The Secret to Pitching a Senior Executive

Depending on the product you’re selling, engaging with executives might be one of those hurdles you need to overcome.

The good thing is that this isn’t possible.

Many times it comes down to developing the right mindset (and refining your approach).

More importantly, it comes down to the mindset of the executive—and finding out what exactly makes them tick.

The aim is to learn what’s important to these guys and gals, then align your solution with their priorities.

Here’s what’s happening in the brain of the C-Suite 🧠

The Power of the Internal Referral

Execs won’t turn down a sales call recommended by a colleague who works at the same company and has the same goals.

The internal referral tells them that a person familiar with the company and its main priorities is confident in this solution meeting their needs (AKA a sales call won’t be a colossal waste of their time).

How to Achieve This:

Do you and the exec share mutual contacts (preferably one that works at the respective company)? Connect with that person and get your referral that way.

Turn gatekeepers into pillars of your network. From there, build a case for your referral. This might look like asking key questions about the company and sharing more of your work with them as the relationship grows. These ‘gatekeepers’ eventually become your champions.

Know The Questions Execs Are Asking

So, you get your champion to talk to the senior executive.

But what does the exec want to know about your or your company off the bat?

According to Jonathan Lister, COO at Vidyard, this is what comes to mind:

🤔 Is this product helping with any of our immediate needs?

And if so, which of our priorities does it align with?

Why this matters:

Knowing the most pressing concerns of the C-Suite allows you to craft more powerful pitches.

Stop Putting Yourself in Their Shoes

Empathy is important in selling.

However, when it comes to determining what might be a pressing issue for a CEO or another exec—reps have to realize that business leaders are looking through a different lens.

This sometimes results in reps missing the mark when determining what size problems will be top of the list for execs.

Some sellers end up misaligning with the needs of the company (by focusing on problems that are below the exec’s paygrade)

Or straight up being intimidated by the idea of bringing a colossal problem to their attention.

No Conviction. No Sale

One of the driving forces behind your pitch should be your conviction.

People don’t become executives without being assertive; makes sense that they’d be more likely to respect you if you show similar qualities.

This doesn’t mean you have to be 100% right.

But once you’ve done your research, and refined your pitch, let them know why you believe the solution will help.

Show confidence by encouraging open dialogue.

“Hey, so I noticed that [similar companies] tend to encounter [common problem] whenever [similar action is completed]. I’m thinking you guys experience the same based on [evidence]. Am I missing the mark here?”

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