C-suite executives hold the real power in their companies. They’re the key decision-makers when it comes to making major investments in their businesses. That’s why every salesperson’s goal is to make their pitch directly to a senior executive — ideally, sooner than later.

​

Yet, historically, getting the CEO, CFO, or even the CTO to engage early in the sales process — if at all — has been a long shot. Most CXOs let their internal staff do the homework and vetting, and only step in toward the end of the deal to verify a recommendation.

​

But the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted that status quo and made the path to connecting with a C-level decision-maker much shorter. The proof?

​

Chorus’ analysis of more than 500,000 sales meetings conducted by more than 100 clients in 10 major industries.

Since April 2020, when the COVID-19 crisis really began to take hold and many companies were shutting down offices to comply with local lockdown regulations, participation by C-suite executives in the buying process shot up dramatically. In fact, on average, CXOs have participated in buying decisions 86% more since compared to their participation in January and February of 2020.

​

The question for sales pros is this: Are you ready for the challenge, and opportunity, of selling to the C-suite? The following 12 tips can help ensure that you and your team are.

​

Tip #1: Do Your Homework. And Then, Do Some More.

​

So, the first tip may seem obvious, even mundane, but it can’t be emphasized enough how much you need to prepare for a sales meeting to ensure you’re ready to engage with a CXO.

​

​

​