A lot of people are uncomfortable selling to the C-Suite (Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Executive Officer, etc.). Why? I think one of main reasons people are intimidated is that they haven’t had much experience interacting with that level of executive and therefore have little or no insight into what those folks get paid to do or care about.
Just remember, C-level folks are human beings. And it doesn’t take too many mental gymnastics to imagine what they care about. For example, if you find yourself addressing a CEO, here are the first two questions you should be answering in your presentation: “How will my offering make this organization easier to manage?” and “How will my offering make this enterprise more valuable?” Think about it. The Board of Directors hired the CEO to answer those two questions on a daily basis. Your job is to help that CEO connect the dots between your offering and a better answer to those two questions. His job depends on it. And so does your sale.
With all that in mind, be sure to keep your presentation concise.
And remember, the higher up you get on the corporate ladder, the less price matters. Demonstrate how your offering can make your prospect’s organization easier to manage and more valuable. Price can come later… and only after you have convinced your prospect of your offering’s true value.
