Sales & Marketing Management - January/Februry 2008 - (Page 9) SALES STRATEGY [By Rick Simpson and J. Mark Carr] THE CEO AS SALESPERSON Know when the situation calls for bringing out the big guns here is no doubt that involving the CEO or other senior management in sales can break an impasse or raise the level of the sales conversation. But just because the CEO leads the organization doesn’t necessarily make him or her an effective salesperson. In fact, involving the top dog in the sales process with key prospects can sometimes be a recipe for disaster. By way of example, in one recent engagement, a regional sales manager decided to bring the CEO to a meeting with an important prospect. The regional sales manager was a true professional and had confirmed the purpose and agenda of the meeting with her CEO as well as with the prospect, who had been considering this client’s solution for many months. After initial introductions, the CEO took over the meeting and, ignoring the agenda, began a detailed demo and discussion of the product. He set about to demonstrate the superiority of the product and his own knowledge of the industry. He argued with the prospect, dismissed their questions and points of view, and then couldn’t understand why they didn’t buy immediately. It took the regional manager nine months to recover and get the sale. Luckily, not all tales of CEO sales involvement are so grim. There are numerous case studies in which a CEO’s presence and input helped break down prospect objections and logjams, leading to substantial revenue and (in some cases) even to ongoing strategic relationships. So how can a salesperson use the CEO’s energy, knowledge and drive without risking disaster? The key is to understand the characteristics that are relevant to T the effectiveness of the CEO as salesperson before extending the invitation. The advantages of using the CEO often include: s Great passion, energy, and knowledge about the product, service and business approach. s Strategic knowledge about the industry. s Built-in authority to take immediate action, because CEOs can react to the sales situation and change product/price/support policy to move it to the next stage of the sales process, or even close the deal. s Prospects respecting the office and person of CEO (“This must be an important meeting!”), which can lift the discussion out of the weeds and provide new access to important prospect decision-makers and influencers. s Giving an ego boost to prospects in middle management. (“Hey, I’m meeting with the CEO!”) On the other hand, sales managers need to ask themselves the following questions about their CEO’s ability to positively impact a sales situation: s Can he or she really listen? Do they have sales skills? Have they ever been in sales, or had sales training to understand the importance of listening? s Do they know that selling is a professional pursuit? Do they trust their own sales management and salespeople? s Do they believe, “If we build it, they will come” (especially for entrepreneurs)? s Do they get defensive when objections arise, or do they handle them like pros? s Do they have discipline around their own personal sales processes? JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com istock photo SALES &MARKETING MANAGEMENT 9 http://www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com
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