Sell more at C-Level

“How can I sell to more senior execs?” 

There are two big problems when you try to ‘sell at C-Level’ 

🔶 Gaining access 

It’s getting harder and more expensive to secure meetings with senior decision makers. 

🔶 Making that access count 

Those senior decision makers say 85% of the sales meetings they take are a waste of time and add no value. 

So lets apply: 

🟠 Orange hat thinking 🟠

A simple but effective strategy 

1. Clarify your Ideal Customer Profile 

2. Identify specific companies that fit that profile

3. Decide which executive roles you need to reach

4. Identify which specific people in your target companies are in those roles

5. Work out their most pressing issues and priorities (that you can help with)

6. Develop a message about their most pressing issues and priorities

7. Deliver the message by the best channels so they see, understand and act on it

8. Schedule meetings where you either: 

 - Identify genuine sales opportunities addressing issues that the senior executives in your prospect really care about 

 - Nurture the executives for future opportunities so when they are ready, you are too 

 - Confirm there are no current opportunities and move on to the next prospect.

9. Recruit the C-Level or senior executives as champions/coaches to guide you through the sales/buying process. 


Want an easy way to remember this? 

Think PIRATE 

🔸Plan - Set a strategy and commitment to sell at C-Level 

🔸Identify - Understand what is important to the organisation and who to target 

🔸Research - Prepare all necessary information to form a hypothesis to share 

🔸Approach - Decide on the best form of contact and use that to open dialogue 

🔸Talk - Prepare and manage the right kind of meeting to further discussion 

🔸Evolve - Follow up and take the next steps to do business together 


Focus on the right message to the right person in the right company 

(h/t  👿 Steve Hall who I developed the ‘Selling at C-Level’ online training with… available now)