting. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!
All key projects in an organization are driven by the top three to five corporate initiatives of the CEO and Board. If you want "traction" for your project you must be able to tie the benefits of your project to one of the key corporate initiatives.
Respect their time! "Half The Time, Twice The Benefit". What is your goal when you meet with a CxO? TRUST! Try this as the opening to your next meeting, "Mary, thank you very much for setting aside time from you schedule to meet with me. I know that you are extremely busy leading your team on the ____ and ____ projects. You have set aside 30 minutes for me. I plan on only taking half that amount of time out of respect for your busy schedule. Now, I noticed in a recent interview you gave that you have a key initiative this year to..."
CxO's (shareholders and board members) care about the performance of their organization vs. others. When this data is placed into a form which drives insight and action it is called bench-marking. A form of bench-marking is called the "Trotter Matrix" or a "Coffin / Halo Matrix". Check out this TTS Newsletter for best practices on the use of the very powerful Coffin / Halo Matrix: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs016/1101302425732/archive/1103866506686.html
Senior executives don't want to hear about you or facts and figures associated with your solution. They have teams of others who can worry about the details. They care about how their challenges can be solved and how opportunities can be seized. The most effective approach to sharing information with them is via relevant stories. Remember the three most powerful persuasion tools at your disposal: Stories! Stories! Stories!. See this TTS Newsletter for best practices on story telling: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs139/1101302425732/archive/1117242564754.html
The Three R's
I have found the following "3-R" outline to be the most effective approach in gaining access to senior executives. Use it for in-person communication, voice mail or a power letter / e-mail.
To create an effective Power Message, utilize the Three R's:
Research
"I have spent a great deal of time doing my homework & researching your company" (I'm not like a robot, cold-calling and dialing for dollars).
"I believe that I know your issue / concern / challenge /key initiatives. It appears that you..."
Reference
"We have had great results in tackling the same challenge for YXZ" (share powerful success story).
'I believe we can do the same for your company (situational fluency).
Request "Opinion"
"I would like to get your opinion on these results and how we may be able to help your company achieve similar or even greater results. Would next Wednesday or Friday be better for your schedule?"
To convey a sense of urgency and improve your response rate, use a one-or two-day overnight mail service.
Sharon, if you use these best practices you will have more success in accessing higher levels within your targeted accounts.
Good Selling!
FOR INSPIRATION:
"Your challenge is not just to improve. It is to break the service paradigm in your industry or market so that customers aren't just satisfied; they're so shocked that they tell strangers on the street how good you are."
-Jack Welch
"The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall."
-Vince Lombardi
"This world is but a canvas to our imaginations."
-Henry David Thoreau
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
