Pitch to High Level Decision Makers – 7 Tips for Making a Lasting Impression

---

Imagine this scenario: you’re a sales rep for a timber manufacturer specialising in CLT panels. Thanks to a referral, you score a meeting with Mirvac's CEO of Development. This is an initial meeting, and if there’s alignment, she may sponsor you down to her project managers. You really don’t want to screw this up. But the more you think about it, the more you begin to doubt your abilities. Do you have what it takes to pull it off? Would she take you seriously without a fancy title? Do you even have the knowledge or business acumen? Now this situation is not unique, as many salespeople fear meetings with high level decision makers.

But don't worry! With a little bit of preparation, even the most average salesperson can impress the c-suite. Here are 7 tips to help you dominate that meeting and make a lasting impact.

Impostor syndrome is a psychological occurrence where individuals doubt their skills, talents, or accomplishments. I’ve seen this happen a lot with salespeople who have a meeting booked with a c-suite exec or a decision maker from a large organisation. They panic and start to tell themselves all sorts of stories about why they don’t have the skills, abilities or knowledge to pull it off. My advice to them often is, it’s important to be self-aware about these limiting internal conversations, and to nip them in the bud early on. Change them into something more empowering as to why you have all of the abilities, tools and resources to do this. No one knows this product more than you. Also remember, behind the fancy title, this person is just like you. A flawed human with their everyday problems. Many even suffer from their own impostor syndrome. And if you show up to that meeting, being armed with an understanding about their role, company and industry, you may just blow their socks off.

Another thing that will help with impostor syndrome is being absolutely prepared with knowledge. When speaking to someone at the top, charm is not enough. It’s critical to know who you’re speaking to and their priorities. For example, a CEO and the Head of Architecture who both work for the same company, will have very different goals and priorities. It’s also wise to be on top of their specific industry jargon. If you’re speaking to an exec at BHP, learn all you can about mining, as well as the industry goals, threats, challenges and trends. This will support you when having a peer to peer conversation. Another layer is taking into consideration the personality type of the individual who you’re speaking with. While some prefer hard facts and data, others may respond better to stories and emotions.

It’s important to refrain from pitching before discovering. We must perfect our questions, before we perfect our pitch. It’s vital to understand the unique buyer’s needs, vision, frustrations, and goals, because without those you will not be able to customise recommendations that resonate. For example, say you sell bathroom products and have a meeting with the lead architect for BHP who is responsible for designing their new state of the art corporate office, you may ask questions like;

What are the high-level goals for this office tower?

What image does BHP want to project to employees and visitors?

What specific needs or pain points exist in the current facilities?

Once you conduct a thorough discovery, it’s fundamental to customise it based on the buyer’s goals, needs, desires and how your products/services will benefit this company, person or team. Say the BHP lead architect tells you that what is important for them is eco-friendly solutions to reduce water usage and energy consumption. And that comfort, hygiene, and aesthetics also matter when considering their purchase. A customised recommendation could include sensor-activated faucets and touchless soap dispensers. As they promote hygiene, reduce water waste, and align with BHP’s sustainability goals. By customising your recommendations to match your buyer’s needs, you demonstrate that you have taken the time to truly understand them.

Most people at the top want quantifiable data and metrics. Be sure to demonstrate the impact of your materials. Show cost savings, reduced maintenance, or increased property value. Explain how your materials contribute to the project’s long-term success. Consider lifecycle costs and benefits. Show them the bigger picture. Contrast the upfront investment to the long-term savings. For example, investing in energy-efficient lighting may cost more initially but pays off through lower electricity bills. By providing tangible numbers, you help the buyer better understand the benefits and risks.

It’s important to know that many decision makers at the top are extremely smart and have a BS radar. They don’t take well to elaborate over promises. So it’s important to be genuine. When pitching, are your projections conservative and based on facts? Telling a high-level decision maker that your products can reduce energy bills by up to 80% and guarantee a payback within five months will sound far-fetched. It’s also important to not be absolute in the ROI. Rather than say, ‘You will have durable long lasting floors.’’ Say, ‘Many of our customers were impressed with how durable these floors were.’’ Also be sure to showcase real life success stories and case studies of other customers just like them.

The first time I realised how important providing value and insights in a sales meeting was, I was doing a presentation for the head of HR for a SaaS company. They were looking into running some sales training for their sales reps. Anyway, this lady was frantically taking notes. At the end of the presentation she told me how she was glad that she came, had learned a lot and wanted to implement some of the points that I shared. So what was I sharing? I shared specific facts, stats and insights about sales, salespeople and making it relatable for their specific sales process, customers and industry. So be sure to bring new information and perspective to the table.

To conclude, what is going to set you apart from your competitors is your expertise, unique insights, genuine curiosity, authenticity, and sincere desire to add value. And most importantly, the belief that you have in yourself and your products.