Here’s What it Takes to Sell to the C-Suite

This approach was a major reason I went from earning 6-figures to 7-figures a year. I earned $1.5M from my SaaS sales role in 2019 by making this a part of my routine.

One of the best things I ever did was to sit down with my leadership and have a simple conversation with them person-to-person.

My goal was to try and understand how I could better position and sell to the C-Suite. And I realized that I had a terrific opportunity in front of me to speak directly to them.

If you’re trying to sell to the C-Suite, you should be leveraging your own C-Suite. All it takes is a few moments of their time and thinking to unlock an entirely new mindset and approach for you.

Thinking like an executive and understanding the position they’re in should be key in informing your selling strategy.

When I’ve shared this story with others, some express a worry that they’d be too intimidated to actually generate any useful information. They don’t know how they can connect with someone who has so much going on and such limited time.

The key is to remember that the person on the other side of the table is just a human being. They’re also interested in your success. You don’t have to have had the same experiences (like owning multiple homes or having millions in the bank) to confidently have a productive business conversation together.

So, how can you use your own company’s executives to help you break through with that C-Suite pitch? Follow these four simple steps:

1. Ask them what type of communication generally draws them in. People are constantly reaching out to C-Suite execs. If you can hone in on some effective techniques to model, you’re off to a great start.
2. Get specific around the mechanics. Who do they usually let into their inner circle? What makes them say “yes” to someone reaching out? What typically resonates over email? What works best in-person? What makes them stop and read when someone reaches out on Linkedin? This information is gold!
3. Get specific around the content and delivery. When they’ve been on the receiving end of a pitch, what did the sellers say that worked best? Why was it so effective?
4. Figure out how you can replicate some of those behaviors. Once you’re able to reverse-engineer what’s worked best for others, you can begin experimenting yourself. That’s where the fun really begins.

This might seem nerve-wracking at first. In reality, it’s one of the most powerful things you can do, and will be time well spent.

After speaking with my leadership, I realized that “selling” our product is not the real challenge. It’s more about how to command the right attention and create an environment that is conducive to buying a major transformation.

That realization sparked a shift in my strategy. One that actually humanized the experience and made the mission clearer for me and my prospects.

It worked for me. I think it can work for you too.

You can use this checklist (no email required) as a handy guide to help you prep:

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When you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Get the exact system I’ve used to go from earning $200K to over $1M a year in SaaS sales without burning out here. (1,700+ students)
2. Join a community of Purpose-Curious™ sellers in the Make More Hustle Less Club where we develop a personal operating system together here. (300+ members)
3. Book a 1:1 coaching session to up-level your performance here. (Limited spots available)