It will sound familiar to many sales professionals: a boss who says that you should be selling at C-level. You then start to get the jitters and wonder how on earth you are going to do that. Then there are also a bunch of practical questions:
- How do I make an appointment with someone at C-level?
- What am I going to tell a C-level person
- Will my order be immediately signed by C-level?
There’s no need to worry. Most sales managers have it from hearsay that selling at C-level is best. They usually don’t know why that is the case, it sounds cool, and they think that if someone at C-level is enthusiastic, you have the deal in your pocket. That is sometimes true but does not always have to be the case. The question is: How do you make a good choice and what you should pay attention to when it comes to C-level sales:
Why can it be interesting to have contacts at C-level?
- The budget holder of your opportunity is at C-level. A budget is needed for large and important purchases or projects. Budget holders’ position: the larger the required investment, the bigger the chance that the budget holder will reside at C-level. For the success of a sales cycle, it is useful to have a good relationship with the budget holder.
- Projects with corporate impact and risk. For example, if an organization is going to purchase a new primary system that has a direct impact on business results, C-level is involved. Success of such a project has a direct influence on the results of an organization and C-level will probably interfere with the vendor selection. A bad choice can have a major impact and be fatal for their own future. In such a case, it is important (if not crucial) to have contacts at C-level so that you can influence the choice. You can then use your C-level contacts to create trust. C-level has to be convinced that your organization can successfully deliver a project.
- Purchasing decision must be approved by management. As a sales professional you need to know how a purchasing process works and what rules apply. One of the aspects of this is the approval of a deal. It often happens that a business manager can make a purchasing decision, but if it exceeds a certain threshold level, C-level must give formal approval. If your organization is not known at all among the customers and therefore also not known at C-level, this can cause difficulties or delays. If a supplier is already known, the approval will be a lot easier. If you know that final approval must be given at C-level, it can be interesting to have contacts at C-level so that your organization is known.
- Legal risks. Within a large(r) organization, the Purchasing department is a challenge in the sales process. After all, they were set up to save money during the purchasing process. Purchasing will always want to negotiate about money and conditions. Money is not the biggest problem for a good salesperson, who knows what budget is available. Conditions are always legal, and the following generally applies: The larger an organization, the less flexible they deal with (purchasing) conditions. If it is ultimately not possible to reach an agreement with Purchasing, connections at C-level can help make this process run more smoothly.
When is it better to sell somewhere else in the organization.
- Strategic or not? Is your product or service strategic for the entire organization? C-level is mainly concerned with matters that are of strategic importance to the organization. Realize that you always find your product or service important, but is that also the case for your customer? A coffee maker can be a very nice product, and good coffee can be of great importance, but at C-level it has no impact, the costs are relatively low, and it is not on their radar. You’re not going to sell that at C-level.
- Reputation built? If your organization is not known at C-level – for example because it is a new customer for you – and you have no internal contacts who can recommend you to C-level, then you should be very careful. Usually there are no adventurous types living at C-level, they want security and stability there. It is therefore not a good idea to start your company introduction at C-level, you will run the risk of being left out again and then you have a bigger problem. In such a case, it is more useful to first build a network in the organization and use that to get an introduction at C-level.
- Only if there is a need. An organization does not only consist of C-level, in fact, most employees are below C-level. If you start selling at C-level, you have to realize that you will pass a lot of people who also have a say in your deal. If someone who is important to your assignment feels passed over because you immediately go to the top, this poses a risk to your success. After all, the underlying organization is there for a reason and as a salesperson you have to make use of it. If you do not have support from the underlying organization, it is not useful to sell at C-level.
What’s so different about C-level conversations?
- On the same level. What challenges do you face at C-level? You are usually dealing with highly educated and experienced people who have a lot of knowledge of the sector in which their organization operates, and they can generally think quickly. To have a good conversation with a successful outcome, you will need to be able to discuss at the same level. That may seem strange, but this is a point that you should certainly not underestimate. If your conversation partner gets the idea that you do not have enough knowledge – especially when it comes to their own organization or sector – this usually leads to an early exit. “You will hear from us again, please do not contact us” 😊 Always be prepared, for example, read annual reports and view websites so that you know the figures. Also delve into propositions, vision and future plans and use this in your discussions.
- Generating value. At C-level, value for organization is almost always sought. If you have decided that C-level is the right level for your call, make sure you have a business case ready. You must be able to demonstrate that your product or services have added value for the organization and that the investment will be recovered quickly. Without a good story, it is pointless to talk at C-level.
Conclusion
Selling at C-level can help you achieve success, but it can also be counterproductive. You only have one chance to introduce yourself and if it goes wrong, it is bad. In that case, your organization’s reputation will suffer significant damage. This can also have consequences for ongoing assignments that are already running from your organization to the customer. So, you have to ask yourself whether it is wise to sell at C-level, after all, there is an entire organization below C-level, and they are there for a reason. Most purchasing transactions that an organization does, do not even reach C-level, so you do not have to go to C-level.
If there is no real need to sell at C-level, then you shouldn’t do so, and you should focus on decision makers lower down in the organization. That is probably the most promising route to success. However, that does not mean that you cannot have contacts at C-level. If you get the chance, it is always valuable to have C-level in your network. It often ensures better anchoring of the relationship that your organization has with the customer.
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