It’s true the CEO is the ultimate decision maker for anything and everything in a company, but that doesn’t mean he wants to be responsible for everything. The best CEOs have learned to delegate some decisions downward, which can be a challenge for a business development specialist.
So what do you do when you are being pushed down and around an organization? Get yourself back on track by following these tips:
1. Clarify with your prospect exactly what you are offering. Position your offering relative to the overall goals of the prospect’s organization. Otherwise you will be referred to a department leader who could see an appointment with your client as threatening.
2. Explain why the C-Suite is where this call belongs. Communicate to your first point of contact why you feel the person they are recommending would not see value in an appointment. Emphasis that the person responsible for the company’s bottom line – the C-suite – is a more appropriate option. This will help you around the barrier and back to the decision maker.
If after explaining why you believe the call belongs in the C-suite, you are still getting resistance, follow their lead and pursue your new prospect. Don’t forget to reference the name of the person in the C-Suite when contacting your new prospect. This will increase your chances of scheduling an appointment. If you are successful in scheduling an appointment ask your prospect to invite the C-suite into the conversation – which is the key to converting the lead into a sale.
