For C-level executives to take you seriously, you need to understand the issues they face. They play strategic roles within organisations and make company-wide decisions.
Given that 57% -70% of the buying decisions in B2B are made before buyers even talk to a company and their sales team, and the C-suite spends less than 2% of their time with vendors, it’s essential you know how to appeal to their interests and speak their language when you arrive in front of them.
Referrals - by far the most effective way to get a C-Suite appointment. To connect with the C-suite, you can identify someone who knows and values you, your solution, or your company to introduce you to the key executive - research indicates that 85% of executives said that advice from a peer directly influenced a business decision. These networks serve as confidential forums for sharing best practices, discussing challenges, and exploring collaborative opportunities.
Create a Compelling Reason to Meet - executives are notoriously busy, so a valid hook is essential to have C-suites give you the time of day - hooks might include a trigger event like a new hire, a strategic account review to go over the value provided by your business, or an executive briefing, to review key features of your new offering.
Provide Insights - Insights may include an industry trend, a research report, or a white paper from your research. Offer to share best practices, success stories, competitive insights, or industry information you have gathered from your own experience.
Senior managers do not have time for a sales rep talking about their new product or service, so keep it short and simple. Research indicates that C-suites dedicate 79% of their business interactions to weekends, with an average of 3.9 hours daily and 2.9 hours on 70% of vacation days. Don't waste their time, and remember that less is always more.
The more you research the market, the company, and the challenges your buyer faces, the more personalised your pitch and solution will be. Shockingly, executives say that only 24% of sales people they encounter understand their business, while 88% are knowledgeable about their products. In order to ensure you aren’t counted amongst the sales people who don’t understand the business, don’t treat your meeting like a high-level demo.
As a sales rep, you must bring value to the conversation by teaching the buyer something they do not know but need to know. Talk numbers and metrics, figures that allow them to see that you have imbibed their case and can deliver a competent solution.
Run it as a conversation, not a meeting. Be humble while still showing that you are competent and have something of value to offer. Don't be desperate to make a sale. Offer your product and if your buyer doesn't find it relevant, don't push and just move on. They probably need you as much as you need them.
It would be logical to assume that C-levels face similar difficulties, but the truth is that they have different considerations and inclinations. Recent research has allowed us to find out what are the priorities of CEOs, CTOs, and CFOs and, with them, what is the best way to approach these executives.
1. The CEO
Although they are the head of the company, CEOs often delegate many tasks and decisions. A key pain point in this economic climate is concern for growth: confidence in their prospects for growth this year is down, from 48% expressing strong confidence in their growth prospects last year to 42% this year, and nearly two-thirds of UK CEOs still expect the UK economy to either remain stagnant (27%) or decline (35%).
CEOs are also concerned with digitalisation, productivity, and capacity efficiency, and pain points to connect with them are to address uncertainty, explore ways to meet obligations to their shareholders, and tackle increasing competitiveness in their niche.
In order to engage with CEOs, studies indicate that a casual approach, matching language, and asking the right questions are key to capturing a CEO's interest.
2. The CTO
The CTO is the 'idea developer' operating backstage, and the good news is that they tend to be open to implementing changes to improve digitalisation, automatisation, and online presence.
Recent studies show that the best way to reach out to a CTO is to show humbleness and respect. How? Proving expertise in their industry and tasks and demonstrating you appreciate their role. Yes, CTOs complain about being undervalued in their companies. That can be an excellent pain point to connect with them.
Pain points include cybersecurity, cloud computing, developing data-driven decision making, and reinstating legacy systems for remote teams. One pundit highlighted that “The tricky part of digital transformation isn’t technology but the speed and transition to sustain it, especially in uncertain times,” and CTOs are under pressure to adapt their technological systems to facilitate growth.
3. The CFO
In many companies, CFOs have the final say when a company-wide decision is made.
They don't have time to waste, they care about financial health, and they want to get down to the details. So, explain at the beginning of the conversation what the purpose of the call is and, if possible, refer to employees or other relevant points of contact. That will make them perceive that you have value to offer.
CFOs face two fundamental problems: they spend too much time working on annual reports and have too many things to attend to. Those are two excellent pain points for which to offer solutions. With more than three-quarters (76%) of CFOs saying they’re aiming and ready for net profit growth over the next 12 months, it’s a good opportunity to be in contact with CFOs, despite economic uncertainty.
4. The CMO
Ironically, whilst marketing budgets are going up in 2024, CFOs (60%) are more optimistic than CMOs (49%) or Senior Managers to Presidents (48%) in the marketing team’s ability to drive revenue! Nearly 1 in 2 B2B CMOs and CFOs say the CMO role has evolved to have a more direct role in driving revenue and growth, and that CMOs are expected to demonstrate marketing impact to the bottom line.
As a result, 84% of CMOs say they have strengthened their skills to demonstrate B2B marketing impact to help the CFO/CEO understand the value of brand marketing, and a whopping 80% of CMOs say learning the language of finance has helped them secure more marketing budget.
CMOs will question whether this solution allows us to do our job better, how this solution attracts customers, and what’s the return on investment.
With the shift away from outdated lead generation tactics, today’s B2B marketing teams are focused on creating demand and increasing the number and quality of direct intent demo requests. CMOs create a business case for any new spend that’ll tie back to the acceleration of increase of revenue. In order to convince CMOs, speak to lead nurturing capabilities, refer to key figures to highlight the ROI, and make sure to differentiate your offering from your competitors.
Demonstrating competence when selling to a C-level executive makes all the difference in B2B sales. You must enter the sales conversation with a solution story to present. And you must rely on that solution to make them see that you are on the same level of competence and that you can help them achieve their strategic objectives.
In the fast-paced world of B2B sales, staying ahead of the curve is essential. That's why I recommend leveraging AI solutions like Super Benji to automate your outreach and personalise your communications with C-suite executives. With its advanced data enrichment capabilities and tailored messaging approach, Super Benji can help you stand out in a crowded marketplace and drive meaningful engagement with key decision-makers. Say goodbye to generic sales pitches and hello to personalised, impactful interactions with Super Benji by your side.
Super Benji takes the hassle out of staying up-to-date with prospects, crafting the perfect subject line and value proposition, and timing your outreach just right. By following your contacts closely and identifying personal triggers, Super Benji creates personalised, impactful messages that match your tone of voice seamlessly. Embrace the future of B2B sales with Super Benji and watch your relationships with C-suite executives flourish.
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