Selling to high-level decision makers is challenging at the best of times. However, it can be easier to increase your sales with these individuals if you understand a few business principles. In this article, I will share these principles, along with 7 tips to help you sell to C-Level.

1. Do your Research: To get a meeting it is important to understand the environment, challenges, and potential business pain that are found within the accounts.  There are many sources including the company site, google search, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

2. Quantify the benefit: People at the top of the organization are typically motivated by increasing revenue, decreasing cost/expense, improving productivity, or avoiding something bad like a legal issue.   Understand how your solution can benefit them in a real way and try to quantify it.

3. Make sure the benefit is applicable: This applies to the organization and type of C level that you target.  If an organization is trying to add £5 million in additional revenue and your solution offers them £50k, it may not be selected. Also make sure that the benefit lines up with the contact.  A COO may only be mildly interested in revenue growth, but they will likely be interested in conversations around cost savings instead!

4. Get to the point:The C-Level have a compressed amount of time.  Remember that in your value prop to get in and see the C-Level contact, the meeting itself will need to be short and to the point.

5. Don’t disregard the gatekeeper:  Behind most great leaders is an executive assistant that is there to make their lives better and that sometimes means keeping the sales people at bay.  The EA can block you, but can also help.  Treating them with respect and articulating the benefit with them can help get the meeting.

6. Leverage relationships to get the meeting: A reference from a customer or connection from a business partner can help get to that C-Level contact.  Use tools like Linkedin to uncover the hidden connections.

7. Work with someone else, but ask to come back: Unfortunately most of the time a C-Level will not agree to a significant purchase on the spot after a 15 minute meeting.  They will often tell you to go away and work with one of their team members.  That is okay and will need to be done. I would recommend asking to reconnect as you get further through the process.

For more information or support around selling to C-level decision makers, give me a call today or have a look at our Selling to the C-Suite Training programme.