Thoughts on Selling to the CIO

THE COLD HARD TRUTH ABOUT COLD CALLS

If you clicked on this, you've either seen my bait or are genuinely interested in deciphering the enigma that is the CIO. Let me set the stage. My daughter, a tech sales queen (yes, she made it to 'the club' last year – proud dad alert!), hit me with a million-dollar question over dinner, “Dad, how do you sell to a CIO?”. Given that I've been on the receiving end for 25 years, I figured I could dish out a tip or two. We wondered if my advice was solid gold or just, well, dad advice. Hence, here I am, spilling the beans and awaiting your judgment. Roast or toast me, but let's have some fun with it.?I also welcome sincere feedback and questions. ?

Let’s begin with the dreaded, stomach-churning, cold-as-Antarctica cold calls. I have to start here. A little boring, but know the rest of this series gets into the meat of selling with the examples you are looking for.?

Listen, folks, when I get a cold call, I instantly think: This never works. I’m not going to elaborate on how bad cold calls are.

A couple of thoughts on Cold calls first.

·?????When you have that first visit. For that matter the first two or three visits, everything is being judged. Your knowledge, your vocabulary, your experience, your grammar, your cleverness and everything in between. It may be harsh but I don’t think I am alone in this. We judge like most people judge a restaurant. It’s a short leash and everything is on the table. This means get it right, go slow and most lose on the small details. They don’t know about me, the company, and sometimes about their own products! Be prepared in the finest of details. It will get you through the stages.?

·?????When I discovered that there is a service for every cell phone of any company exec out there, I was jaw dropped. I was almost angry to find out that one of the ways you guys can get access to it is by uploading your own Rolodex first! I was sold out? Ouch! Brilliant idea though. Got to hand it to them for that one. Well played. I hate it but well played.

??????LinkedIn Connection? “We share common interests!” Uh-huh. It’s like pretending to love broccoli at a buffet just to impress. Stop.

??????Worst cold calls = Bland, boring, and reading from a script and make me want to claw my eyes balls out.. Scripted cold calls? Please, if I wanted a robot, I’d chat with Siri. If you are reading this, I know you are not this kind already.?

The best cold call ever was, “Hi, you ate with me at lunch ten years ago and you told me, X, I never forgot it.” I didn’t remember the lunch or him, but I knew that was my quote. I liked it and he made it to the next step. I’m pretty sure he will do just fine and it’s a testament to why he is so successful. Also, a topic for later: he played the long game. In this case the really long game. Very clever. If you do the same, it will serve you well. Never forget you are not likely to die where you are.

Accidental luckiest break ever call? I was on my way to a small city in a week. I got a call and the caller ID was from that city. I thought, “Must be one of the fellas trying to make sure everything is ok for my visit”. I picked up and it was a cold call. Talk about feeling bamboozled! In this case, it was about a product I had been reading about in the last two quarters. It was a product I had even spoken about two years earlier at a conference as a true leader in the space. It gets better. They explained they were not just from the bay area (the usual) They were from my university. That’s impressive they knew who they were calling and didn’t just name-drop it in a silly way. This person mentioned friends we might have in common and opened a genuine conversation. They were tactful, brief, and smart. (SMART BREVITY) Then about the product. I knew the product was world-class already. I could have been short as I usually am, but it paid dividends for both of us several months later.?

Best first 30-minute call / visit ever? This award goes to someone I’m willing to name because it was more than a decade ago. Jerry Brooner . This guy was smooth and good. To sell something that can cost millions and millions of dollars against some of the best in the world took a guy like this. He was smart, and brief, and he knew a rule that I didn’t know was so valuable. Don’t wear out your welcome. Most would have preferred to keep going and keep selling. He was 30 minutes. He took advantage of every minute. Although this was more than ten years ago I still remember everything. We opened and within ten minutes we were down to business. He brought a book that was timely, appropriate, and not about his product but the underlying message that supported his product. Brilliant!?

?The part that I won’t forget was the way his tone changed, his speech cadence, and even his demeanor when he said, “You are betting your job on this. I am too,” then in a somehow totally humble way, “This is hands down the best solution in the world, it won’t let you down and I won’t either.” I have never had a moment like that again in a sales call. Somehow, he was able to do all of that and not come across in any way as to set off what I call tripwires.?

Tripwires for sales guys are all over. The longer you are around and the more you talk, the more likely you are to set one off. Remember all that early judgment stuff? We CIOs can be finicky. That is why at the end of 30 minutes Jerry and I?could have talked like old friends for hours but like a good one, he sailed away in exactly 30 minutes. He didn’t set off any tripwires. I see sales guys set them off all the time, Insincerity, telling what seem to be stories that are a little too incredible, a little too friendly, too over the top, and most often too complimentary. CIOs can smell that stuff a mile away. Be well-rounded, know all subjects, be sincere, be real, and play the long game. Only vacuum cleaners can be sold in 30 min so don’t try it.?

?????What about if you know them? Take your time get it right and don’t set off the tripwires. Don’t take it personally if it’s not a fit. I might not need or can afford what you have right now. Play the long game. You will be trusted more and my friends that gets you everywhere. Tripwires destroy trust. I will have a whole post on nothing but trust later. I’ll include examples of ways of guys have blown it with me. They might surprise you.?

?Please Do This! Two rules:

·?????Play the long game. It builds real trust.

·?????Be different, be smart!

?I loved this one! Recently, I was invited by a vendor to a CIO’s only meeting where CIOs get to talk to CIOs. Now that interests me. It plays my long game. I get to see what others have issues with. When I see what software is working and isn’t working. What companies are just falling down? These are my language. These are music to my ears.?I’m willing to go and listen and participate and feel like I got something out of it for me. You don’t have to pay my way. I’m glad to learn this on my own dime. You don’t have to give me a single backpack! just put things together that we want to hear that help us on our jobs. It’s ok to be the by-product of wonderful meetings that cost you virtually nothing!?

Focus on them and not you. I tell my own team members in IT, “When you meet with people even in our own company, they don’t care about you. Quit talking about us and what we need. Focus on them and the rest will take care of itself.” If that’s true for a bunch of IT / Developer folks, it’s 100X for sales guys. This is just one idea. I know there are others but that’s been my favorite meeting for quite some time and kudos to those that put it on. Clever, memorable and the long game. There are other good ideas out there. Find them.

?Honorable Mention of best idea: One clever guy did all his research. I keep my social media mostly private. I keep quiet and mind my business about what I post and how I post it. One very clever gentleman three years ago pulled a good one. I got call after call and email after email, with literally zero interaction. I didn’t have time. He then found everything he could about me. I mean everything. I know he had to even call people that actually know me to get the scoop. Then for 65 dollars got one of my all-time heroes to send me a video with an invite to call my hero later. The video was then filled with nostalgia and things I knew this guy had to find out all about me and then get the greatest wrestler of all time to tell me.?I felt like I had to call the sales guy back to say well played. Well played indeed. I wished it would have worked out for him but it didn’t. All the same, smart and clever, and I won’t forget that guy when he’s on his next gig. Remember , he won't die there.?

?FINAL GOLDEN THOUGHT: A good conversation is like an elegant dance. I go, you go, you go, I go. Perhaps I move left, you move right. It’s fun. Do you know what is not fun? a guy that break dances in front of you solo for 10, 15, 20 minutes straight. It is a turn-off at the beginning of the process as much as it is through the entire process. Don’t leave your dance partner standing there while you are dancing your arse off. It’s not going to win you anything. If they aren’t talking at least some and you are doing ALL the talk, you are not getting anywhere. Have an elegant dance. Want to know a secret? This works with your friends and those significant others you have too. Stop break dancing and go home and have an elegant dance!

What did I hit and what did I miss? Was it too long or about right? What can I respond to here? Fire away! If you like give me thumbs up so I know. If it is a dud, lmk..I'll be ok,.

Tune in next time when I talk about after the intro and getting into “The Pitch”. Selling the sizzle and the Steak.