DataCaptive » Promote » Marketing To C-Level Executives: Winning The Game Of Sales

Marketing To C-Level Executives: Winning The Game Of Sales

Marketing-to-c-level-executives

The majority of c-level executives began their careers as executives. While rising up the ladder can be both frightening & exhilarating, as the senior positions not only come with better company status & of course a bigger paycheck but also heightened pressure & enhanced responsibilities to get things right.

 

This actually makes it difficult for marketers who are trying to sell their products/services to these c-level executives, who are insanely busy & responsible for their corporate actions.

 

But wait a moment!

Who exactly are these C-Level executives?

A solid responsive system of governance is needed for any kind of activities that are conducted for achieving goals. This goes for politics, healthcare, education…so on & corporate. Hierarchy incorporate is a form of organizational structure that outlines responsibility & authority, designating who has management control over divisions, departments & employees depending on their place within the strata.

 

Generally, it’s the board of directors who are led by chairpersons that resides at the top. The directives, which include goals for profit & revenue growth, set forth by the board, are put into detailed action through executive leadership. This executive chain of management is typically spearheaded by the CEO, who may also be a member of the board of directors as well as the president of the company.

c-level executives

The c-level executives comprise the CEO, followed by other top-level executives such as CFO, COO, CMO & more, followed by managers of the upper level (directors/vice-presidents/managers/) and then the employees in each department broken down into levels of authority & experience.

 

Compared to the expertise that’s associated with other organizational positions, the c-level executives demonstrate a higher level of business expertise & leadership skills, rather than the technical & functional know-how. The number of positions & titles within c-level executives also vary from organization to organization and this variation reflects each organization’s maturity and missions but none reduce their importance.

 

So, since now we know who exactly these C-Level Executives are, let’s see why selling to them is so damn important?

C-Level sales - Corporate big game hunting

The reason why most marketers & salespeople are excited to connect & land meetings with c-level executives is that they tend to have authority on the budget, which means faster closings.

 

But it also means you have to triple your efforts to effectively connect with them & have less time in making your point clear. This is because, even though these decision-makers have a lot of influence, they have very little time which makes it important for marketers to effectively use every minute.

 

All this makes marketing & selling to c-level executives a whole different ball game where you have to be respectful of their time, concise & think crucially on differentiating yourself to break through the noise and earn the right to ask.

 

This is why you should bring your sales “A” game to reach and present yourself & your product to c-level executives in the most absolutely effective way. Here are some of the best marketing & sales techniques to make the c-level executives notice you in the world of business.

Marketing to C-level executives

As marketers, we all have our own methods for gaining notice from customers. But, since the key decision-makers here are c-level executives who lack time & are pulled in multiple directions, we have to try & keep on learning new methods that can be used to earn their attention.

c-leve executives marketing

Targeted B2B content that gets attention

It’s an open secret that c-level executives are difficult to reach because they know exactly what they want. So, while crafting content for C-level executives marketers should make sure to keep it based on actionable and timely Data, deliverable through proper channels & focus on business strategies over tactics.

 

Focus on crafting short content that delivers value rather than long-form presentations, white papers, or lengthy content format. Investigate what keeps your targeted c-level executives awake at night, where exactly they struggle & what kind of information sources they currently consult.

 

Also, ensure the content crafted is credible. Attaining credibility requires extra work & questioning your own work in terms of perfection. C-level executives are always hungry for information and if you can provide it in the most credible & compelling way, you will have a better chance of pushing your product/service in front of them.

Use intelligent marketing contact data

Sending your messages to the right audience who needs your services is damn important in the game of marketing. This goes the same for c-level executives also. Having access to a valid & reliable marketing database on c-level executives can help you go a long way in achieving it.

 

With reliable & customizable C-level Executive contact Lists you can directly send well-crafted marketing messages to their inboxes, direct mail addresses, and social media accounts or through telemarketing.

 

Availing services from leading Database providers like DataCaptive can equip you with C-level Executive contact Lists which can be used for getting connected with these key decision-makers to attain brand recognition and crack lucrative deals.

Social Media marketing

Many B2B marketers make the mistake of ignoring social media marketing when it comes to making connections in the B2B space. There are numerous social media channels that give sufficient opportunities to connect with c-level executives on a frequent basis.

 

LinkedIn tops the chart without fail, followed by Twitter, Slideshare and many others are being increasingly used to reach out to B2B prospects.

Network, as it's second nature

Networking online on a continuous basis is one of the best ways to get noticed by c-level executives. This includes not only joining but engaging & participating in groups on channels like Reddit or Quora or in groups on LinkedIn that can aid in setting up yourself as an authority figure.

 

You may not be able to directly connect with c-level executives but this technique remains one of the most practical ways to be introduced to someone who has a direct C- level line. C-level executives tend to listen to their friends (like any other human being), so getting on their good side means you’re in.

Believing that cold calling is still not dead

The majority of the C-suite started their careers as average executives who made hell lots of calls during their career, hence they will appreciate a well-crafted professional cold call that oozes confidence & credibility. Make sure that you are fully equipped with your tool kit & have mentally gone through all the scenarios. Do your research, spend time on their websites & social media channels, read recent press coverage and focus more on why the c-level executives need your product/service than just trying to sell stuff.

 

Cold calling has always been a tough job but done in the right way it’s more effective, easier & one of the very best ways to get in front of the c-level executives that you’d like to do business with.

 

While the above techniques will aid you in landing meetings with C-level executives, having conversations with them face to face yet selling can still turn out to be troublesome for many. It’s because these people got to where they are by not having random conversations so the time they spend in the meeting with the C-Suite needs to fulfill the purpose. This is why you shouldn’t leave anything to chance when you are in the meeting rooms with c-level executives.

Tips on selling to C-Level Executives

  • Reintroduce yourself as there are chances for the c-level executives not remembering you as they are usually in continuous meetings from arrival to the minute they leave.
    Communicate your expectations clearly and let them define how, when & where they would like to give & get feedback.
  • Make sure your rapport-building gigs don’t annoy them as typical c-level executives will want to dive into the real agenda as quickly as possible. Do not forget to maintain professional focus & to build rapport, ask about recent company announcements, industry changes, or other high-level topics.
  • Project confidence & professionalism as c-level executives like doing businesses with someone that they feel is on their level. While it’s okay to be a little anxious, showing it will make you look less credible & trustworthy. 
tips on selling
  • Remind yourself that you are the expert in your specific domain & the c-level executives can always count on you to get their work done.
  • Plan your agenda well, not too ambitious & flexible enough as the fate of your meeting is mostly set before it starts. Your agenda should accommodate topics that you didn’t anticipate & you should be able to condense it.
  • Take help when needed from senior reps or have come along. Do not forget that it’s in your & the company’s best interest for the meeting to go well.
Pumped up enough to start selling to C-Level Executives of top corporations of the world?

Kick-start by attaining marketing leads from DataCaptive

Over to you!

The point of all these techniques & tips is to get you connected & sell to c-level executives on their level. If you expect them to politely listen to your pitch at your own speed, it won’t happen. But done correctly, the efforts can turbocharge your chances of getting the deal done in the best way possible.

 

Happy selling!

 

For more: 6 TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE HOW YOU SELL TO C-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

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