List Books » Selling to the C-Suite: What Every Executive Wants You to Know About Successfully Selling to the Top
Authors: Nicholas A.C. Read, Stephen J. Bistritz
ISBN-13: 9780071628914, ISBN-10: 0071628916
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies, The
Date Published: August 2009
Edition: (Non-applicable)
Nicholas A.C. Read is president of SalesLabs,
which helps companies drive predictable and
repeatable revenue growth through the application
of improved process, measurement, and
skills. In 2005, he was awarded Winner of the
Best Sales Trainer category in the International
Business Awards, an annual awards show
that has been dubbed “the business world’s
own Oscars” by the New York Post. He splits
his time between North America, Asia, and
Europe.
For more information, go to
www.saleslabs.com.
Stephen J. Bistritz, Ed.D., has more than
four decades of high-technology sales, sales
management, and training management experience
dealing with companies ranging
from start-ups to global leaders. He is currently
president of his own sales training and
consulting firm based in Atlanta, Georgia.
For more information, go to
www.sellxl.com.
CEOs Reveal the Secrets for
Selling to the Top
“The business world is drowning in a flood of sales books. The trouble is that most
of these books are about how to sell, without a clue about how customers buy. . . .
This book is different. It is firmly rooted in how people buy and so it works.”
—NEIL RACKHAM, author of SPIN Selling
“Those new to executive sales 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, Inc.
“If you’ve always wondered how the other sales guy got to the CEO and you
didn’t, start reading this book and earn serious commissions!”
—LINDSAY LYON, CEO, Mobilarm, and former GM
Commercial Sales for Hewlett-Packard Australia
“Nic Read and Dr. Bistritz have done a masterful job summarizing how to
approach and sell to executives. If you read this and apply its secrets, you’ll
win more, more of the time.”
—MICHAEL GALLAGHER, President, The Stevie Awards
for Sales & Customer Service
“Practical advice on how to get to the decision-makers in the context of sales . . .
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, former Vice President, Alcoa China
"We hear a lot about being a Trusted Advisor, but what does that really mean? The authors clearly define that role with the insight, definition and actions required to establish and sustain credible value-based engagements with senior executives. If your success depends on being engaged early in your customer’s decision process and you’re in a market that demands value based differentiation then this is a must read."
—GARY SUMMY, Direct Sales Development, Trane Commercial Systems, and Directors of the Strategic Account Management Association (SAMA)
"Selling to the C-Suite uncovers what were once 'mysterious secrets' of effectively approaching and building long lasting relationships with relevant executives. It is a no-nonsense playbook for a win-win sales approach, credible, applicable and powerful.”
—RAFAELA REYES, Senior Training & Development Manager, Brother International
"As an educator on the college level teaching professional selling, I found this book to be invaluable if you are interested in learning how to sell to the top executives. Not only does it help you understand when to engage the executive, it also tells you how to get access. If that was not enough the book also focuses on how to create value and build credibility with the executives."
—DAN C. WEILBAKER, Ph.D., McKesson Pharmaceutical Group Professor of Sales, Northern Illinois University
"Steve and Nic provide a great history lesson that helps us understand why Marketing and Sales is different in the new millennium and provides the research background to prove their points. If you want to become effective at the C-Suite, this bookits references, models, and tools[is] incredible."
—JIM GRAHAM, former Chief Learning Officer, R.R. Donnelley
"To not adopt these concepts puts you at risk to being left out in the lobby, while your competitor is in the client’s boardroom."
—MICHAEL BOLAND, coauthor of Get-Real Selling
"Too many salespeople have no idea if they're winning or losing, and it's usually because they're meeting the wrong people and asking the wrong questions too low down the food chain. As a result, their sales forecasts are no better than a lottery. This book pulls no punches in showing why sales and marketing fails to connect to executives, and what to do about it."
—GORDON CLUBB, Managing Director, SAS Institute Australia & New Zealand
"This is a very practical approach to calling on executives. The authors tell us why it is important and how to do it. Getting access to the executive level is one battle, but knowing what to talk to them about when you get there is another. . . . Every organization calling on Fortune 1000 companies needs this information."
—RENIE MCCLAY, former president of the Professional Society for Sales and Marketing Training (SMT)
“Great information on a critical topic for all salespeople. The sale to an executive is made during the questioning process, not in your product presentation. You can’t sell anything to an executive until you have first sold yourself.”
—DUANE SPARKS, author of Action Selling and Chairman of The Sales Board
Nicholas A.C. Read is president of SalesLabs,
which helps companies drive predictable and
repeatable revenue growth through the application
of improved process, measurement, and
skills. In 2005, he was awarded Winner of the
Best Sales Trainer category in the International
Business Awards, an annual awards show
that has been dubbed “the business world’s
own Oscars” by the New York Post. He splits
his time between North America, Asia, and
Europe.
For more information, go to
www.saleslabs.com.
Stephen J. Bistritz, Ed.D., has more than
four decades of high-technology sales, sales
management, and training management experience
dealing with companies ranging
from start-ups to global leaders. He is currently
president of his own sales training and
consulting firm based in Atlanta, Georgia.
For more information, go to
www.sellxl.com.
Ch. 1 When Do Executives Get Involved in the Decision Process? 1
Ch. 2 A Brave New World for Sales and Marketing 25
Ch. 3 Understanding What Executives Want 47
Ch. 4 How to Gain Access to the Executive Level 69
Ch. 5 How to Establish Credibility at the Executive Level 101
Ch. 6 How to Create Value at the Executive Level 123
Ch. 7 Cultivating Loyalty at the C-Suite 141
Afterword 157
App. 1 Guide to Customer Research 165
App. 2 Tools for Building the Executive Relationship 173
Notes 185
Recommended Associations 187
Recommended Reading 191
Index 197