10 Tips for Selling to Executives
Selling to executives is not the same as selling to mid-level managers or supervisors. Dealing with these people can be a real challenge to a salesperson because they are simply not easy to sell to, plus factor in their hectic schedules. When one tries to sell either a product or a service to an executive, a sales professional requires some other kind of strategies to help them close the deal.
Selling to executives can indeed land you the most significant transactions. However, getting them interested in actually closing a deal with you is certainly not that easy. As a salesperson, you will need to have a genuinely compelling presentation, a well-researched presentation, and something that would have what an executive would be looking for, and so much more.
10 Tips to Help Secure a Deal with an Executive
If you are a salesperson who would like to win over an executive, you must have a strategy to help you achieve this goal as they are not really easy clients. Check out these tips, as they might just help you close that deal with an executive.
1) Do extensive research!
Go the extra mile to prepare before you make contact with an executive. Make sure that you know your prospect’s profile as well as their performance. Learn about their industry and also know and understand their competitors as well as how they are performing. Based on this research, evaluate how your company can help your prospective client while still achieving your objectives and also your client’s. Executives definitely appreciate those who are very well-prepared, so do not hesitate to have your information get validated by them. This way, it also ensures the correctness of your data. If there is some incorrect information, it is okay as this is part of the process too.
2) Always be friendly
Always be friendly with the other staff in the company as they can help you get closer to securing a deal with their boss. Make sure that other support staff such as the assistant who answers the phone or the directors, managers, and other customer-facing associates are on your side as they can put in a good word for you. Ensure that you establish connections with these people.
3) Call at different times
Try to call your prospect at different times and on different days to find out what time is most convenient for them to hear your pitch. Do this about 3 to 5x before even leaving a message on voicemail. It is okay to be persistent but be sure that you are also not being annoying. Making a call outside business hours or during off-peak times could also work. Also, you may try diversifying your communication avenues to see which one is the most effective.
4) Plan Ahead
Be 3 steps ahead all the time when selling to executives, so this means that you must get them hooked and engaged right from the beginning. When presenting to an executive, it is not just about telling them about your previous works or reputation. Instead, it is about letting them know from a talent perspective you could help them compete with their competitors, so with this, you should learn and understand about the company of your prospective client, and you should know about their competitors as well.
5) Remember that you have competition
Keep in mind that you are not the only one requesting an audience with an executive. Make sure that you respect their time by presenting information that is only highly valuable and essential for them clearly and concisely. Executives would undoubtedly appreciate this, and you could make them listen to you more if you do these. Have some case studies and examples ready at all times to show that you are aware of the context of their business. Have an annual report of their executive summary and other necessary information about the company and their competitors. In short, do your homework diligently.
6) Understand what’s at stake for the executive
When selling to executives, know that the main factor for their decisions would be how that decision would affect the overall business. In this regard, the product or service you are offering should be above standards and should always be the best option compared to other alternatives. Also, you have to make them feel that their staff can work effectively and efficiently with your team. If you can address these concerns, you may have a greater chance of landing a deal. Be prepared to ease the concerns of other stakeholders and let them know how you could manage to resolve the differences if there are any when they get your services or products.
7) Ask discovery questions
Be in control by asking discovery questions. By doing this, you can produce solutions based on the responses that you get from your prospective client. And always be on guard for other scenarios that are not expected and be ready to answer them as well.
8) Show your resources
Show that you can utilize your company’s resources and that you can do this for them also. Executives would want someone who can navigate their company’s resources and also their interactions. When you become successful at doing this, it will not just be an outcome of a collaborative effort. But instead, this could be an organizational success.
9) Showcase your successes to build trust
Work on being considered as a trusted source. You can do this by using information from your previous successes and showing them that you can commit. Admitting that you do not know something is also one that executives appreciate. Selling to executives is not just about showing them what they need and how you could help them with these needs, but it is always about going further. Look for gaps that they are still unaware of and then create a strategy on how to resolve these. Build a sense of urgency for them to respond to this issue and avoid losing to their competitors. Always show reliability, empathy, and helpfulness.
10) Don’t waste their time
When dealing with executives, make sure that you make the most of the time they give you. Avoid wasting their time and seize the opportunity when you are already making your presentation. Provide ideas that are unique and out of- the box and alerting them of threats and opportunities will definitely be appreciated and will give you a bigger chance to close a deal with an executive.
Being a sales professional, your job is to create compelling pitches and presentations as this is your livelihood, and though you may already be doing a great job at it, selling to executives is still a different matter altogether.
If you are not yet experienced in dealing with executives and, more so, selling to them, it would be helpful to learn how to sell to them effectively. By reading these 10 tips, you get to know how to sell to these executives and eventually be able to create your own strategies in dealing with them.
Remember that executives are very busy people and everyone would want a piece of their time, so when you get your time with them, make sure that it will be worth their while as well as your own. Always try to make your time with them count and hopefully land on a great deal.
Do not forget to do intensive research, and being over-prepared would not hurt as well. It is always best to know more than little, especially when it comes to the industry of your prospective client. Go a bit more by checking their competitors too, and you would also surely go a long way.
