What Top Executives Want You To Sell Them

When you're talking to the techie at the bottom of the food chain, you're probably going to need to discuss the features and functions of your offering. However, once you get above that level, features and functions become increasingly irrelevant.

When you get to the real decision-makers -- the people with power to buy a big ticket B2B purchase -- you'll find that they are only interested in exactly 8 things. Here they are:

1. Finances. Executives must perform, making earnings bigger or costs smaller.
2. Operations. Executives must decide how use every resource strategically.
3. Suppliers. Executives must build a firm's role in its industry's supply chain.
4. Business partners. Executives must balance crucial alliances with allies and rivals.
5. Customers. Executives worry about how their decisions will affect customers.
6. Competitors. Executives worry about other companies stealing business.
7. Globalization. Executives must adapt to far-flung risks and opportunities.
8. Regulation. Executive decisions must comply with laws, protections and limitations.

But if you're all about how your widget is 10 percent faster, you'll find that they just don't care.

The above is based upon a conversation with Dr. Steve Bistritz and Nicholas A.C. Read, authors of Selling to the C-Suite.

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