C-Level, Relationship Selling Blog

Hi, I am Sam Manfer and Welcome to my content rich blog on advanced sales training and relationship selling - especially at the C-levels.

Check out also my Advanced Sales Training and C-Level Selling website.  It's full of free articles, videos, ebooks and more to help you sell or manage better.

C-Level Selling Tip 10 - Executives Are too Busy and/or Have No Reason to See You

Too busy is a form of executive intimidation (Tip 9).  Basically you are uncomfortable and you rationalize that your offering and/or you aren’t important enough to warrant a meeting.  You sensitize yourself so much that when someone says the boss is too busy, you suck-into believing it immediately. 

 

People are too busy only when they don’t see a reason to see you. 

 

So here is the reason they will want to see you.  C-Level Selling Tip 10 - Executives Are too Busy and/or Have No Reason to See You

 

C-Level Selling Tip 9 - Overcoming Executive Intimidation

Anxiety is the uneasy feeling when thinking you have to approach a senior level executive, doctor or high government official.  It surfaces because you are anticipating an unpleasant outcome or projecting a negative experience.  

This negative projection also turns you into your own biggest gatekeeper.  Because of your discomfort, you’ll tend to rationalize why you don’t need to get to these high level people.  

 

The antidote to anxiety can be found in the full article:

 

C-Level Selling Tip 9 - Overcoming Executive Intimidation

 

Watch the 4 minute Video

 

Video C-Level Selling Tip 9 - Overcoming Executive Intimidation

Five Tips for Creating C-Level Selling Confidence

One of the most powerful tools for C-Level Selling, selling to doctors or any influential people is confidence.  So here a 5 tips to help you build your confidence.

1. Keep learning your trade. 

2. Prepare for the encounter. 

3. Approach the meeting with a quest to learn. 

4. Prepare yourself. 

5. Advise yourself as you would your child or a close friend about being confident. 

For the details see Five Tips for Creating C-Level Selling Confidence

C-Level Selling Tip 8, Getting Past Gatekeepers and Handling Blockers

Subordinates, administrators, purchasing, etc. keep you away from their bosses and the real decision makers because they fear losing something – power, ego, job, recognition, authority, etc.  However, don’t assume to know what it is because you could be wrong.  Get them to tell you why they don’t want you to go past them.

 

Stated another way; you’re blocked because the blocker hasn’t accepted you or your offering yet.  They see a risk and see nothing in it for them for you to go past them – more forms of losses.

 

Read the strategies to handle this at C-Level Selling Tip 8, Getting Past Gatekeepers and Handling Blockers

or

 

Watch the video for these strategies at Video C-Level Selling Tip 8, Getting Past Gatekeepers and Handling Blockers

Good Selling

 

C-Level Selling: 5 Elements to Create Large Accounts

Purpose, Focus, Confidence, Credibility and Performance are the path to the executive suite.  Once there, sales come easily and continuously.  You move from vendor to preferred supplier.

 

The sad truth is that most sales people believe their main contact is high enough – especially for technical sales.  What is even more disconcerting is that 90% of the sales people for any company don’t know how to get to, talk with, and perform to the standards of senior executives.  If this seems unbelievable, ask any Sales VP or CEO how many senior level relationships they have that can be leveraged for price advantage and/or against competition.  You’ll find it is very few.

 

So here are the tools: C-Level Selling: 5 Elements to Create Large Accounts

C-level Selling Tip 7 – Leveraging Your Golden Network

C-level Selling Tip 7 – Leveraging Your Golden Network You have a golden network of people.  I call this your info/intro highway.  These are people who have benefited from you in one way or another professionally.  It could be customers, other vendors, consultants, association members, service people or other professionals in or outside your current company.  These are people who can help you get information and introductions to whomever you’d like to see.

Here's what commonly happens - You Sporadically Meet with Those on Your Golden Network

And the resulting problem - You're Late and Then There’s Limited Access to Information and Key Decision-Makers, Competiton's Involve, and You Haven't Embedded Yourself

Here's what to do:

Read C-level Selling Tip 7 – Leveraging Your Golden Network  or

Watch Video C-level Selling Tip 7 – Leveraging Your Golden Network

 

 

C- Level Selling -- Subtleties Make Big Differences in Selling

Over the course of a year I talk with thousands of complaining sales people.  Some complain about getting to the right people.  Others complain about making pitches that stick; others about competition; some about the support they get from their company, etc. etc. 

 

When I suggest what they should do, they either say they already know that and/or they're already doing that.  However, as I delve deeper, or ask them to role-play with me, it becomes obvious to both of us that there is a big difference between my suggestion and what they're doing.  I call this a subtlety so as not to bruise egos.  I also call it a subtlety because just a few words rephrased, or a few steps rearranged can make huge differences.

 

Here are some example to show what I mean.  See C- Level Selling -- Subtleties Make Big Differences in Selling

C-Level Selling Tip 6: Networking, Use Your Resources

Everyone needs more business, and the best way to get more is to network your way through the doors to the low level and then to the C-level offices. 

If you want to get to people, no matter who they are, network to them.  You know people.  You also know people who know people who can get you through to them.  These are your resources.  However, you have to stop and think, and search your mind to realize who and how many people you really know. If you don’t, you’ll say you don’t know anyone.  Once you realize all the people you know, then, you’ll have to determine who the right contacts are to connect you with the decision makers you want to meet.  Finally you’ve got to know what to say in order to get the right introductions.

 

Learn more about networking with this C-level selling tip

 

Article: C-Level Selling Tip 6: Networking, Use Your Resources

 

Video:  C-Level Selling Tip 6: Networking, Use Your Resources

C-Level Selling: Are You a Tiger, a Phil or Struggle to Make the Cut

I can't help but compare Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson to selling.  Tiger Woods came in second place at the Tour Championship, yet walked away with $10 million as the FedEx Cup champion and $800,000 for his second-place finish.  Phil Mickelson walked away with $3 million for the FedEx Cup and $1.35 million for winning the tournament.  The comment by Phil was "Let me get this straight.  I shoot a 65 and win $1.3 million and Tiger shoots a 70 and wins $10 million?"  That's right.  Tiger was consistent over time.  Phil had a great day.

How many Tigers do you have in your organization?  How many Phil’s?  How many struggle to make the cut?

Think about your salespeople, (or yourself, if you're a salesperson).  Does your salesperson, or you, close the sale, 7/10 times, or do they score big every once in a while?  Which would you rather have?  What are you willing to invest, if anything, to get it?

Selling is a process and like golf  -- Read on at C-Level Selling: Are You a Tiger, a Phil or Struggle to Make the Cut

C-Level Selling Tip 5 – Identifying the Final Decision-Makers

Your focus should be all the senior executives of the profit center where you’re selling. Notice I didn’t say department or area of responsibility such as engineering, manufacturing, or purchasing.  Your products and services impact the profitcenter – believe it.   

Most sales people only target those who are solid-line responsible for the departments or project that their services directly touch.  Powerful decision makers are those senior staffers that are significantly impacted (either personally or through their subordinates) by your offering.  However, the other members of the profit center leader’s direct staff get involved, even if his or her department is not responsible or impacted.  Purchasing and investment decisions are discussed by the entire staff during lunches and in staff meetings because they impact the profit center, division or company.  In addition to covering all the bases, these senior staffers are a great source for insights and networking.

Common Situation -- You Don’t Know Who’s In Charge

Resulting Problem -- You lose the sale.  You didn’t know all the decision factors.  You weren’t connected to the right people. 

To learn what to do --

Read the complete C-Level Selling Tip 5 – Identifying the Final Decision-Makers

or

Watch the  Video C-Level Selling Tip 5 – Identifying the Final Decision-Makers

C-Level Selling - A Sales Person's Best Resource

Up and out -- that is my motto.  Whenever I'm pursuing a contract, project or deal, I find out who all the top level people are in the organization.  Then I focus on how I'm going to spread like a virus in an organization and get to them.  But the leaders who are always the most helpful are those in the sales department. 

 

Sales managers and sales people are sympathetic to other salespeople.  They’ve been there.  They know what you're going through, and they'll help you as much as they can, if you ask.  They're not threatened or annoyed by other salespeople.  They know you're not going to pitch them and they are usually the talkative type

 

Sales VPs are the most connected to what's going on in the organization.  They are joined at the hip to the CEO or Profit-Center Leader because sales mean everything to a business organization.  Sales VPs are privy to all that's happening in the company from operations to HR to R&D.  That's because all these functions eventually impact sales and attracting customers -- and that's the sales VP's turf.

 

Therefore, no matter what your selling -- from electronics to healthcare -- get connected to the sales managers and interview them.

 

To learn more read the full article at C-Level Selling - A Sales Person's Best Resource

C-Level Selling Tip 4 -- Relationships with C’s Produces Business, but You Don’t Have a Relationship

People Say Relationships Close Sales.  

This is true, but most sales people feel a relationship is a social connection. They then strive to become chummy.  Unfortunately this is very tough to do with C's, Doctors and at high levels. 

Resulting Problem

Lots of entertainment and little business.

Here's what to do.

 

Read the full article at C-Level Selling Tip 4 -- Relationships with C’s Produces Business, but You Don’t Have a Relationship

 

OR

 

Watch the 4 minute Video at Video C-Level Selling Tip 4 -- Relationships with C’s Produces Business, but You Don’t Have a Relationship

Salespeople's Biggest Weakness – C-Level Selling

Salespeople know how to prospect -- although they hate to.  Salespeople can certainly present -- and they love to. They know they should ask questions -- although most don't and the ones that do ask self-serving ones.  Salespeople can close -- even though they usually let the customers do it for them. But there is one thing salespeople do not do -- selling at the C-Level or to the profit center leaders.

If you want to be an overachieving salesperson you must know how to and be comfortable C-Level Selling.  Most sales people deliver mediocre results because they lack this skill set. Learn how to put this missing major element into your salespeople.

Read all the details at Salespeople's Biggest Weakness – C-Level Selling

C-Level Sales Training Tip 3 - Sales Rejection – What You Didn’t Learn in College

Sales rejection happens because, sales people never learned all the roles required to sell.  They have 3 role, marketing, selling and relationship development.  Most only market because they really don’t know the difference. 

If their marketing generates interest, they're lucky, but they can lose the prospect if they can't switch to the other two roles quickly.

If it doesn't generate interest, then they keep pushing, trying to convince, rather than approaching the situation differently.  They become a walking commercial and prospects want to change the channel i.e. get rid of them.  Problem is they kill their changes with this prospect for the future.

Learn how to avoid sales rejection.

Read the complete articlel at Sales Rejection – What You Didn’t Learn in College or

Watch my video presentation at C-Level Video Selling Tip 3 - Sales Rejection

C-Level Sales Training Tip 2 – The Prospect Seemed Interested, but the Sales Cycle Is Stalled

Sales have a beginning and an end, and you can adjust how much time is spent in between by making the right moves. Here's a common situation.  The prospect seemed interested.  Here's a tough resulting problem.  Nothing happens, phone calls are not returned and the sales cycle goes on and on and on.

Read what to do at C-Level Sales Training Tip 2 – The Prospect Seemed Interested, but the Sales Cycle Is Stalled

 

C-Level Sales Management - Who’s Ready for More Sales

The other day, a board member was lamenting on the poor performance of his company. So I said, "You should hire me to help your company get more sales." To which he replied, "Not right now, Sam. The timing's not right." So I said, "Timing?? Let me ask you, if you could get more sales, would that help your company's performance?" He of course said, "Yes."

 

So I ask you, and every other business person -- Is now the right time to seek help? “Yes it is.”  Why, because you need it. If you didn’t and you knew what to do, you would have done it, and more sales wouldn't be an issue

Reasons Management Doesn't Seek Help

 

I scratch my head daily and wonder why in this time of sales shortfalls most don't invest and seek selling help. In fact, it's just the opposite. All consultants are terminated. Marketing budgets are slashed. Prices are cut, and sales people and managers are laid off.

 

Here are some reason’s why and what to do about it at C-Level Sales Management - Who’s Ready for More Sales

Advanced Sales Training - 8 What-to-Do’s About Cold Calling

Cold calling is dead, but still kicking. It's not to say that cold calling doesn't work, but everyone will agree, it's highly inefficient and very demotivating.  Therefore, cold calling should go away, but it won’t.

 

 

I stopped at my Starbucks today and saw a vitamin or similar sales rep recruiting a new employee. So I wondered, 'How will the new recruit generate interest/leads that convert to sales?'  Well, I guarantee, cold calling will be her main thrust, at least initially.

 

 

We all need new customers, so what can we do? Cold calling, in one form or another, is our default tactic. It's what we do when we don't want to try, change, or venture into other prospecting tactics.

So since cold calling will not go away, let me help you with 8 strategies and tactics to make you more productive and less demotivated, if you and/or your bosses insist on cold calling.

 

 

Get the full story at Advanced Sales Training - 8 What-to-Do’s About Cold Calling

 

 

Advanced Sales Training Tips 1 - Leaders Make Decisions but You’re Stuck with the Subordinates

Advanced sales training teaches that leaders decide whether there will be any purchases or investments. They decide what level of spending they will make depending on the magnitude of the problem/s it solves or the expected revenue reward it yields.  They don’t decide based on price.

 

They also decide who the supplier will be.  They base their decision on whose product or service will do the most, with the least risk for them professionally and personally.

 

They delegate their subordinates to do all the investigations, bidding, and jawboning, but the leader makes the final call.

 

Executives listen to each other for suggestions and concurrence. Subordinates can be and are often dismissed.

 

Read more - What to do about this situation and the problems it causes at Advanced Sales Training Tips 1.

C-Level Selling - Asking Sales Questions Is Easier Said Than Done

Like you, I've been selling all my life and what I've learned is, asking good questions and listening effectively are the most powerful selling skills.  Unfortunately, the dynamics between sales people and prospects/customers, coupled with tension and old habits makes asking questions and listening very difficult to execute consistently. Yes, many of you will say, you ask questions and listen. However, I contend that most of you ask only cursory questions, listen superficially, and can’t wait to give their pitch.

 

Questioning has levels -- simple, intermediate and advanced. To reap the benefits of questioning one must be able to easily transition from the simple to the more advanced.

Effective listening involves understanding, which requires probing to truly comprehend what a person means by the words they speak.

 

So here are 5  tips on how to pull off these difficult tasks.  C-Level Selling - Asking Sales Questions Is Easier Said Than Done

C-Level Interviewing - How to Handle Lying Customers and Prospects

Customers and prospects will act not-interested, keep information close to the vest, play coy or surprised, overplay comparisons, and prefer to be "just looking" unless you know how to get them to reveal the truth.

Learn to uncover their pain and desires in this article C-Level Interviewing - How to Handle Lying Customers and Prospects