The Key to a Successful Conversation in the Executive Office

Every salesperson seeks an appointment with the executive making the buying decisions. And almost every salesperson who enters the C-level suite is well-versed in have the “discovery” conversation. And most salespeople who get this far are smart and experienced. If you fit this category—good at questioning and business-savvy—take a tip from executive sales training experts. The only way to stand out in this stellar crowd is to differentiate yourself in a way that makes your executive prospect sit up and take notice.

Enter with a point of view. Don’t force your potential buyer to reiterate answers to questions they have been asked already. Executives are more concerned about what they don’t know than what they know. What can you teach them about an issue or problem that should bother them? How can you add value?

Executives don’t want to waste their time educating you. They want to learn themselves. Spend your time preparing for the executive conversation by talking with managers in the organization, gathering data and developing a new, unique and enlightening perspective.

A Not Very Well-Kept Executive Sales Secret

Most salespeople agree that when customers “like you” they are more apt to buy from you. And, though this is not always the case, the opposite is almost always true—if customers dislike you, they will look elsewhere for your product or service.

So smart salespeople try to build rapport with their customers early on. Executive sales training experts agree that likeability matters. The “secret” is how to do this quickly…in the very first meeting.

Find common ground. This will establish a level of shared trust according to psychologists. And the commonalities do not have to be all that unique. It could be that you are both from the East coast, or that you work out regularly, or that you play a musical instrument or that you love to read sci-fi novels. Do your best to ferret out information that has been freely posted on LinkedIn or Facebook to find that precious tidbit that will connect you to your customer and make you instantly likeable.

Don’t overdo it, but find common ground quickly.