30 Minutes to President's Club | No-Nonsense Sales 89 (Sell): Selling to executives at the enterprise level (Ian Koniak, Founder of Ian Koniak Sales Training)
Mar 2, 2022
Ian Koniak, founder of Ian Koniak Sales Training and former Strategic Account Director at Salesforce.com, shares top strategies for engaging executives in enterprise sales. He emphasizes starting conversations with a strong point of view to showcase value and the importance of active listening. Koniak advocates for eliminating traditional decks in initial meetings to foster genuine dialogue. Additionally, he discusses targeting newly appointed executives who are eager to solve problems, encouraging sales professionals to adopt concise and impactful communication methods.
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Engaging with Executives
- Treat executives as normal human beings, not pedestals, for better eye-level conversations.
- Practice active listening to understand, not just reply, and avoid thinking about your next point while they're speaking.
First Meeting Strategy
- Avoid pitching or presenting in the first meeting with an executive; focus on having a normal conversation.
- Skip the deck to encourage human-to-human interaction instead of screen-staring.
Berkshire Hathaway Deal
- Ian Koniak closed a multi-million dollar deal with Berkshire Hathaway by focusing on high-level strategic problems.
- He shifted the focus from a departmental application request to a platform solution addressing broader business challenges.
