C-Level Selling - Course Description

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C-Level Selling - Course Description

Participants: Time: Course preparation: Preferred prior training:	Sales and Sales Management (advisable). 2 days Read the Annual Report of a company as provided. Solution Sales

Programme Overview

C-Level Selling (selling to senior executives)

The purchase of enterprise applications/services by customers almost always involves senior executives in the decision making process. The two key reasons for such senior executive involvement are the impact of such major purchases on the entire organization and the greater purchase prices involved. Research has shown that in 90% of major IT related purchases the Chief Financial Officer is heavily involved in vendor selection. From a sales perspective this calls for a different skill set from the skills required to sell commodity products. To achieve the requisite skill set this intensive course focuses on practical, real-life ways to gain access to senior executives, to ‘speak their language’ and to gain their support for dealing with the technological aspects at lower levels within the customer organization. C-Level Selling focuses on the sale of enterprise solutions from a ‘top down’ rather than a ‘bottom up’ perspective.

Course Objectives

Gain access to C-level executives Communicate with executives Gain and leverage executive support Uncover new sales opportunities Ensure repeat business Improve win ratios

Course Content

The roles and business focus of executives
The 8 key reasons for selling to executives Corporate governance, roles and responsibilities Board of Directors Chief Executive Officer Other C-level executives Executive involvement in the buying cycle Levels of decision making Executive psychology Corporate and individual behaviour styles

Planning and preparation
Relevant web-site information Understanding the Annual Report Relevant Annual Report information Understanding business drivers Evaluating ‘owners’ of business drivers

Gaining access to executives
Barriers and ‘gatekeepers’ How to gain access How salespeople are assessed by executives

The first meeting
The 5 critical guidelines Ensuring an effective meeting The key objective Adding value Verbal and non-verbal communication What to say What not to say

Key sales activities
Building trust and credibility The business case Finance in the business case The real meaning of ROI Executive presentations Proposals: the Executive Summary