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 What is the optimum time to gain an audience with a C-Level Executives (CLE)? Unlike commodity-driven purchasing agents, CLEs rarely get up in the morning thinking about interacting with salespeople. So, what do they think about? They are hyper-focused on improving their results and employing strategies that will help their enterprises grow revenue, increase market share, counter a competitive threat, acquire new customers, increase customer loyalty and retention, bolster margins, decrease costs, manage risk, increase shareholder value, attract and retain skilled staff and improve workforce productivity. There is a huge variety of strategies that CLEs employ to improve in these aforementioned areas.
One thing is certain: if you can’t clearly prove that what you are selling will help an executive improve in at least one of these areas, then you need not waste your time calling on the C-Suite. They don’t want to see you. However, if you can show that your offering will enhance results in these key strategic areas, you are still in the game.
The maxim “timing is everything” is massively relevant to those in the sales profession. If you know when CLEs are likely to be engaged in making a major purchase decision, then your odds of being “at the right place at the right time” will increase dramatically. Huthwaite’s research into the predictable patterns through which buyers progress as they make a major purchase decision suggests that there are normally six ongoing phases of what we call the Buying Cycle™:
Huthwaite’s research reveals that there are two critical junctures where CLEs are involved in the Buying Cycle and when CLEs have the highest probability of involvement:
- At the cusp between Changes over Time and Recognition of Needs, when the status quo is starting to unravel and new needs or problems are beginning to emerge (or early in Recognition of Needs, when minor irritations are beginning to develop into real dissatisfaction). This stage of the buying process concludes when the problem is understood and the buying team defines the outcomes they will expect from fixing the problem
- At the end of Evaluation of Options, when the CLE wants to make sure that the right decision on a vendor is made.
Examining the two involvement points for CLEs in making a major purchase decision leads experienced sellers to an obvious conclusion: the optimum time to seek and gain entry into the world of the CLE is early in the buying process. If you don’t engage the CLE at this point then the research shows that your chances of success lower dramatically.
There are two reasons behind this conclusion:
- CLEs value diagnosis significantly more than hearing about products, services and solutions. Lower level reports may care about your offerings and be willing to listen to pitches, but CLEs have no time for such activity. However, they will grant you time if you can truly help them diagnose a problem or challenge that is hindering their results.
- Since CLEs delegate the task of vetting potential solutions, if you missed the early opportunity, you will not be able to gain access to the CLE until the end of Evaluation of Options. You have unfortunately missed the opportunity to shape the problem or opportunity in your favour.
If you are not able to engage the CLE in Recognition of Needs, then welcome to “vendor purgatory” where the process, rules and access will be completely controlled by the buying team. You are now in the world of reactive selling where you and your competitors look shockingly similar to the buying committee.
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