5 Pearls of Wisdom – Advice From Executives To Sales People

I've been talking to a lot of senior leaders as research for my new book due out this fall (tentatively titled How to Get and Keep Executive Contacts).  Regardless of the company size or industry, what they consider to be an effective and time-worthy meeting for them is consistent.  Below is a list of responses that any serious sales person should learn and use.

Lisa’s question to executives: What constitutes a valuable meeting with a sales person?

Executive’s Answers:

• I appreciate sales people who listen and understand my business.

• No power point presentations.  If you have to use a power point, send it to me in advance.

• A valuable meeting is one that expands my thinking – a new idea or strategy to help me with a current or future issue.  This is my measurement stick for all the meetings I attend.

• Be concise and to the point.  If the meeting runs late or too much time is spent on small talk, chances are you won’t get on my calendar again.

• An outside in perspective.  Most of my day is spent in internal meetings – senior staff meetings, board meetings, functional area planning meetings – a really good sales person brings me information from the outside.

Wow! Talk about pearls of wisdom! These insights from executives on what they find valuable is like getting all the answers you're going to need for the big test – a successful meeting with a prospect. Armed with these answers, you can now craft stronger meeting agendas that meet your buyer’s needs. The real measure of your success?  Simple, an invite back from the executive and a better chance of closing the sale.

Capitalize on these pearls of wisdom and watch your executive relationships flourish.

Good luck in your efforts to ring the bell more frequently with TOP Line Account™ victories!

If you want more answers to your burning questions about executive cultivation, contact me at [email protected] or visit my blog featuring a simple Q&A format on the topic of getting and keeping executive relationships at www.toplinesales.com

Lisa Magnuson is an expert in corporate strategic sales and TOP Line Account™ revenue building. As a respected sales consultant and author,Lisa works with clients to build successful strategic sales programs that drive revenue from large new accounts and enable growth from existing high value customers. Learn more at www.toplinesales.com.