How do you sell to the C-Suite?

So, how do you sell to the C-Suite? Well, the easy answer is you don't. Sure "selling" comes into play eventually. However, if you want to engage with C-Suites, you have to rethink your sales approach and think about your partnership approach.

Sparked by many recent LinkedIn posts on the topic of selling to the C-Suite (particularly CIOs) I decided to read “No, I Don’t have 15 Minutes to Chat”. A book by David Silverstein and Randy Gaboriault.

Overall, it's a really good read and very quick to go through. I think ultimately, the value this book brings depends on the maturity of the seller. I would expect senior reps with experiencing selling to the enterprise to see this as a refresher whereas it could be very beneficial to newer reps.

While this book specifically refers to CIOs, I am highly confident that this goes for any member of the C-Suite. So, without further ado, below are my top ten takeaways from the book:

1. If you think you are actually going into the C-Suite direct, think again. Nobody gets to the CIO “cold” without going through their EA. Treat admins like gold and with the same respect, you’d treat the CIO.?
2. CIOs are busy. Too busy for your sales outreach. You have a less than 1% chance to connect through a traditional sales approach. If you want to connect with a CIO, you better bring your A-game?
3. The typical prospecting methods of call, email, LinkedIn connect do not work. In fact, it frustrates most CIOs. Their internal systems work. If you left a message, they got it (or the EA did), you just didn’t add enough value to matter. Following your voicemail up with an email doesn’t matter to them. Calling or emailing can work but it has to be tailored and it has to add value. They get 40-50 sales emails a day. Why would yours be the one they respond to?
4. Don’t use LinkedIn like speed dating. It’s a networking site, and CIOs treat it as such. Meaning, if you want to be “in” you need to be able to add value and have common, and real, connections. A connection request without a tailored and value-added note is an easy way to get ignored.??
5. Know your audience. Know what they do. And I don’t mean “lead an IT org”. CIOs have an agenda and that agenda is typically aligned with the company’s CEO's vision. Educate yourself and find a way to add value to that agenda. If your solution or services doesn’t align, don’t burn a bridge trying to force it.?
6. Get involved in the tech community. Sponsor events, hold dinners, be active. BUT, don’t go in trying to sell. Focus on helping CIOs connect with other CIOs and industry experts. It’s not about getting them together to discuss your solutions. It’s about getting them together to discuss what they see as valuable conversation. You were just the facilitator and they’ll remember that.?
7. When you do land a meeting, don’t blow it by focusing on making a deal. Again, it’s about building a relationship. Establish the foundations of building a relationship and business conversations will follow. DO NOT ask “what keeps you up at night?”
8. When it comes time to ‘pitch’, don’t live and die by the PowerPoint. CIOs don’t want to be presented to and they don’t care about all the logos you’ve won in the past. Make it an engaging conversation about the problems they are trying to solve. When preparing, put on your CIO hat, not your sales hat.?
9. If you get a deal on the table, don’t rush it. It’s taken you so long to get to this point, don’t self-sabotage. Follow your sales framework, and continue to be the partner the CIO needs you to be. Even though a CIO is engaged, still focus on building a real business case. Many times they still have to sell this internally.?
10. CONGRATS, you won the deal! But don’t stop now. Post-sale is just another pre-sale. If you can’t be a true partner and ensure a successful implementation you are at risk of damaging the relationships you’ve built. Shelfware is useless and a good way to lose trust.?

Ultimately, there are no silver bullets to landing a meeting with a CIO. The theme to take away is, focus on building relationships. Your career is in sales and it will be going on (hopefully) long after you land or lose one deal. Focus on the long game.?If your organization doesn't understand that these things take time, then you may be at the wrong organization.