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Creating Lasting Impressions with CxOs: Closing Sales in the Digital Space

As digital transformation is solidified, business leaders and salespeople are making the best of both virtual and physical spaces for their professional dealings. In fact, HubSpot found that 63% of sales leaders believe that virtual sales meetings are just as or more effective than face-to-face meetings. On the customer side, 75% of B2B customers prefer remote sales interactions over face-to-face, according to McKinsey.  

So, while the age-old skill of reading body language to gauge interest levels and finishing a meeting with a firm handshake can still play a part in your in-person sales meetings, the virtual space holds just as much promise.  

McKinsey predicts that hybrid sales strategies will dominate by 2024, meaning that salespeople need to continue honing their in-person skills while building up further virtual communication capabilities to ensure success.  

As a salesperson, how can you leverage the best of both worlds to make a lasting impression with CxOs and successfully close deals in a digital space? 

1. Network

The fundamental tool of any salesperson, networking has evolved in recent years to encompass both physical and virtual events. The refinement of virtual networking has rapidly solved the issue of distance for many professionals, enabling the creation of vibrant digital communities where people can make connections, work together, and share knowledge regardless of location. 

Getting involved in different LinkedIn groups, for example, can be beneficial when trying to establish a network of people in specific industries or shared interests. They’re already in the same space, ready to connect with you. This greatly increases the quality of contacts you can make and allows the easier establishment of relationships.  

Virtually networking also presents a larger opportunity to network with executives who are farther away – allowing you to break into newer markets – and communicate on the go. The digital space gives salespeople the opportunity for a more targeted approach to networking.  

Having said that, it’s important nowadays for salespeople to learn how to bring digital connections into the real world. For example, you could attend in-person networking events and connect with prospects that you’ve already linked with online. Meeting face-to-face after establishing a virtual connection is a great way to strengthen that professional relationship. The same can be done and vice versa – where you meet a prospect in-person and continue to strengthen that relationship in the digital space via LinkedIn or follow-up emails.  

Adopt a multichannel approach to networking. 

2. Be Active in Insights Sessions

More and more businesses are offering online events now that allow participants from across the globe or a specific target region to come together in a virtual space. From panels to forums, trend discussions, and knowledge sharing by experts – these are all excellent spaces for salespeople to not only keep up with the latest trends in their market but also to meet prospects.  

Of course, there’s no point in attending these virtual events if you’re not going to participate and be heard. As a salesperson, you need to make an impression. When you’re in a virtual space where you are either a tiny little box on someone’s screen or not even visible in the session, the only way to stand out is to speak up. Ask questions, offer insights, and talk about your own experiences where relevant. 

Being engaged in insights sessions with prospects is a surefire way to get yourself noticed. This will translate to prospects remembering you and therefore being more open to talking to you. That’s a foot in the door. From there, you’re free to work your sales charm and get a meeting! 

This can look like connecting with other attendees on LinkedIn who were vocal during the session by commenting on their questions or insights. Share your thoughts on what they said and start building a relationship with potential new prospects. 

3. Be An Excellent Listener

Once you’ve connected with a prospect and secured a meeting, you must continue bringing your A-game. As a seasoned salesperson, you understand the value of listening during a sales call. Online, you won’t have the ability to properly read body language. This leaves you with the alternative of clear and precise communication which can only be achieved with active listening. When you listen to your prospect with empathy, you will be able to ask the right open-ended questions to generate better discussions in your sales meetings.  

At the end of the day, people want to buy from those they trust and who they feel care about their well-being, understand their pain points, and actively seek to alleviate their concerns. This is the same both offline and online. Work at creating a lasting and memorable impression of yourself as a valuable business asset to your clients, not as a salesperson. 

Once you learn to effectively build trust by asking the right questions and matching their answers to your solutions, you’ll find that deals will flow like wildfire even during trying times.  

Check out our 5 Virtual Sales Meetings Tips to help you impress CxOs at your next meeting.

4. Maintain Confidence

Confidence in sales, whether face-to-face or online, will always stand to have the most chance of securing a deal. As businesses start to emerge on the other side of a pandemic – and are navigating an accelerated digital transformation wave – it is natural to uncertain in unchartered waters. CxOs may be more cautious with their investments and business strategy. As a salesperson, your job is to try and cut through that hesitance. 

An effective way to maintain your confidence is to plan out your meeting agendas and have a strong closing prepared when networking or during sales meetings. A well-thought-out closing strategy will help greatly in calming your nerves and being prepared for both expected and sudden client situations.  

As per The Ultimate Guide To Closing The Sale by Resourceful Selling, be a top seller by “remaining upbeat, even when dealing with pessimistic prospects.” 

“[Top sellers] don’t feel bad for themselves, even when a sale fails to close. They maintain enthusiasm by repeating positive affirmations to themselves, such as, ‘I will close the sale because I have the best product.’” 

For a further boost on how to ensure a successful virtual meeting with a senior prospect, check out our article on 7 Tips To Rock Your Virtual 1-to-1 CXO Meetings. 

5. Be Prepared to Handle Objections

You are probably familiar with objections. Facing these online can seem daunting, given the lack of body language cues and the ability to turn on your sales charm for prospects. However, learning to handle sales objections online can save you a lot of grief and time. 

A key factor in successfully turning around objections is to be prepared for them, especially since virtual meetings with prospects tend to be short. However, the added benefit of virtual spaces is that you can instantly pull up relevant information, stats, or case studies to address unexpected objections. Did your prospect ask a question you weren’t expecting? No problem. You can immediately look up the right information during the call to address their objection and turn it around. 

Embrace sales objections as part of the process and take it as a chance to nudge your prospects along their journey. Be on their radar to ensure visibility and make sure to follow up – with an email, perhaps with an in-person meeting to demonstrate your solutions in more detail. 

Read our article on How to Handle & Turn Around Sales Objections for more insights and tips. 

“It’s not your customer’s job to remember you. It is your obligation and responsibility to make sure they don’t have the chance to forget you.” – Patricia Fripp, executive speech coach and sales presentation skills trainer.   

In Conclusion 

We are firmly in the new normal and online meetings have become permanent fixtures in most organizations. Mastering the hybrid sales strategy means finding ways to leverage both in-person and virtual spaces to your advantage. Focus just as much on perfecting your skills in virtual meetings as converting your digital connections into the real world. Effective and efficient communication, especially, is a key differentiator that can significantly separate you from your competitors in creating a lasting impression among CxOs, closing sales, and enhancing your brand in the digital space. 

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How To Find C-Suite Prospects Online

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Sales and marketing professionals often deal with clients and their representatives who, more often than not, have little decision power. And after all the negotiations and verbal agreements, you hear them say that they’ll need some time to present the deal to their supervisors.

And then there are moments when you lose the contact and end up having to start from scratch, which can be extremely frustrating. Going through the motions of finding that contact again can cost you precious time that could have been better spent on getting another client.

This is why it’s important to be able to quickly identify and prospect the right C-suite executive, thus improving your chances of sealing the deal.

 

Prospecting Top-Level Clients For B2B Sales

Usually, for B2B sales, C-suite executives have the final decision power as they are the ones who’ll be cutting the paycheck. However, thinking that a C-suite will always agree for a meeting with you is impractical. You have to smartly identify high-level clients in the deal and work to get them included in the negotiation process. In this article, we’ll look at some of the ways you can identify and connect with key clients online.

 

1. Be prepared and know what you’re offering

The first step you should take in online prospecting is to be well-versed in your product. Knowing your solution in minute detail will not only prepare you for all lines of product questions, but it will also help you to identify the right top executive for your particular product.

This is especially true for products that are made solely for a single department or function, where you need to identify the correct client for the product or you’ll end up wasting your efforts.

As C-suites are a busy group, it’s hard to get them to agree for a short online meeting. So when you do get the chance to connect with them, you need to utilize it to the fullest and be quick on your feet. Thus, having complete knowledge of the product is necessary for effectively capturing your prospect’s attention and making a lasting impression.

 

2. Identify decision makers by their common qualities

As you become more experienced in the sales environment, you’ll learn to identify decision makers by some of their common qualities. Certain aspects, such as their title or tenure, can give you a clearer picture of their decision-making power. And with more and more business leaders having online profiles on professional networking platforms, finding the right prospect for your solution is easier than before.

A surefire way of identifying decision makers is through LinkedIn. Using the site’s proprietary search filters and common connection feature, you can search for anyone in an organization and access their information like their titles and role in a company.

To further narrow your prospecting search, you can also view the business networking groups or online discussion boards that your target clients are participating in. These can provide valuable insights in their business needs and objectives that may be related to your product or the pain points that your solution can solve.

 

3. Know everything about the company

Identifying your prospects is not the end of your prospecting. Once you have confirmed your target client, you need to learn as much as possible about their company. From the organizational chart to the firm’s mission and industry trends, the more research you perform on the company, the more targeted and in-depth your sales pitch will be.

Especially in B2B sales, knowing the industrial needs and challenges your prospect faces can guide you in generating a personalized sales pitch that better fits your targeted prospect’s objectives. With ample online news portals and market research platforms available, be sure to read up on the latest news and trends of your prospect’s organization and industry.

Understanding the organizational structure will also help you to pinpoint other decision makers that might be involved in a sales purchase. Certain major business decisions may involve multiple stakeholders so be sure to include this possibility in your prospecting strategy to prevent any surprises or hiccups in your sales process.

 

4. Don’t be afraid to use your connections

In a B2B environment, the biggest resource for increasing prospects is the existing customer pool, which lets you identify and meet C-suite executives more effectively. Data indicates that having a referral can significantly increase your chances of getting a meeting with a B2B prospect by 50%. With a strong referral, you’ll know exactly who the actual decision makers are and can approach them with complete confidence.

Professional referrals are not the only way to approach a potential C-suite client. Dorie Clark, the author of ‘Reinventing You’ believes that finding a common friend can significantly increase your credibility. “When a friend makes the introduction, the person you want to meet will view you as a colleague, someone like them, rather than a stranger impinging on their time,” says Clark.

In LinkedIn, for instance, you can easily see if you are connected to your prospect through a 1st-degree contact.  Whether your connection is a mutual friend or a business associate of your target client, that extended connection can be utilized as a starting point to building relations.

 

5. Work your way up

More often than not, the people that will help you identify your prospect are the gatekeepers and assistants. In addition to being the trusted resource of a C-suite, these gatekeepers and personal assistants can be a great source of information for you. This is another way how the organizational chart and profiles of company employees can prove useful in your prospecting.

For example, when viewing the LinkedIn profile of your prospects, take note of other company staff that they are connected to and keep an eye on their job title. Employees with titles such as Executive Assistant or Secretary usually work closely with the C-suites, and can aid in connecting you with your prospect.

By building a rapport with them, you’ll be able to find out more about the responsibilities and the strategies of the decision makers. You’ll also be able to use that information to identify the correct decision makers and take pointers on how to keep the C-suite engaged during a meeting.

 

6. Don’t be afraid to ask questions

Finally, remember that it’s alright to ask questions from your point of contact in the organization.

Everyone likes to show outsiders that they are important but it can be insensitive (and more importantly, unprofessional!) to ask someone if they are the decision maker in the company. However, you can be smart about it and extract the information you need through other means.

When prospecting for your client, and once you have established a closer relationship, you can ask questions in your online chats and meetings like ‘What does your supervisor expect from this transaction?’ or ‘How long will the approval process be?’ By asking these questions, you can get a fair idea of how much power your current point of contact has and how much work you’ll have to do to finalize the deal with the company’s C-suite.

 

Conclusion

B2B sales have evolved greatly from simple cold calling and lead generation, shifting further into digital strategies. In the current times, you need to be even more efficient and vigilant due to the tough competition in the market, and fully utilize the benefits of the online landscape. Maximizing your online prospecting combined with online sales strategies will give you that extra boost in gaining quality leads and increasing your competitive position.

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Decision-Making In Times Of Crisis

As a leader, how can you give clarity and make good decisions when the unexpected hits your organization?

The best way is to take one step at a time. First, take stock of the situation by talking with your team, advisors, and colleagues. If you’re the CEO, discuss with the board as well. Then it’s time for thinking, considering options and planning scenarios.

So how do you consider the angles and make the best decision possible?

Being Resilient

The two key factors of resilience, and bouncing forward from an unexpected situation, are flexible thoughts and social flexibility.

Having flexible thoughts means moving away from the usual ‘this is how it has always been done’ methods, and challenging your thinking to solutions which might even feel impossible. The latter key factor, social flexibility, stands for seeking advice with genuine intention to consider the inputs received, not to strengthen one’s own beliefs.

At the end of the day, decisions are needed to steer your team forward. Indecisiveness, especially during a crisis, drains and defuses energy for everyone involved.

Steps To Making Decisions During A Crisis

  • Talk with your team – Be honest about your concerns and insecurities, but present at least a couple of options that you have considered. Do they agree? Would they add something totally different? Why? Take time for these discussions.
  • Reach out to your network – The world is now full of leaders who are contemplating on various decisions for their organization. Peer support and acting as sounding boards to one another can be more valuable than ever.
  • Keep daily notes – Keep track of team meetings, discussions and the development of key items. You might start to find patterns or problem-solving sequences from the earlier meetings you had.
  • Don’t be afraid to alter – If the situation changes, you can always come back from a decision. It’s not a mistake to pull back from one if the outlook or future shifts, especially if a possibly bigger risk may occur when sticking to a decision.
  • Prioritize yourself – Your organization needs your leadership and presence. Sleep, exercise, plug off to relax your thoughts – quality decision-making suffers quickly when we are sleep-deprived, stressed and anxious. You’ll be doing your people a huge favor by making sure you appear on the morning video conference with a smile and greeting them with confidence.

Getting used to short-term planning with long-term recovery and success in mind is a new situation for many.

Keeping a diary of these weeks and months can benefit you largely in the future. New routines, practices, and in the best case, innovations will come out from this massive learning opportunity that all leaders of the world are currently facing.

Let’s do our best to capture the good outcomes of this situation while we fight the crisis!

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Mensch und Marke am Scheideweg – eine Frage des Vertrauens

Das Ringen um Aufmerksamkeit beim Kunden wird zunehmend härter: online, offline und mobil. Globaler Wettbewerb und zunehmende Vergleichbarkeit sorgen für schwindende Markenloyalität, die Konkurrenz scheint oft nur einen Klick entfernt. Hinzu kommt, dass Konsumenten heute zwischen verschiedenen Geräten wechseln und auf unterschiedlichsten Kanälen mit Marken interagieren. Die klassische Customer Journey wird seit Jahren komplexer, ein ehemals präzises Bild möglicher Interessenten verschwimmt zusehends mit der steigenden Anzahl an Touchpoints, die Unternehmen heute bieten (müssen).

Christoph Kull

Wer in diesen Zeiten nun einfach die eigene „Lautstärke“ erhöht, um noch Gehör zu finden, trägt meiner Meinung nach zum kollektiven Dilemma bei, in dem wir uns befinden. Ein erhöhtes Grundrauschen ist kontraproduktiv, ressourcenintensiv auf Unternehmensseite und für Konsumenten wird es bestenfalls unübersichtlicher, oftmals leider anstrengender. Wirklich zum Kunden durchdringen kann heute nur, wer konsequent auf Relevanz statt auf Marktschreier-Mentalität setzt. Voraussetzung dafür ist jedoch ein präzises Bild der (potentiellen) Kunden, um diese hochpersonalisierte Ansprache und individuelle Relevanz erfolgreich anbieten zu können. Das funktioniert nur über Daten und an dieser Stelle kommt Vertrauen ins Spiel.

Vertrauen ist der Schlüssel jeder erfolgreichen (Kunden-)Beziehung

Was zeichnet eine gute Beziehung zwischen Mensch und Marke aus? Zum einen sicherlich eine gute Erreichbarkeit im Bedarfsfall und eine hohe Konsistenz in Aussage und Markenauftritt über alle Kanäle. Zum anderen aber – und da unterscheidet sich die Kundenbeziehung nicht sonderlich von der zwischenmenschlichen – entscheidet das Vertrauen über die Qualität der jeweiligen Beziehung. Wer die Datenschutzgrundverordnung (DSGVO), die jüngste Rechtsprechung des EuGH zur Opt-in Pflicht für Trackingtools oder den fortschreitenden Standard populärer Browser, Drittanbieter-Cookies automatisch zu blocken nun verantwortlich für schwindenden Kundenkontakt macht, sollte sich fragen, welche Art von Beziehung das eigene Unternehmen bislang zu seinen Kunden unterhält. Ich bin überzeugt, dass wir an einem Punkt angekommen sind, an dem Marken das Verhältnis zu ihren Kunden überdenken und neu definieren sollten.

Für echte Beziehungen gibt es keinen Shortcut: Vertrauen wird langsam aufgebaut und ist ein hohes Gut, mit dem wir behutsam umgehen müssen. In keinem Fall erscheint es mehr ratsam, dies in die Hände Dritter zu legen. Anders gesagt: Marken sollten es zu einer ihrer ureigenen Kompetenzen machen, das Vertrauen ihrer Kunden zu gewinnen und zu pflegen. Dafür sind Transparenz und Wahlfreiheit gefragt: In einer neuen Beziehung lernen wir unseren Partner schließlich auch Schritt für Schritt besser kennen. Manches erzählt man gleich beim ersten Treffen, persönlichere Details geben wir erst preis, wenn wir dem Anderen vertrauen. Gleiches gilt auch für die Beziehung zwischen Marke und Kunde: Vertrauen und ein klar ersichtlicher Mehrwert, dass auf Basis von besseren Daten auch das Kundenerlebnis viel besser wird, sind entscheidend, um eine echte, langfristige Beziehung zu etablieren und authentisch mit den eigenen Kunden kommunizieren zu können. Der Weg zu diesem neuen Verhältnis führt meiner Meinung nach zwangsläufig über die eigene Datenwirtschaft. First Party Data ist der ehrliche unverstellte Blick auf die Qualität meiner Kundenbeziehungen. Das zeigt auch unsere im vergangenen Herbst veröffentlichte Studie „Across the Ages“: Für ein besseres Kundenerlebnis würde die Mehrheit der Konsumenten ihre Daten durchaus mit einer Marke teilen – sofern sie dieser vertrauen.

Je größer das Vertrauen im Laufe der Beziehung wird, desto eher sind Kunden bereit, weitere Daten mit einer Marke zu teilen – diese können sich mit dem Einlösen Ihres Versprechens von passgenaueren Informationen und Angeboten revanchieren. Das wiederum steigert die Kundenzufriedenheit und damit auch ihre Loyalität. Wer in diese Form von Beziehung investiert, hebt sich von der Konkurrenz ab und investiert in die eigene Wettbewerbsfähigkeit.

Autor: Christoph Kull

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No Business without IT

Wanting to implement innovations quickly, companies often develop digital process inside the different departments without the adequate involvement of IT. This leads to isolated solutions within the organization. But solutions can only deliver true added value for the entire company if they can be scaled and integrated with each other.

The digital transformation has reached the company. However, departments often introduce SaaS-based applications on their own, or they develop their own solutions. This leads to the uncontrolled growth of incompatible systems.

 

Examples of isolated solutions in a production operation

  1. The purchasing department has a platform for supplier management that enables digital purchase orders. The specifications and volumes, on the other hand, are e-mailed to the production department and must then be entered manually.
  2. The sales department uses an independently developed web portal that provides customers with 3D models of products, which can then be customized. However, the product information is manually entered into the tool since the interface to the product information management system does not work properly.
  3. Production uses a manufacturing execution system that digitally displays the various production steps. But forecasts about production capacity, the finishing of individual products and defective products must be determined manually by analysis and provided to other departments as Excel reports.
  4. The development department uses a CAD system that sends drawings directly to the various machines. But the department is missing the experience data for cost-effective and reliable materials from production and purchasing.

This means that manual interfaces are required to exchange data, but they also represent a potential source of error. Therefore the systems should be integrated across the departments to warrant complete data integrity and availability.

In the case of a production company, this would allow customers to modify their product during the production process, actually see the progress and track the shipment in the web portal. The supplier management tool automatically receives data on current purchase orders and inventories. Supplier orders are automatically adjusted based on forecasts for product demand. And the development department always has access to current prices and production experience. The result: the cost-effective and efficient series production of individual products.

The role of IT in the digitization process: from service provider and enabler to driver

As a result, digitization requires a holistic approach for companies, their value chains and in particular their IT organizations. But IT must also accept and be allowed to practice this new role. In practice, it often finds itself trying to balance the requirements for rapid, efficient, agile, scalable and innovative digitization in the company with the growing IT independence of the various departments. These often view the IT organization as a hindrance, inflexible or old-fashioned. And so they go ahead and do their own thing – using Cloud services or external developers.

But it is exactly these types of isolated solutions that frequently lead to rising administrative expenses, more complexity and not least increased security risks since the existing governance requirements and guidelines do not cover these cases. The result:

Therefore the IT department (whether the other departments like or not) must strictly control the use of customized solutions and approaches during the digitization process. But by doing so, it cannot act primarily as a hindrance, but rather as the keeper and enabler of new business models. The IT department has several trump cards over its colleagues in the other departments: It focuses on what is good for the entire company and it has the flexibility to pro-actively find the required service providers. In addition, it can organize or manage tenders to negotiate the best terms with external providers.

The new IT organization: DevOps, agility and business partnering

To complete this transformation, IT departments must develop and pave the way for the future particularly with regard to the IT organization, business centricity and technology. They must assume responsibility for the scalability of the new digital solutions. In addition, they must ensure that processes are fully thought through, developed and automated, and that they can be integrated into the overall organization in a flexible and (if needed) agile manner.

This means: The processes in the IT department are increasingly changing in the direction of an agile collaboration with departments. Moreover, the IT team increasingly assumes advisory and managing functions. To this end, it must push for the following:

  1. recruit employees with the right skills, who understand agile methods and carry them into the company
  2. make data-based decisions on the basis of Data Analytics and prevent incorrect decisions due to a lack of skill or information
  3. despite higher levels of security, reduce the complexity in the operation while remaining flexible to reduce the required amount of time and resources
  4. lower IT costs with transparent IT controlling and service management to remain competitive
  5. develop and implement an IT sourcing strategy to speed up the process of finding the right service providers and concentrate on processes that differentiate the company from the competition

In addition, interdisciplinary DevOps Teams in the IT department also help to increase software quality and availability and therefore customer satisfaction. Business Centricity must also be improved (or introduced), and a detailed understanding must be created for the company’s business processes and value creation. To this end, the IT department must develop joint solutions with the other departments.

This can be done with:

1. Professional Partner/Business Centricity: IT developments are often based on the viewpoint of management. Therefore IT must see itself as a partner in the development of joint ideas and solutions to ensure rapid and flexible compliance with business requirements and to guarantee competitiveness.

2. Co-Innovation: Co-Innovation: Innovations are led and promoted jointly by IT and the departments. Particularly in agile environments, this means that IT experts work in teams with staff from other departments so that the steadily changing requirements can be met as much as possible and the investment expenditures are fairly distributed over the participating departments.

3. IT Service Management: The coordination between the service provider and the service recipient is intensified. Here too, it is all about promoting and practicing small and flexible partnerships between IT and its internal clients, so that technological changes and opportunities can be tailored to the requirements of the business. This provides a high degree of automation for standard business processes.  amirite?!

On the whole, it means that the existing employees in the IT department must increase their knowledge and skills for supporting business processes because company-wide innovations require IT departments to take a close look at the new requirements and the associated fundamental technological developments, which promise a lot of added value for all departments today.

They primarily include:

1. Cloud Computing such as IaaS, PaaS or SaaS to address the need for flexibility, efficiency, productivity and scalability, and to facilitate the collaboration of the teams.

2. Platforms for improving and accelerating processes to reduce manual error sources.

3. Analyses of Big Data (Analytics), so that relevant information from customer data, deliveries, orders, transactions, product details or manufacturer information can be extracted in a very short time (e.g. to improve the pricing process).

4. The IT-Security, which must always be scrutinized so that the required security concepts can be developed for the current company-specific structures and requirements, which also provide the requisite protection for critical business data in the digitization age.

It is only by including these issues that IT has the flexibility to meet the requirements of the departments, while also guaranteeing the company’s security and efficiency.

Conclusion

The idea of aligning the IT department to the digital transformation of the entire company sounds pretty simple in theory: It “only” has to make its own organization agile, maintain a strong connection to the business, focus on the main technological trends and actively promote these to management and the various departments.

However, this fundamentally changes the conduct of IT as a service provider and requires significant restructuring of the IT organization and its resources. In practice, the IT department must also become an enabler for employees.

At the same time, it must manage on-going operations and provide sufficient resources for modernization and the introduction of new approaches and technologies.

Therefore, in order to achieve an optimum and successful digitization process, IT departments should be considerably strengthened with regard to their skills and impact – or they should take the initiative in this regard. An IT transformation is not possible without a mature and enabled IT department that is viewed as a partner by the business. And without an IT transformation, there can be no long-term and sustainable company-wide digital transformation.

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Alistair Gosling: Integrating An Overall Perspective For Giga Project Owners

Alistair Gosling has built a foundation of experiences throughout his 25-year plus career within a wide gamut of industries such as media, marketing, licensing, and destination development. He now joins one of the biggest public-private partnership (PPP) projects to date with the entertainment giga-project Qiddiya, the 334-square-km sports, entertainment and cultural phenomenon that’s being developed in Saudi Arabia.

As the founder and CEO of EXTREME and an Advisory Board Member of Qiddiya, Gosling shares with us insights on the opportunities, challenges, and necessary qualities needed to be part of the biggest PPP project in the world.

Alistair_Gosling_PPP

Finding the Strengths in Public-Private Partnerships

As Saudi Arabia opened its doors to international tourism, future developments are starting to take shape within the region with giga-projects such as NEOM, the Red Sea Project, and Qiddiya. This provided a unique opportunity for Gosling to give insight into the strengths and advantages that Giga PPP projects bring beyond the typical public-private partnerships.

Gosling currently acts as an Advisory Board Member of Qiddiya, and even though it’s still in the early stages of PPP, the Giga project is already projecting similar benefits to large infrastructure projects within the UK, Georgia, and Saudi Arabia. “When you have PPP working well, you get the benefit of an entrepreneurial spirit from the private side baked in with the strength, the weight, and the ability to get things done by the public side.”

While Gosling is quick to note that Qiddiya is still in its early stages and is yet to provide concrete benefits for the region, based on the numerous global PPP projects he’s seen and been part of, the advantages of having government support (either in finance, land, etc.) will seamlessly work with the private side to bring speed and efficiency.

Building up The Bidders and Balancing Partnerships

Attracting investors to channel their resources towards PPP projects requires a delicate balance between government support and providing benefits to private organizations. However, Qiddiya finds itself at a unique stage as major businesses have shown support for the Giga project.

“The announcement between Samsung and Qiddiya in the conference at Riyadh is a good example of major public-private partnerships that will be key in driving more investors.” Gosling continues, “There’s always challenges (with attracting bidders) but having Samsung announce a major partnership with Qiddiya, they are one of the first and others will follow.”

And with the prospect of major investors to follow suit, there needs to be a balance between investors and the government to ensure both sides get their fair share. For Gosling, he believes it’s about creating a “win-win situation for both parties.” To manage negotiations without giving the bidder an advantageous position, Gosling notes the need for strict government procurement processes within Qiddiya to ensure fairness, allowing for both sides to win.

Patience Is Key and Mitigating Risks

To be an Advisory Board Member for one of the largest infrastructure projects in the world, Gosling understands the need to wield his 25 years of experience in destination development to steer Qiddiya into success while still limiting the social and environmental consequences, and any unexpected costs or delays.

“Patience in public-private partnerships is number 1,” he notes. “As well as being very thorough, but also being very steady and having a lot of patience in these partnerships. And you have to look at the other side and understand what their objectives are, and try to ensure that you fit within that framework and what they are doing from an overall perspective.”

Given the size of the Qiddiya, there’s bound to be risks involved in the development of these Giga project infrastructures and Gosling is well aware that handling unexpected costs and schedule overruns can be challenging.

“You just have to follow the general system,” Gosling mentions. He also notes that when it comes to delays or risks, organizations need to “manage the risk and mitigate as best as they can from an overall perspective.”

The Role of Leadership and Community for a Successful PPP

The foundation of successful public-private partnerships relies on numerous factors, one of them being effective business leadership. For Gosling, leadership roles are all about “finding the opportunities, understanding the other side as much as possible, finding the fit between the sectors (whether you’re from the private or public side of partnership), and building it out from there.”

Beyond the leadership, the support of the communities can be a major boost for the development of PPP infrastructure projects. Thankfully for Gosling, the community’s reaction to Qiddiya “has been phenomenal.” And with the right process and systems in place, Qiddiya is on track to become a major destination for investors, both foreign and local, looking to be part of the biggest PPP project in the world.

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How To Get Appointments With Decision Makers

Here is a story that many salespeople would find familiar – You’ve done your research, found potential prospects for your company, got their contact details, but then you hit one of these scenarios:

  • Nobody is answering your calls.
  • You’re leaving voicemails and emails but not getting any callbacks or replies.
  • The gatekeeper is blocking you from the prospect.

These challenges are certainly not new, and have been the bane of many professional salespeople looking to land their first face-to-face meeting with the prospective clients.

While getting the opportunity to talk with CEOs may be difficult, here are some strategies to help you to successfully reach and connect with decision-makers.

Getting Through To The Decision Maker

1. Make Friends With The Gatekeeper

Gatekeepers are often receptionists, secretaries or assistants, and are usually the most trusted and closest individuals to the C-suite. As such, they are a valuable asset for you in reaching the decision maker and closing your deals.

  • Tip #1: Be respectful and polite

No matter how frustrated you get with the gatekeeper, remember that it’s their job to screen unwanted and irrelevant calls. As with any business meeting, first impressions are important. So make your first impression, and all ongoing impressions with the gatekeeper, be one that is polite, personable and professional.

Start by treating the gatekeeper with respect. Note their name and details, and use the information to engage with them on a personal level. Have a conversation and keep tracks of touchpoints to use in future contacts with them.

  • Tip #2: Be transparent

Gatekeepers screen hundreds, if not thousands, of sales calls so it’s common for them to be wary and skeptical of you. Differentiate yourself from the rest, and be upfront about your call. Give them your company name and a brief overview of the purpose of your call, if they ask. 

Full disclosure helps you sound professional and credible enough to pass through to the C-level executive. But avoid using the sales pitch and sales-related phrases on the gatekeeper to reach decision makers.

Even with these tips, you may not get through the gatekeeper on your first call, so work to establish a strong rapport with them. Set reminders to ensure that you constantly and consistently reconnect with them.

Pro-tip: Don’t view the gatekeeper as a blocker. Instead, see them as a door opener.

2. Adjust Your Call Timings

The time you choose to contact your prospects has a big effect on the possibility of getting past the gatekeeper and getting through to the decision maker. Whether you are calling their office line or you are fortunate enough to get the prospect’s direct number, try contacting your prospects during off-hours.

  • Tip #1: Call early in the morning

Unlike the gatekeepers, business leaders don’t follow the usual working hours. You have a better chance of bypassing the gatekeeper if you call before the office day starts, such as between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m., when the C-suites are planning for their day before their meetings.

  • Tip #2: Call later in the day

Another optimal time to get past the gatekeeper is after business hours when the gatekeeper has gone home for the day. However, a study by HubSpot shows that the best time to call is between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. after the decision makers have wrapped up their meetings and are catching up on their emails and paperwork.

Each C-suite has a different schedule and workday, and optimal calling times vary between the industries and businesses they are in. Try calling at different times of the day for different prospects. 

Pro-tip: Avoid calling on Monday mornings and Friday afternoons as businesses will be busy planning for the week ahead or wrapping up tasks for the week.

3. Leave Effective Voicemails And Emails

One of the most common decisions when calling prospects is deciding whether to leave a voicemail. If you do decide to leave a voicemail, what should you tell the decision maker? And even if you leave a voicemail, what are the chances the prospect would call you back? Try these tips below to raise your engagement rate.

  • Tip #1: Leave a brief and concise voicemail

Your voicemail should be less than 30 seconds and should contain your name, your company, your contact details and your valid business reason (VBR). Your message should not be a sales pitch, but should include your prospect’s pain point and enough information about your solution to pique their interest.

It’s also best if you had prior contact with the prospect before leaving a voicemail, such as connecting with them through LinkedIn or sending them an email. This gives you something to use as reference and increases the likelihood of engagement.

  • Tip #2: Send a targeted email

If you have done your research on the prospect, you would already know their pain points and their area of interest. Use the information to create a personalized email that reflect a deep understanding of the prospect, their core needs and how your company can help them with their business concerns.

However, sending one or two emails won’t be enough. You should maintain a regular and consistent email scheduling for higher chances of getting a reply.

Using a combination strategy of voicemail and email helps you to get on the prospect’s radar more effectively. However, some prospects may require more attempts before you are able to connect with them. The key is to ensure a strong first voicemail message, which you should refer to in your following voicemails, and to send a follow-up email right after leaving your message.

Pro-tip: Don’t be vague in your voicemail. Mention a real and specific project or solution that could provide a valuable business opportunity for your prospect.

4. Use Your Network And Referrals

An article by XANT, a sales engagement platform, mentioned that majority of C-suites prefer referrals over cold calls and emails. In fact, 84% of business decision makers initiate a purchase process with a referral.

  • Tip #1: Leverage on networking

A well-developed network helps greatly in getting face-to-face meetings with prospects, and social networking services, such as LinkedIn, speed up the process of reaching them. One way is to connect with your prospect on social platforms or join LinkedIn groups that match your product offerings to build your second-level connections.

Events, such as B2B networking events by Management Events, are great places to get closer to your prospects. Decision makers who are interested in a topic or event that corresponds with your product will be more responsive in listening to your offerings.

  • Tip #2: Ask for referrals

The people you are connected to will most likely know business leaders who would benefit from your products and services. Reach out to your friends, colleagues and network to introduce you to the prospect via email, phone or in person.

Make sure that you explain the business reason and impact of your solution to your referral sources. This way they are equipped with the right information when they speak to the decision makers, and are confident in using their relationship to connect you with the prospect.

Building an effective network requires continuous effort on your part. Even if a referred prospect is not doing business with you now, you should thank them and continue to stay in touch. After all, they could be a client later on or another source for referrals.

Pro-tip: Don’t skip the referral introduction. Ensure that you are properly introduced to the prospect before pitching your solutions.

Appointment-setting is a big yet time-consuming part of sales, and requires multiple and continuous effort to get  a response, and in turn connect with decision-maker.

Instead of fixating on securing a meeting or getting a deal, focus on providing value to the decision maker. By changing your mindset, you will feel less frustrated when encountering roadblocks in contacting the prospect. 

Patience, persistence and a consistent calling schedule are key points in getting those important face-to-face meetings with C-suites.