Selling to the C-Suite
Only Days to Availability – September 11, 2009!
Listen to a short, 3-minute audio excerpt of an interview Steve did with High Velocity Radio by clicking this link
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Our new book - Selling to the C-Suite - which I co-authored with Nic Read will be published by McGraw Hill and available on bookshelves September 11, 2009! It can now be pre-ordered at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and borders.com.
Selling to the C-Suite is written from a combined 60 years of experience selling on corporate frontlines around the world. It is not only a comprehensive report of US-centric executive buying behaviors, but is the only truly global study of its kind for selling around the world.
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Pre-order now from these popular booksellers:
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A number of sales executives and professionals around the world were given pre-release copies of the book and we were overwhelmed by their enthusiastic endorsement of it. Of the more than 40 comments we received, here is a sampling of them:
"I finished this book in one sitting; it is easy to read and I was very impressed. It holds practical advice on how to get to the decision-makers in the context of sales but also applies in many other situations where the objective is influence. Having learned these lessons the hard way while transforming a Chinese State Owned Enterprise into a globally competitive business, I wish this book had been available when I first started!"
- GEOFF WATSON, Vice President, Alcoa China.
"Those new to executive selling will find a game plan they can use immediately. Veterans who regularly call on executives will use this book to sharpen their game."
- CHIP BRUBAKER, Vice President - Americas Sales Readiness, CA
The book is based on empirical research. We couldn't find any books written on this topic that held anything more than personal anecdotes of what the writers of those books did in their glory days. While trips down Memory Lane may hold some value, they only tell you the salesperson's opinion about how executives buy. Nic and I wanted to dig deeper and get inside the heads of living, breathing executives to see what's really going on in there during the decision-making process. So we commissioned groundbreaking research of our own, and joined other projects where executive buying habits were the focus of study. Our efforts were joined by Hewlett Packard in North America, the Hewlett Packard Business School in Beijing China, Target Marketing Systems, the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at the University of North Carolina, and the Center for Business & Industrial Marketing at Georgia State University. After ten years delving into the executive brain, this book now reveals what C-Suite leaders in 500 diverse companies and government bodies said in response to those interviews and surveys.
Answers to the following five questions are direct benefits of reading this book:
- When do executives get involved in the buying process for major purchases?
- How do salespeople gain access to senior executives?
- How can salespeople establish credibility with executives?
- How can salespeople create value at the executive level?
- Is executive buying behavior consistent across cultures?
As business-to-business salespeople (the primary audience) do more of the things that senior executives respond to, they can command greater credibility, close more business and make more money.
Thousands of sales professionals have already field-tested these concepts. Nic and I decided the best way to test the research was to turn it into a training workshop and have salespeople around the world put it to the test, which they did in 2002. This book is a distillation of sales best practices tested in the real world.
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SellXL Workshop – Based on the Book Selling to the C-Suite
The SellXL workshop was created approximately five years ago and seems to be getting increased focus by clients around the world. Clients are finding that the skill of selling at the executive level is essential in these economic times.
Many of the workshop concepts are now contained in the new book, Selling to the C-Suite – which I authored with Nic Read.
Selling at the Executive Level is a one-day, fast-paced interactive workshop that focuses on helping professional salespeople create, maintain and leverage relationships at executive levels in client organizations.
Steps in Establishing a Relationship with a Relevant Executive
The SellXL methodology is basically a five-step process:
- Identify the relevant executive for the sales opportunity
- Determine how best to approach that executive
- Perform the appropriate research prior to an initial meeting with the executive
- Demonstrate integrity and capability over the long-term, so as to be perceived as a trusted advisor by the executive
- Consistently communicate value to the executive
Learning is supported by a compelling business case about a global manufacturer (JKEA International), how its market positioning is driving new corporate initiatives and the competing agendas behind the scenes. Participants study and review the case study as part of the pre-course assignment and then apply activities against the case study during the workshop.
Study and review of the case study are both instrumental to the success of the workshop. One of the reasons that the workshop is able to be delivered in one day is that all the participants are "on the same page" with respect to their knowledge and understanding of the case. Robust discussions about the case take place throughout the workshop.
An integral part of the workshop's success is the credibility of the facilitator. Each SellXL workshop is delivered by an experienced facilitator with significant business-to-business sales experience. The workshop requires facilitators to apply their expertise throughout the day. Inevitably, sales issues not covered by the workshop content arise and each facilitator must rely on his or her sales or sales management experience to address those key issues. As a result, the workshop is very facilitator dependent and, for that reason, SellXL facilitators are carefully selected, trained and certified to ensure their ability to address questions and problems that arise throughout the day.
The concepts and models used in SellXL are, in part, based on the results of interviews and surveys with CXO-level executives to learn what it takes for salespeople to stand out from a sea of look-alike competitors. The developer of the SellXL workshop has participated in original research over a ten-year period with the assistance of Hewlett-Packard Company, the Kenan Flagler Business School of the University of North Carolina and the Center for Business and Industrial Marketing at Georgia State University.
The research described in the paragraph above is an integral part of the book I co-authored with Nic Read - called Selling to the C-Suite. Salespeople who experience the SellXL workshop will find out what CXO-level executives told us about what professional salespeople had to do to establish long-term relationships with them.
For more information on the SellXL workshop, click on this link:
Link to Audio Client Testimonial on SellXL
Hear what a client executive, Steve Tafaro - VP of Sales for Cybershift - says about the SellXL workshop!
To hear his comments, go to this link: http://www.sellxl.com/media/SellXL_testimonial.mp3
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Free Download – Selling to Executives Study Summary
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Click on the thumbnail to the right to download a free summary of studies that examined how client executives view their relationships with professional salespeople.
More information about those studies is also contained in our new book, Selling to the C-Suite.
In addition, the SellXL® workshop content uses many of these summary findings as the basis for content and activities.
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SMT Conference – October 14-16 – Orlando, Florida
Professional Society of Sales and Marketing Training
2009 Annual Conference
Enroll Now – October 14-16, 2009 - @ www.smt.org
Renaissance Orlando Resort @ Seaworld – Orlando, Florida
There's an organization that exists today for Corporate Sales Trainers, Sales Training Consultants and Academics involved in the profession of selling. It's called the Professional Society of Sales and Marketing Training and its website is www.smt.org.
I've been a member of this organization for more than 15 years, and have attended many SMT Annual Conferences. As a Past President of SMT, I can attest to the high quality of these conferences and the rigorous planning that goes into each event. Many leading edge concepts are presented that show attendees the state-of-the-art in new training techniques. Because of the conference size, it also offers an outstanding opportunity to network with virtually every attendee. So you will have a chance to network with consultants, practitioners and academics – all of whom are focused on sales training.
The 2009 Annual Conference will take place in Orlando Florida, from October 14-16. I encourage you to attend this conference and experience the unique value it will deliver to you, personally as well as your organization. Check out the SMT website (www.smt.org) for additional information on the conference.
If you have any questions about SMT, give me a call at (404) 256-1801. I'd enjoy the opportunity to tell you more about this unique organization that is directed specifically at those of us engaged in the wonderful field of sales and marketing training.
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About Steve Bistritz
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Steve Bistritz is founder and president of Learning Solutions International, an Atlanta-based sales training and consulting company that helps professional salespeople do a better job of creating, maintaining and leveraging relationships with senior-level client executives.
Steve also has a powerful opportunity management workshop offering that has been described as "the next generation in opportunity management".
Steve is available as a speaker for sales meetings and client conferences around the globe. He speaks on a variety of topics including the following:
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- Selling at the Executive Level
- Establishing Credibility with Client Executives and Becoming a Trusted Advisor
- Developing Alignment with Key Client Executives
- Effectively Assessing Sales Opportunities
Click here to see video clips of Steve delivering his presentation on Selling at the Executive Level.
You can contact Steve by calling him in Atlanta (eastern time zone in the US) at (404) 256-1801 or sending him an email using steveb@sellxl.com
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