6 Sales Management Drills For Relationship Selling to CEOs and Top Executives

Practice is not something one does when theircompetitors' sales people are probably hanging
good. Practice is what makes one good.with one or two contacts and doing little to
1. Why is it important, for you or your salesenhance senior level relationships. Start working on
people to get to the leaders? List at least 5the one's s/he has neglected.a. Spread like a virus
reasons why you'd like to get to top levelin those accounts. What top people do you want
executives in your customers' and prospects'to meet? How will you get there? Make an action
organizations. If you realize the advantages, you'llplan. Use your Golden Network to help you. When
start focusing on getting to CEOs, profit centerwill get to whom?
leader, or top officials and their immediate staffs.5. Do you feel it's important to know what's going
2. Suppose your best customer said he really likeson in your customers' industry and client base?a.
your competition. What would you do to get hisWhat research can you do to keep abreast? Who
business back? That's right; you'd get to someonecan you talk with? Hint: Subscribe to "News
higher and determine what it will take to makeRelease" a service on the internet. It's free and
him happy so you can keep the business.a. Listwill keep you abreast of what's going on with
the actions you'd take to get to those higheryour customers' companies.b. Meet with the
people.b. Now before it happens, set the dates tosenior executive's entire staff to get a 360
have those actions completed. A preemptivedegree view of what's going on in the company.c.
strike is more useful than a defensive posture.Meet with the Sales VP to learn about their
The defense may hold, but the relationship willcustomer base and their demands.
take a serious blow.6. Set-Up and Information Share Meetinga. What
3. For your biggest customer what are theexperts can you bring to the next meeting to
interests and issues of each executive? How willprovide information your customers' executives
you know how to relate, if you don't have thiswill appreciate? Be sure to those top people what
information? Don't assume. It's got to come fromwill be appreciated.b. Pick a new location to
the horse's mouth. What will you do to get it?a.meet?c. How can you prevent it from being a
Realize people, issues, etc change - sometimesone time event?
slowly and sometimes quickly. How will you keepStart implementing these suggestions and you'll
current with the top executive and his or hersoon be the preferred supplier for many clients
staff?and this will eliminate all that competitive bidding
4. List competitors' strongholds. That is the peopleand getting stuck with purchasing agents. You'll
who the competitors are really tight with. Beginalso penetrate deep into your competitors'
the process of positioning your company as theaccounts.
number 2 supplier or number one alternative. YourAnd now I invite you to learn more.