Getting To The CEO

Selling To The CEO

For many types of products and services, CEO selling is important, but for consulting services, large ticket items and enterprise-wide solutions, CEO selling is critical. Here’s how to get through every time!

We all know from experience that every CEO needs to be protected from over-eager sales people and often hires Doberman-like secretaries and assistants to get the job done. On the other hand, CEOs desperately need information that can make a positive difference to their businesses.

What we need, therefore, is a plan that recognizes both realities while providing practical solutions to the age-old problem of reaching the CEO. Remember, however, I am using the term CEO in this article to refer to any top corporate officer. You might actually need to contact the CIO, CFO or COO, but I assure you that the same plan will work for each one.

Step One : Finding A Way Around The Guards

The four ways to penetrate the palace guard, in approximate order of effectiveness, are voice mail, e-mail, fax and regular mail.
Voice Mail: Because you are looking for an opportunity to leave a message that will be heard by the CEO and not screened by the guards, try calling before or after business hours and you will often find the CEO’s phone on voice mail. This can be the perfect opportunity to reach your target audience. If the phone number you are trying terminates with a secretary, ask others in the company for the CEO’s direct line. They are usually listed in the company phone book and most people in the company will be happy to look it up for you. I have also found some CEO’s direct numbers on their web pages, so take a look.

E-Mail: Many technology company CEOs prefer to be contacted by e-mail and actually read everything that’s sent to them. I actually heard a Vice President of AOL state that he would not read material that did not arrive electronically! These email addresses are almost always on the company’s web pages or posted in the company directory. If you know a company’s e-mail address patterns (eg: first initial and last name), you can probably figure it out on your own. I have even sent a message to the webmaster@theircompany.com and asked for the name and email address of the person I need to contact. This works the vast majority of the time.
While these two techniques are almost guaranteed to get you past the guards, fax and regular mail are not. Although those are the easiest addresses to obtain (even the guards will give them to you), the guards also filter them. Your odds of actually getting through to the CEO go down dramatically.

Step Two: The Process

Studies have shown that it can take as many as twelve calls to get a CEO to see you, but, fortunately, those same studies indicate that most of your competitors will give up before number five. That leaves the field wide open to you. In my process, I assume that you will need to make all twelve calls, so, to be prepared for success, we will write out all twelve messages before we send the first one.

Step Three: The Value Message

It is essential that you convince the CEO that what you have to say has value. They all want information that will help their business, and you must present yourself as a source of that information. When they understand that you have value, they will see you.
Begin by making a list of twenty ways that your product or service will help the CEO’s bottom line. Make sure that each one is based on the effect it will have on the organization’s financial health, not on your product’s features. Write each benefit as a short statement that is appropriate to leave on voice mail, include in an e-mail or send in a letter or fax. You may also want to follow up with supporting materials such as articles, reference letters, or other documents that help make your case. If you have nothing to send, try writing articles and producing them on your letterhead as white papers.

Let’s take a look at a sample script.

Good morning Mrs. Topdog. This is Steve Waterhouse with ABC Group. I just read an article in today’s Wall Street Journal that explains how your company can reduce the cost of sales by 30%. The article is entitled "How to make it in E-Commerce" and it’s on page B3 in column one. If you don’t have your WSJ in the office, I’ll be glad to fax a copy of the article to you. After you read it, I hope you’ll give me a few minutes to explain how ABC Group can help you realize those savings. I can be reached at 1-800 or via e-mail at steve@abcgroup.com

You see? It’s simple. Just rank your twenty benefits in their order of importance to the CEO, and write your messages. Begin with the most significant so you’ll get the CEO’s attention immediately.

Step Four: The Schedule

At the beginning of your campaign, establish a schedule for your contacts. Your goal is to obtain an appointment, but in the process, your actions will tell the CEO much about who you are. You want to be seen as persistent but not annoying. To achieve that goal, allow reasonable time between calls. Let a busy executive get back to you so that you don’t seem pushy. I recommend that your calls be placed seven to fourteen days apart. If your timing is right, the CEO will feel obligated to take your call, and may even apologize for not getting back to you sooner.

Stage Four: Do It!

Make that first call. You’ll be amazed how easy it is and how often you get through to the CEO well before the twelfth contact.

Steve Waterhouse, the President of Predictive Results, helps companies and individuals increase their sales through employee selection and sales training
. You can learn more in his blog at http://www.customerfocusedsales.com.