C-Level, Relationship Selling Blog

C-Level Selling - Large Account Plans Require Both Parties’ Participation

Most sales people make two key mistakes when building a large account plans or as I like to call them relationship plans.  First they build the plan by themselves or with the help of their teammates instead of with the inputs from the C-levels and influential people of the large account.  Second, they don’t hold themselves and the large account’s people accountable for the actionable ideas generated.

If you manage your large account plans the way your financial department manages your budgets, you’ll have great results.  Learn how to build and manage large account plans in this article.

Read-On C-Level Selling - Large Account Plans Require Both Parties’ Participation

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C-Level Selling Tips – Keep Competition Out of Your Key Accounts

The only way to keep competition out of your key accounts is to be perceived as the top benefit provider for that key account.  Your competition wants those accounts and they will eventually penetrate unless those accounts fear losing the benefits you and only you can provide.  This article will show how to make sure that happens

C-Level Selling Tips – Keep Competition Out of Your Key Accounts

C-Level Selling - The Great Customer Experience Happens When the C-Level Executives Are Satisfied

How much time do you spend with the senior staff of you customers?  I’ll bet not much – not good.  I’ll also bet that if by chance you do know them, you check-in to only say hello and see if there is anything they can give you – not good again.  And if you don’t know them, you only try to gain access to them when there’s something you want – really not good.

The Great Customer Experience requires making C-level executive constantly feel you are helping them succeed.  Learn what’s required in this C-level selling article

C-Level Selling - The Great Customer Experience Happens When the C-Level Executives Are Satisfied

Read It, Learn It, Implement It and I guarantee your selling will improve

C-Level Relationship Selling – Good Work Won’t Win the Next Sale

To win sale after sale from the same customer, you must do more than good work.  You must associate yourself with the winning solution and show that you’re special. 

When people buy from you they expect good results. So when they get what they paid for, it’s really nothing special.  Therefore, when it’s time to buy again, those same people will consider you because you delivered.  But they won’t necessarily buy from you, because again, it wasn’t anything special.

On the other hand, if there was a problem of any sort, you’re remembered as a problem, even if you corrected it.  Consequently when it’s time to buy again your chances are slim.

So why is it that good doesn’t guarantee the upside, whereas bad pretty much cements the downside?  It’s all about PR.   

This is why it’s critical to get-to the top people to associate yourself with the success.

This means .... C-Level Relationship Selling – Good Work Won’t Win the Next Sale

Read and learn how.

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C-Level Relationship Selling – How to Differentiate When Selling

Differentiating is a good talking point, but it doesn’t close sales.  Showing you’re competent does. 

In the greater scheme of things, your products or services are similar to competitors’.  But, in the finite scheme of things every competitor is different. 

However, differentiating is not what closes a sale.  Showing you’re the best alternative of the various choices does.  Best is decided by the ultimate decision-maker and those that influence him or her. Best does not mean the most different.  Best means .......

Read what counts at C-Level Relationship Selling – How to Differentiate When Selling

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C-Level Relationship Selling – 4 Style Checks to Exude Trust and Believability

Most people approach a prospect or a customer in their usual style/manner and expect that person to like them or at least effectively interact with them.  This works if their style gels with the other person’s style.  But if it doesn’t, it sets up a barrier to trust and believability.  The higher the rank of a person the more style impacts initial credibility and subsequent dialogues.

Learn a simple 4 step check to make all types of prospects immediately feel comfortable with you.  To be successful in sales, one must be able to adapt his or her style to effectively interact with everyone. 

Learn how at C-Level Relationship Selling – 4 Style Checks to Exude Trust and Believability

 

 

C-Level Relationship Selling - 9 Active Listening Steps to Effortlessly Sell Prospects

Sales calls are the most important step for selling and relationship development.  That’s why you have to have a strategy to get people talking while you listen with an ear to understand. Learn the 9 steps strategy to win-over C-Level executive and other prospects in this article

 C-Level Relationship Selling - 9 Active Listening Steps to Effortlessly Sell Prospects

 

Selling to C-Levels - 8 Interviewing Tips to Easily Close Sales

Interviewing questions open up C-levels and other prospects to reveal the triggers that will cause them to buy from that interviewer.  Interrogative questions turn-off people like a light switch. So to win-over prospects and C-levels, follow these 8 suggestions.

8 Interviewing Tips: Selling to C-Levels - 8 Interviewing Tips to Easily Close Sales

 

Selling to C-Levels - Engaging C-Level Executives in Productive Conversations

Winning over Senior and C-level executives is very helpful for successful selling.  However, these movers and shakers don’t care about what you have to offer until they feel you understand them and their situations. 

Keeping C-level and other executives engaged and excited to be with you is easy if you follow these simple rules. 

Read this stimulating article at Selling to C-Levels - Engaging C-Level Executives in Productive Conversations

Unbeatable Cold Calling Techniques for Telemarketing and Out Going Call Centers

Attain unbeatable cold calling success. Grab prospects’ attention within 7 seconds while establishing credibility with every word using this advanced telemarketing technique.

With cold calling, you have to develop interest within the first 7 seconds.  When the prospect first answers, this is not the time to tell who you are or where you're from.  You may think this important and strange not to introduce yourself, but the prospect on the other of the phone doesn't care who you are or where you're from.  You are interrupting and all s/he cares about is "What can you do for me?"    So this is the moment to push benefits (not features) to pique the prospect’s curiosity. 

Read how at Unbeatable Cold Calling Techniques for Telemarketing and Out Going Call Centers

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C-Level Relationship Selling – Establishing Credibility - The Magic of All Sales Relationships

Credibility comes from respect: the prospect respects your approach, your company, your appearance, and/or your mannerisms. Credibility comes from trust: the prospect trusts what you have to say; trusts your company; trusts you.  Credibility comes from delivering wanted results: the prospect believes you can deliver what s/he wants; the prospect sees from your presentation s/he will get desired results; or your past performances suggest you’ll deliver wanted results again.  Failure in any one of respect, trust and/or results and you’ll have little to no credibility.

Read more at C-Level Relationship Selling – Establishing Credibility - The Magic of All Sales Relationships

C-Level Relationship Sales Tips – Increase Sales by Stealing Competitors’ Accounts

Increase your sales by using these simple sales tips to steal your competitors’ accounts while developing C-level relationships.

Read article at: C-Level Relationship Sales Tips – Increase Sales by Stealing Competitors’ Accounts

C-Level Relationship Selling – Lower Levels Can Sell Easily to C-Levels

This article will help show selling to C-Level is not about title.  It’s about the ability to deliver results. Sales people are typically intimidated by C-level executive and feel they are not the appropriate person to be approaching them. 

 

Here’s a common situation.  You feel you’re too low on the totem pole to reach out to some senior managers.  Here's what to do.

Read: C-Level Relationship Selling – Lower Levels Can Sell Easily to C-Levels

Let me know your how you feel.

 

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C-Level Selling - Handling Purchasing, Committees, and Delegated Authorities

Committees, purchasing and low level delegates don’t decide. They only recommend. Even if you win them over, it doesn't mean you get the sale.  However, if you lose them, that doesn't have to mean you lose the sale.  In other words, don't get stuck with purchasing, committees and delegated subordinates.

Use these proven C-level selling actions to work your way through purchasing, committees and delegates to win more sales.  Read these powerful sales actions at:

C-Level Selling - Handling Purchasing, Committees, and Delegated Authorities

Good Selling, and let me know your feelings.

 Bonus Tip:  FREE E-book  Getting Past Gatekeepers and Handling Blockers .  If you can’t get to the powerful decision makers, you’re depending on others to do your selling at the high levels.  The problem is you won’t know what they say, if they say anything at all. 

C-Level Relationship Selling – 3 Steps to Handle the “Too Busy” Selling Objection

Learn how to handle “The executive is too busy to see you.”  sales objection, Contacts use this excuse, yet bosses free-up time to get information necessary to make their final decisions.

So click this link for some easy actions to overcome this common selling objection.
C-Level Relationship Selling – 3 Steps to Handle the “Too Busy” Selling Objection

Bonus Tip:  FREE E-book "Getting Past Gatekeepers and Handling Blockers " .  If you can’t get to the powerful decision makers, you’re depending on your contacts to do your selling at the high levels.  The problem is you won’t know what they say, if they say anything at all.  Click this link 

C-Level Relationship Selling – 6 Tips for Overcoming Executive Intimidation

Meeting with powerful people makes anyone nervous and reluctant to pursue them. Unfortunately, if left uncorrected, you’ll be stuck with subordinates who tend to gather all your information and then do nothing with it because they are also nervous about going to their bosses.  So here is how to correct this executive intimidation situation.

Read this article C-Level Relationship Selling – 6 Tips for Overcoming Executive Intimidation

Send this along to a friend  and Good Selling

 

C-Level Relationship Selling – 6 Actions for Handling Blockers and Gatekeepers

Common Situation - You’re blocked.   You’re frustrated.  You try to be polite.  Yet, you don’t ask for the reason s/he is not letting you meet others.  You stop trying and are stuck with this gatekeeper.

So here are 6 actions of what you can do to handle or prevent this common situation.

C-Level Relationship Selling – 6 Actions for Handling Blockers and Gatekeepers - click this link

Gatekeepers and blockers can be handled easily if you know how.  Learn the details through this must read article.

C-Level Relationship Selling – Use Your Golden Network for Leverage

There are people you know who can coach you along to win sales, and/or cross-sells, and/or point out high quality leads. 

 

Sales people are reluctant or uncomfortable to ask others to make introductions for them – no matter how tight their relationship.  In many selling situations they may even feel it’s unnecessary to move beyond their primary contact.  What happens is the sales person gets stuck – stuck with a gatekeeper, or stuck with only one of the many decision makers.  The results are limited information as to how to win the sale, loss of control to this contact, and no chance to make an impact on the other executives involved with the selection process.

 

So here are some tips to change this situation.

 

C-Level Relationship Selling – Use Your Golden Network for Leverage

 

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Networking Magic for C-Level Relationship Selling

Networking produces leads, contacts, and C-Level relationships better than anything.  So use your resources.  You know people that know people who can get you to where you want to be.  However you have to stop and think about this for a minute because you’re not used to using these contacts.  Once you start to think about who you know, you’ll be amazed at how many resources you have.

 

Common Situations - Cold Calling or Trying to Get to Hard-to-See Executives

 

Most people suffer the rejection and futility of cold calling admins because they hate to ask people they know for help.  What happens is they get nowhere slowly. Even worse, the constant rejection causes them to totally avoid prospecting for new opportunities and clients. As a result sales slump which makes salespeople feel worse.  They become desperate and make more cold calls and the downward rejection cycle continues.

 

Now here are some tips to get your networking process going.

 

Click here to read Networking Magic for C-Level Relationship Selling article

 

and/or

 

Watch Sam Manfer's Networking Your Way to Selling Success Video

C-Level Relationship Selling - Identifying the Ultimate Decision Maker

 

Determining the final decision maker and other high level influencers is one of the most challenging tasks for a sales person. Sales people usually assume their primary contact or the next level of command beyond will make the decision.  Sometimes there’s a a committee and it’s believed they make the decision.  But who assigned the committee and who gets the committee’s recommendation.

 

Many people influence B2B sales (especially those over $10,000). These people are up an out from the direct purchasing path.  However, their inputs are heard by the ultimate decision maker.  If the sales person hasn’t talked with these influencers and the leader, he will be at a severe disadvantage and lack any control.  So here are some tips.

 

 Prepare Yourself

 

1.   Top people are the profit center leader and those that report directly to him.  Look at an org chart, and ask people who’s really in control of what happens.

2.    Spread like a virus.  Keep asking you contact for introductions to others at the same level and above. 

3.   Ask yourself, “Will the person I feel is the final authority discuss this project with anyone above him before he gives his approval to buy?” 

4.   Who are the other people this leader meets with regularly - his sphere of influence.  Have you met these people, yet?

5.   Be careful of who signs.  Lawyers and purchasing managers sign, but get their directions from others.  Realize also that budgets are not authorizations for spending.

6.    Don’t ever believe someone is only a rubber stamp.  That stamp wants assurances before he stamps. 

7.   Don’t underestimate what affects the top– and not just financially. 

8.    Will your sale or this contract be discussed at a staff meeting? As a rule, anything over $10,000 will be. 

9.   Ask others who approved similar purchases of equal magnitude and impact. 

 

Take This To The Street

 

Select an existing account.  Who are your contacts?  Who’s up and out?  If you don’t know or haven’t met with these people mark them as big red flags. It’s your alert to dig deeper.  If you don’t know who’s calling the shots, you’re in jeopardy. 

 

To Read a Case Study and the expanded article click this link:

C-Level Relationship Selling - Identifying the Ultimate Decision Maker