A defining skill of top performing sales reps is the ability to gain access to and effectively communicate with the decision makers in the C-Suite. A new e-book Best Practices for C-Suite Selling, published by Boardroom Insiders, is a great primer for all aspiring top performers and sales leaders. At 12 pages or so, it can be read on a lunch break even by the busiest of reps.
The steps to success
One of the critical elements of success in sales that often gets overlooked is preparing for our audience: the buyer or strategic influencer. To successfully sell a product or service requires knowing why the prospect would care, what her risk worries might be, and what your product or service’s value proposition is in terms of her pressing business concerns.
Oftentimes salespeople spend hours painstakingly crafting the “perfect” PowerPoint presentation in an exercise that tends to describe the product and services we offer rather than focus on the needs and pain points of the prospect. Best Practices highlights and reminds us of steps that we can take to prepare appropriately for our audience in terms of what’s going on in the industry, within the company we are selling into, and lastly to the individual CXO we are pitching.
Focus on the customer
Having managed sales teams and sold for 20+ years, the importance of making sure our focus is on customer needs cannot be overstated. Enjoy the e-book and happy selling!