The Power of Value Selling

5Think Like an Executive

Kate has a call scheduled for next week that could make or break her quarter.

It's been weeks in the making. Finally, after working with a large team of committed managers to solve a customer‐service problem, she has an opportunity to meet with Andrea, the CFO responsible for making the final decision.

Now what? How will this meeting be different than the countless other meetings she has had with department heads and team leaders? How will the conversation contrast with every other sales call she has made?

She knows three things are table stakes:

1. She has to demonstrate that she understands her business.
2. She has to add relevance to the conversation and bring insight.
3. She has to earn the right to continue the conversation and further advance the opportunity.

Fantastic! Except, how does she actually accomplish these things, and where should she start?

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Every company has various levels of decision‐makers and decision‐influencers, each with different perspectives and roles in the buying process. At times, you'll meet with the individuals who use your products and services. Other times, you're talking to the individuals who create specifications and product requirements but don't actually use the products themselves. And then there are those magic moments: the times when you have the privilege of speaking with the executives who lead those teams and will ultimately have the authority to make and execute a buying decision.

These senior executives handle ...