Christoph Senn, an INSEAD marketing professor and co-author of the insightful article 'When CEOs Make Sales Calls', dives into the complex dynamics of CEOs in B2B sales. He discusses five CEO archetypes, revealing how each affects customer engagement and deal closure. Senn highlights the importance of knowing your CEO's style—whether they're a 'social visitor' or a proactive 'growth champion'. Plus, he shares strategies for balancing executive involvement and sales team autonomy, ensuring that leadership enhances rather than hinders sales performance.

This week’s guest is Christoph Senn, an adjunct professor at INSEAD and founder of Valuecreator. He introduces the transformative Triple Fit Strategy, which aligns planning, execution, and resources to enhance customer relationships and drive growth. Christoph discusses the interplay between B2B and B2C marketing, emphasizing structured frameworks for success. He also highlights essential leadership qualities needed for nurturing customer connections and shares resources for further learning, making this conversation a must-listen for aspiring business leaders.

Christoph Senn, an adjunct professor at INSEAD and co-director of their Marketing & Sales Excellence Initiative, discusses transformative sales strategies. He emphasizes the importance of aligning with customer strategies instead of just pitching products. Christoph introduces the 'Triple Fit Strategy,' advocating for long-term relationships and effective engagement. He also highlights how integrating short-term and long-term goals can drive sustainable success and the need for transparency in sales to build trust and enhance value.

Christoph Senn is an Adjunct Professor of Marketing at INSEAD, while Mehak Gandhi heads Research and Training at Value Creator. Together, they explore the shift from traditional product selling to a customer-centric relationship model in their new book, Triple Fit Strategy. They discuss the importance of alignment in planning and execution to foster deeper partnerships. The conversation covers the power of collaboration, lessons from Maersk, and the challenges organizations face when adopting this innovative approach to enhance customer engagement and drive growth.

Christoph Senn, marketing professor at INSEAD, has spent years studying how top executives involve themselves in B2B sales. Some are very hands-off. Others make only social calls. Still others sit at the negotiating table. Outcomes vary widely. Senn explains the best combination of approaches for top executives engaging with core customers. And he shares how account managers and other employees can benefit from knowing their leader’s style. Senn is the coauthor, with Columbia Business School's Noel Capon, of the HBR article "When CEOs Make Sales Calls."