BY Jessica Helinski
Do you demonstrate executive presence in sales? This key skill is essential to getting C‑suite execs’ attention, trust and interest.
What is executive presence?
First, sellers must understand what executive presence is before they can emulate it. According to Duarte, executive presence is:
“a collection of traits, behaviors and communication skills that help professionals establish authority in their field, project confidence and build trust with audiences of all sizes.”
It’s important to have because selling to executives requires a completely different approach than typical prospects. These buyers are more time-strapped, discerning and critical.
A winning approach
When selling to the C‑suite, you’ll likely have little time, and first impressions are more important than ever. Demonstrating executive presence effectively is key.
“Your executive presence sets the tone before you even get into the pitch,” explains AdMall Director of Sales Denise Gibson.
“When you’re meeting with a C‑suite executive, you need to communicate confidence, credibility and a clear understanding of their business from the very first interaction.”
SBI’s David Jacoby shares an approach that he believes helps sellers do just that. He calls it fast framing, and it includes three steps.
“Fast framing involves leading with the answer, then providing context, instead of building up to a conclusion the senior executive must wait for,” he explains.
“Fortunately, fast framing is a communication skill that you can learn, practice and master.”
Preparing
The very first step to establishing executive presence in sales is to prepare. And this should go even deeper than your usual pre-call research. Start with the usual: the executive’s business, growth strategy, pain points, financial performance, etc. This knowledge will improve senior decision-makers.
Once you’ve uncovered those, Jacoby says it’s time to form a hypothesis about their top priorities and motivations. What needle do they want to move most? What inspires them most to action?
Then, it’s time to establish a very specific goal for the meeting. Instead of focusing on a generic outcome, like building rapport, choose a more actionable goal, like setting a follow-up meeting along with their key decision-makers.
Next, he recommends meticulously building a call plan that should, at the minimum, include questions you want to ask, questions and objections you expect to hear, your customized value proposition, and of course, your responses to each. As our research in this field shows, 58.4% of these de
“Fluency with your own solutions comes from considering how they apply to this specific executive's situation, not a generic pitch,” he writes.
“The ability to state a position in one or two sentences comes from organizing your thinking before the meeting, not during it.”
Prepping for the call is definitely a time when role-playing can be very helpful. Find someone who isn’t afraid to play the exec role and challenge you. This practice will help you grow more confident in your exchanges and able to navigate tough discussions.
Meeting
Once the meeting starts, the second fast framing requires you to get to the point quickly. Start with your main takeaway, then explain the reasoning behind it.
Executives want to understand the business value you bring, what sets your solution apart, and how it addresses their most pressing priorities. The sooner you do that, the sooner you have their genuine interest.
Further demonstrate executive presence by confidently expressing your position.
“Executives choose partners who take a stance, even a debatable one, over sellers who hedge every answer to avoid disagreement,” Jacoby points out.
“A bold, well-reasoned position, paired with room for the executive to shape or challenge it, signals confidence.”
Following up
After the meeting, don’t bother with a generic follow-up thank you for the third step. Instead, send a note that does thank them, but also goes deeper, capturing takeaways from the meeting, the next steps and a call to action if applicable.
Then, do your own post-meeting “debrief.” What worked? What didn’t? Analyze everything from the objections they raised to their mannerisms. This helps you prepare for the next meeting, as well as those down the road with other execs.
These debriefs will soon add up and lead to recognizing patterns that you can then adapt to each time. You’ll find your executive presence coming more naturally and your ability to instantly capture execs’ interest, and business, growing stronger.
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com M on Unsplash
