Highlight slides from selling to
executives training program

© 2006, Learning Solutions
International. All rights
reserved.

© 2006, Learning Solutions
International. All rights
reserved.
What Is SellXL?
SellXL is a practical, one-day
workshop that helps professional
salespeople create, maintain and
leverage relationships at the executive
level.

© 2006, Learning Solutions
International. All rights
reserved.
Why Is Selling at the Executive Level Important?
Impact of Client Retention
The Loyalty Effect by Frederick Reichheld, Harvard Business School Press, 1996, Page 39
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Acquisition cost
Revenue growth
Cost savings
Referrals
Price premium
Year
.
Base Profit
Client
Profit

© 2006, Learning Solutions
International. All rights
reserved.
Typical Qualities of Senior Executives
– Possess high standards of excellence
– Often seek to minimize risks, but will take
calculated risks when appropriate
– Continually seek competitive advantage
– Value honesty and responsiveness
– Are success-oriented and goal-driven
– Value accountability and responsibility
– Want a candid view of problems and
issues

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– Help you understand the client’s business
drivers
– Connect your solution to business value
– Determine the real decision-making process
– Navigate the organizational and political
structures of the organization
– Expand the scope of the relationship
– Instill and maintain client loyalty
What Can Selling to Executives Do For You?

© 2006, Learning Solutions
International. All rights
reserved.
The Value of Credibility at the Executive
Level
Executive Credibility
and Trust
Relevant Executive
Specific Business Value
Breakthrough Initiative

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International. All rights
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Four Stages of Sales Proficiency
Commodity SupplierIntermittent
Disruption
to Their
Business Day
Make a Sale Sent DownStage 1
Emerging ResourceInteractiveLogical Thinker
Make a
Contribution
Considered
Problem SolverInterestingCritical ThinkerProvide Insight Occasional
Stage 2
Stage 3
Trusted AdvisorInterdependent
Strategic
Resource
Provide Leverage ContinualStage 4
Executive’s
View of
Your
Status
Your
Relationship
Your
Contribution
Your
Objective
Access to the
Executive

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Client Value Zone
Trusted Advisor
Collaborative Relationship
Adapted from: Clients for Life. Jagdish Sheth and Andrew Sobel. Simon and Schuster, 2000.
Extra Pair of Hands
Expert for Hire
Reliable
Trustworthy
Consistent
Integrity
Capability
Components of Credibility

© 2006, Learning Solutions
International. All rights
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Traits of Trusted Advisors
Give us solutions to problems that
could not be developed by people in
our own company
Act like they’re entering a long-term
relationship as opposed to pursuing a
single sale
Are consistent, dependable and
forthright in their conversations and
discussions
Will marshal the resources required to
solve a problem or address key
business issues
Here are some traits that executives tell us salespeople
must exhibit to be perceived as trusted advisors…
Seek first to understand our
challenges and then offer solution
options that create value
Clearly serve as our spokesperson
within their company, continually
representing our interests
Help us separate logic from emotion
Demonstrate both integrity and
capability over the long term
Some information extracted from The Trusted Advisor by David
Maister, Charles Green, and Robert Galford. The Free Press, 2000.

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Different Perspectives
Project
View
Department/Function
View
Company Wide View
Other Uses
of Funds
Solution
Fit
Price/
Discounts
Executive
Management
Operations

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Understanding the Client’s Business
Key Metrics for Understanding the Client’s Business
The projects the
client puts in place to
address the drivers
Initiatives
The most important initiative which
the client must act upon. It is
typically bounded by a time frame
and accom-panied by either
significant payback if implemented
or consequences if not acted upon
Breakthrough Initiative
The internal or
external factors that
might cause the client
to change or react
Drivers
Note that the breakthrough initiative is typically developed at the executive level…often it’s not
even recognized at lower levels in the organization
Effectively Assessing Sales Opportunities: The Dilemma for Today’s Strategic Account Managers. Stephen J. Bistritz, Ed.D. Velocity – The Magazine
of the Strategic Account Management Association (SAMA). Q3, 2002.

© 2006, Learning Solutions
International. All rights
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For
mal
and
Info
rmal
Pow
er
Example of an Executive Team
Who would appear to have the formal power for the decision at JKEA International?
Who would appear to have the informal power regarding that same decision?
Which is more important and why?
Which executive will be most impacted by the outcome of the decision?
Who would appear to have the formal power for the decision at JKEA International?
Who would appear to have the informal power regarding that same decision?
Which is more important and why?
Which executive will be most impacted by the outcome of the decision?
Dir. Sales &
Marketing
Dir. Manufacturing
Dir. Corporate
Strategy
IT Director
Dir. Customer
Service
Controller
COO CIO CFO
CEO
Sarah
Lit
José
Compo
Susan
Langston
Dave
Powers
John
Lee
Nancy
Wallet
Joseph
Harris
Anne Marie
Lawson
Benjamin
Wu
Stephen
Markup

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International. All rights
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Summarizing the Value of Client Learning
• Enables you to provide what clients want you to have:
Knowledge of their business
• Represents the easiest way to develop genuine and lasting
rapport
• Will often generate the ultimate compliment:
“You really understand our business”
• Shortens your sales cycle by quickly differentiating you and
your company from your competitors
• Enables you to be in a better position to serve as a
consultant to your client, contributing insights and creating
the foundation for a collaborative relationship

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Ask questions that confirm your level of preparation
Discuss the issues and implications using the client’s metrics
Confirm the importance of the breakthrough initiative
Issues and Implications
Refer to your initial telephone call with the executive
Cite your past experience
Introduction
Making the Initial Face-to-Face Call on the Executive
Explore potential solutions
Develop a vision of the optimal solution
Confirm the value of the solution
Solution Options
Re-connect with the executive to secure return access
Have an action plan that involves the executive
Moving Forward

© 2006, Learning Solutions
International. All rights
reserved.
What are their key issues?
Selling to Different C-Level Executives
Optimizing financial
metrics
Reducing costs through
increased efficiency
Leveraging the percep-tion
of financial analysts
Maximizing the return from
the firm’s assets
Improving the return on
human capital
CFOCFO
Effectively deploying
technology
Maximizing scalability
and compatibility
Optimizing internal
customer satisfaction
Leveraging knowledge
management
Protecting the firm’s
intellectual assets
CIOCIO
Attracting/retaining loyal
customers
Increasing market share
Developing/retaining
skilled employees
Improving productivity
Building a responsive,
reflexive organization
CEOCEO

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Levels of Business Relationship
As a Commodity Supplier you are trying to make a sale. Your level of contribution to the client
organization is minimal. Executives will typically send you down to lower levels in the organization.
You are beginning to make a contribution to the client’s organization. You
are now viewed as an Emerging Resource; however, your access to
executives may still be limited.
You are seen as a
Trusted Advisor by multiple
executives in the client
organization. Your
relationship becomes
collaborative and you may
be asked for advice on
issues unrelated to your
company’s products
or services.
As a Problem Solver you are clearly making a
difference in the client’s organization.
You will typically now be granted access to certain
executives on a regular basis.
How the Executive
Perceives You

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Commodity
Supplier
Emerging Resource
Problem Solver
Trusted Advisor
Extent of
Personal
Relationship
Evolution of a Trusted Advisor
Range of Business Issues Addressed

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Creating a Value Proposition
Key Elements of a Value Proposition
Addresses the client’s issue(s) and focuses on payback or
return on investment as it relates to the client’s breakthrough initiative
What’s important to them?
Describes how we can help, in both a qualitative and quantitative form
How does our solution create value for them?
Might include an example of how we addressed a similar problem at
another company
How can we demonstrate our capability?

© 2006, Learning Solutions
International. All rights
reserved.
Calling on the Relevant Executive
“The tasks our clients were asking us to
take on were spreading beyond the domain
of the CIO – places where IBM
[salespeople] had not, in general, ventured
and where we lacked strong client
relationships.”
- Lou Gerstner