Selling to the C-Suite

In our chapter on this topic, Steve and I reveal that telephone calls have an 80% failure rate as a method for gaining access to executives, while networking to achieve an internal referral has an 84% success rate for getting in to the executive suite. 

So how do you network to the people who can connect you to the C-Suite in your deals? Do you use Facebook, Twitter and Myspace pages, or do you attend the same clubs and conferences? 

The best examples and stories of gaining executive access may be chosen for the next edition and field companion to Selling to the C-Suite...

One of our most motivating findings from more than 500 C-level executives is that they give loyalty to salespeople who are able to operate in their Value Zone. Being credible is about what you know and how you use that knowledge to create value. Executives understand this. They look for it. And if you know how to bring it, their door is always open. 

How have you established trust? How do you establish credibility? And how has this differentiated you? Share your feedback here, and the best examples may be selected for our fieldbook, naming you as one of the world's All Time Great Sellers. 

Do you have what it takes?...

We've all faced them. Gatekeepers, project managers, personal assistants from hell - the people who stand between you and your target executive. Sometimes their role serves as a legitimate protection of the executive calendar from unwanted intrusion. Other times their role is based on ego and mistrust, and they do more harm than good. 

How do you tell the difference? How do you get around or through these roadblocks? How do you turn obstacles into resources and allies? 

Share top examples from your sales career, and your story might be added to the next release of our book and field guide.

As Wall Street's Gordon Gekko tells enthusiastic pitcher Bid Fox: "You had what it took to get into my office; the real question is whether you got what it takes to stay". 

Executives in our studies confirmed that they expect to be led by a skilled questioner. They also expect to be pitched to, as long as you can join the dots and prove why it's more valuable than the other options they could consider. 

So how do you do it? What tried and tested approaches have you learned that grant you repeat access to the C-Suite, and how do you leveraged that rapport to close more sales? 

Share your best stories, and you might be published in our Hall of Fame in our next C-Suite sales book.

Marketing departments can be guilty of pulling fish out of the stream before they've been properly reeled in. In the handover to Sales, too often they twist off the hook. Skilled marketers understand there's a rhythm to reeling in the big fish. When they get it right, every lead can be a high-value prospect. 

But is it really possible for the Marketing department to deliver bona-fide executive leads? Our research with executives tells us it is, and in our book Selling to the C-Suite we provide examples. 

This talkback page is where we want to hear YOUR examples as salespeople and marketing practitioners. We're looking for world-class examples of sales and marketing alignment. The steps you follow. The software you use. The best examples will be showcased as case studies in our fieldbook to Selling to the C-Suite. Do you have what it takes?