Don’t Call on Them Until You Know How To Talk to Them
Not a day goes by in our sales training and coaching business that a client doesn’t approach us with this question, “How do I get to the CEO?” I heard that very question yesterday from a brand new client who sells technology services – traditionally calling on IT managers and CIOs.
Five years ago my advice would have been to craft the message that you wanted to communicate, network to that person, then make a cold call. But I think now all of that is premature.
Because unless you are speaking the language of the CEO – CIO – CMO – C00 – then you will waste your time – and theirs – in making that call.
So my advice to my clients is this:
S
pend one hour a day for the next 30 days reading what your target audience reads. Subscribe to blogs that they might subscribe to. Make a list, yes your list, of trends and topics that you believe the CEO pays attention to.
Then, after you’ve done this research, take a highlighter and mark those areas on that list that you can bring value around.
Every sales person on the planet should always be looking for ways to connect their solutions to problems the top levels of the organizations have.
Because in the not-too-distant future you will find yourself in front of a CEO. It may be the leader of one of your clients or it may be a leader you’re sitting next to on an airplane. But when you get that chance to have that conversation, what will you do with it?
