Stop Selling To Bank Executives And Start Listening To Them
One of the worst things you can do in sales is invite a load of senior executives from your target industry to a hotel conference room and then broadcast a whole load of sales collateral at them.
The death-by-powerpoint (or more accurately, death-by-collateral) is why most executives do everything possible to try and avoid these things.
Sometimes you have to attend, though.
Sometimes you need to sit through the nonsense, for the look of it.
Often it's because you're doing a favour for the sales person.
Often it's because they bought you a nice lunch a while back and you owe them. Or because they literally pleaded with you.
Sometimes you need to go along because the vendor is a 'strategic partner' and you're aiming to pressure them into a good discount next quarter.
Occasionally you tell yourself it's useful to get out and try and meet some colleagues in the industry and 'learn what's going on' in the market... only to find out that the stupid agenda prohibits this. Because the sales team are desperate to fill every single moment of the event with 'collateral' broadcasts.
Broadcast, broadcast, broadcast.
Stop this. Instead, try something crazy: Start listening.
Bring the market together and start listening.
It's difficult enough to get executives into a room because they've been routinely irritated by crappy events for decades. But once you get them there, don't broadcast at them. Instead, do what the best business development and sales people in the marketplace do: Listen.
Get the executives talking.
Help them connect and discuss the issues that are front of mind.
The information you'll get will be gold dust too. You'll discover what's actually happening.
So many sales and business development people are constantly pressured by misguided revenue executives to SELL SELL SELL. Broadcast, broadcast, broadcast. It doesn't MATTER what the client's problems are... the answer, say the bosses, is OUR PRODUCT. Sell it, sell it, sell it.
Oh... why aren't they buying?
Yeah. It's because they've got a whole raft of different priorities.
But if you only listened, you'd begin to see where you might be able to help.
If you listen, you can learn what the executives are actually dealing with today – how they're prioritising their teams, their spend, their approach... and guess what, this will help you adjust your approach accordingly.
If you'd like to discuss this topic or if you'd like some help or advice with roundtables, drop me a note - I'm ewan@fintechprofile.com.