execsense | how to network with ceos

Presenter: Pamela Gilchrist, Chief Strategist, Gilchrist Group @PamGilchrist Execsense.com© ExecSense, Inc.

Slide 1

How To Best Network With CEOsAs A Business Executive

Reach Them Online Using Social Media, and Enlarge Your Circle The Best Tips, Techniques and Tools to Meet More CEOs, Of Influence

Featured Presenter: Pamela Gilchrist, Chief Strategist, Gilchrist Group®

Sales 2.0

Author | Speaker Pam Gilchrist


Slide 2

• As chief strategist at the Gilchrist Group®, Pam Gilchrist is a Fortune 100 leadership and communications expert. She advises organizations on how to have more impact by focusing on breakthrough business strategies, leadership, brand identity and influencer engagement.

• Pam works with organizations during times of dramatic growth and change. She is well-known for her go-to-market roadmaps and high impact communications proven to increase influence and engagement.

• Pam speaks to organizations across the country and connects with audiences through her wit and wisdom. She shares insider knowledge of what works and what’s dysfunctional at top companies. Pam is recognized as an International award-winning marketing expert.She was honored with the most prestigious, peer reviewed, global award in her industry before she was even 30 years old.

Connect With Pam At: http://www.gilchristgroup.comhttp://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelagilchrist.comhttp://www.twitter.com/pamgilchristhttp://www.youtube.com/pamgilchrist

Pamela Gilchrist, MA, APR, CPT

Chief Strategist, Gilchrist Group

Author | Speaker859-431-9090@pamgilchrist

[email protected]

About Your Webinar Speaker


Slide 3

Overview

Networking is more important than ever for Business Development Executives right now.

1.Recession continues to limp along. This leads to lagging sales and longer lead times for business development executives

2.CEOs are under more pressure than ever to do more with less, therefore they must count on trusted relationships

3.Social radically changes the traditional sales game – making networking essential for success

Your Network Worth


Slide 4

5 Areas Of Focus

1.Sales Fundamentals Still Matter

2.Understand The Law Of Attraction

3.Where To Find Whales

4. Social Media Levels The Playing Field

5.Enlarge Your Circle Influence W-O-M


Slide 5 What to Know #1 Sales Fundamentals Still

Matter• The traditional sales model still has value. We can’t throw out all the old concepts, approaches and

skills just yet. It is critical that biz dev experts know their fundamentals

• Mainstream corporate and government sales success is still driven by overall compliance with a buyer-centric sales methodology.

• Some major market segments are today very, very far away from regular and widespread use of social media between buyers and sellers. Industries such as industrial equipment, insurance, and some sub-sectors of health care have a long way to go.

• The success of many business development execs still depends on many of the more traditional sales skills and capabilities to drive the tens to hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue they each bring to their companies each year. Will that change? Sure. But not this week, this month, or maybe even this year.

• 80 to 90% of direct salespeople in B2B sales need to get better at the more traditional approaches to selling–for the time being -- This will likewise improve their online success

• CEO Currency: Time | Money | Trust


Slide 6

What to Know #2 The Law of Attraction

1.Develop A Relationship Plan

2.Authentic Networking

3.Use Emotional Intelligence

4.It’s Not About You

5.The Relationship Value Chain

6.Give Give Give

7.Build Long-Lasting Trusted Relationships

Like Attracts Like


Slide 7 What to Know #3 Where to Find the

Whales

1.CEOs Don’t Get Around Much Anymore

2.Live Whales Go Where There Is Value | Friendship

Watch for whales at events, board meetings, civic or community projects, business functions, sports games, conferences, vacations, airplanes and airports

3.Virtual Whales Want Resources | Experts

Virtual whales go to tried, true and trusted resources for answers. Blog, write articles for industry journals, comment on major publications websites. Be visible in the right circles.


Slide 8 What to Know #4 Social Media Levels the Playing

FieldPosition yourself and your area of expertise to be of interest to specific

CEOs

• Be knowledgeable on hot topics impacting key industries• Be current and relevant• Have an opinion• Remember your manners • Use Linked In groups for CEOs and

industry associations• Comment early and often on major news sites


Slide 9


Slide 10

What to Understand

1.Why Social Networking Is A Game Changer

2.What Social Networking Is and Is Not

3.What Are The Best Networks To Build Community

4.How To Stop Selling And Start Adding Value

5.Where To Focus Time And Resources


Slide 11

Engage In Social Networks

1.Thought Leadership

2.Blogs

3.Comments

4. Linked In

5.Twitter

6.Facebook

Slide 11


Slide 12 Linked In

• More than 100 million professionals globally representing 150 industries (from their website.)

• Plaxo is also a similar online network of people. They have more than 40 million hosted address books.

• Sales Best Practices community in LinkedIn

• CEO Groups

• Additional reading: “100+ Smart Ways to Use Linked in.”


Slide 13 Facebook

• Facebook (and other similar social networking sites such as MySpace) are powerful opportunities for businesses

• More than 800,000,00,000 (800 million) active users

• It’s pure opt-in. No one can stalk or spam you.

• 16-year-old Steffie explains the difference: “MySpace is for music, Facebook is for friends and business.”


Slide 14

Microblogging: Twitter• Watch ideas and

information explode and ripple through the Twitterverse

• It’s a challenge to write something meaningful, clear, concise and compelling in 140 characters or less.

• Only 15-20 words

• Keyword optimize tweets

• Dell attributed $1M in sales to Twitter


Slide 15

Microblogging: Twitter

• Follow These Feeds:

AllTop: Guy Kawasaki, CEO: @GuyKawasaki – Http://www//twitter.com/guykawasakiCincom: Louis Columbus, Analyst: @LouisColumbus Http://www.twitter.com/louiscolumbusIBM: Events and news – http://twitter.com/ibmeventsDave Stein, CEO ES Research: @davestei – http://twitter.com/davesteiZappos Employees: Aggregated feed of 438 Zappos employees who tweet: http://twitter.zappos.com/employee_tweetsWall Street Journal Health Blog: Scott Hensley – http://twitter.com/WSJHealthBlogDavid Henderson: Author of “The Media Savvy Leader”: @davidhenderson http://www.twitter.com/davidhendersonDavid Meerman Scott: Author of the World Wide Rave: @dmscott – Http://twitter.com/dmscottNew York Times: @Nytimes – http://twitter.com/nytimesWall Street Journal: @WSJ – http://twitter.com/WSJSteve Kayser: @stevekayser – http://twitter.com/stevekayserUSA Today: @ondeadline – http://twitter.com/ondeadline


Slide 16

Where’s the Most Value?LinkedIn

Keep your profile up-to-date and build your network.

BlogsRead and comment

Forums of other salespeopleLook for quality groups to join including sales forums on LinkedIn


Slide 17 5 Steps to a Successful

Social Strategy

1. Strategize Early Execution without strategy is just guessing

2. Publish Regularly Value-added content your audiences will want to read

3. Follow OftenTweepSearch, 25-35% of tweople you follow will follow you back

4. EngageInteraction is key to building trust, credibility and action among prospective customers

5. Build Relationships Use a lead nurture strategy without pitching


Slide 18

5 Strategies that Work

1. Practice Authentic Networking

2. Build Credible On And Offline Impression

3. Thought Leadership

4. Expand Your Sphere Of Influence

5. Link | Participate In Groups


Slide 19 Strategy #1: Practice authentic

networking • Trust is the foundation of all relationships

• Character matters with persons of influence

• Connect and build positive relationships

• Model the vision and values of your company

• Listen to understand and engage, not just hear

• Tune radar to the WII-FM CEO channel 24/7

• Know that values drive decisions and decisions drive behavior


Slide 20 Become Emotionally

Intelligent• Emotional intelligence is the hidden factor in

relationships and communication

• Emotions influence the way you relate and react to others — often without your awareness

• Strong relationships are based on emotional intelligence

• Mastering the tools of emotional intelligence

• Nonverbal communication speaks louder than words


Slide 21 Emotional Awareness Helps You:

• Understand other people

• Understand yourself, including your deep-rooted needs

• Get motivated and take action to achieve goals

• Communicate clearly and effectively

• Attract and influence others


Slide 22

How to Improve Relationships in a Minute

• Stop, look and listen

• Go on sales calls (listen, watch, learn)

• Look at situations through the other person’s eyes

• Ask pertinent questions (sales cycle, support, customer pain, etc.)

• Set ego and expertise aside to collaborate for best-practice

solutions that drive revenue and build success


Slide 23 Strategy #2: Cultivate a Credible

Online Presence & Virtual First Impression

• My grandma always said: If you don’t want it on the front page of the newspaper tomorrow morning – Then keep your mouth shut today.

• You are the message! Roger Ailes

• Clean up your profiles and pictures

• Be consistent across channels

• Decide your online conversation boundaries

• Complete all of your profiles to 100%

• Get endorsements from credible third-parties


Slide 24

Strategy #3: Be a Thought Leader

• Be a resource (Share tips | trends)

• Leverage the media for interviews | publicity

• Write a book

• Blog

• Write articles for industry journals

• Speak at industry conferences and events

• Offer advice, connections and referrals


Slide 25 Strategy #4: Expand Your Sphere of

Influence

Diagram by Klaus KnealeForbes.com


Slide 26 How CEO’s Network at the

Top• According to Julie Knudson, robust network connections help CEOs

gather information, scope out trends, and spot potential brand problems.

• David Nour, a consultant and author of Relationship Economics: Transform Your Most Valuable Business Contacts Into Personal and Professional Success, says: “Networking really is for the purpose of expanding the wealth of knowledge of things that are paramount and relevant.”

• Marley Hodgson is quoted saying, “Developing a good network doesn’t happen overnight. Hodgson is CEO and cofounder of Denver-based Mad Greens. “You have to work at it for a while. It’s something you can’t just up and start,” he says. “When I really put in the effort to make sure the network is healthy, those are the times when it’s paid dividends.”


Slide 27 Brian Carroll’s Start With a

Lead blog

1. Start by mapping out key players, experts, and opinion molders in your industry. Look at speakers at industry events, authors, bylines and contributed articles in trade journals, and blogs. Now you should have a pretty good map of the people you need to know.

2. Research them, their companies, their clients or customers. Do they work with companies that fit your ideal customer profile? Make your short list.

3. Approach them with a simple value proposition via a phone call. “I’m contacting you as a recognized expert in our industry. We’re interested in your feedback on our company’s value proposition as it relates to your industry. Would you be willing to brainstorm with me for a few minutes?”

4. Common ties – Another simple but powerful way of finding new business influencers is getting to know your clients’ other trusted advisors. Ask permission to contact them. Call and let them know you have something in common — you share the same client. This can be an easy way to create new relationships that are mutually beneficial.

Klaus Kneale, Forbes.com


Slide 28

What to Know #5 Enlarge Your Circle Influence W-

O-M• W-O-M

(Yours | Your Connections)

• Build trusted relationships

• Invest in others

• Let others shout your praises(Social Shout Outs)

• Referrals still work great

• Ask for the intro

• Coffee or lunch


Slide 29 Strategy #5: Link | Participate In

Groups• Get involved in boards, committees, chambers

of commerce, Rotary International

• Volunteer. Volunteers are leadersBuild a house with Habitat for Humanity

• Participate in virtual networking

• Join groups in Linked In

• Follow key industry conversations

• Post a poll or survey on Linked In

• Contribute comments to major news media sites


Slide 30 Learn How CEO’s Buy:

Reputation

• Read How Clients Buy: The Benchmark Report on Professional Services Marketing and Sales from the Client Perspective

• Online publication RainToday asked 200 buyers of professional services how they find and learn more about potential service providers.

• After referrals, “I already knew about the service provider” (in other words, reputation or brand reach) was the top source.


Slide 31 Case Study 1: Thought Leadership

www.cincom.com

Solution-based selling

Great social media newsroom

Cut the collateral

Better up the case studies


Slide 32 Case Study 2: Social Networking Success

• Early on closed 20% of his sales via LinkedIn and Twitter

• Four months, pipeline full.10 highly-qualified leads several hundred thousand dollars

• Regularly updates status box, generates email

1.Drives people to his updated profile which includes a 5 slide “Slide Share” presentation

2.After using this methodology for 90 days, 80% of qualified leads were the result of social networking

3.He closed 50% of his monthly quota this way

4.Sales were closing in 30 days

Dan Harding, Regional Director of Sales

ConnectandSell


Slide 33 Case Study 2: ConnectandSellDan’s Best Practices

•Dan also “social calls”—he uses social media to make cold calling more personal—by reading his prospects’ and customers’ blogs, blogs that are popular in the vertical industries he targets, and blogs that his prospects and customers read.

•RSS feeds alert him when updates are available, which triggers new personalized customer contacts. Dan then weaves the blog content into his outreach message, letting prospects know he is following them, their industry, or their area of interest.


Slide 34

• Launched a mixed media• Hybrid campaign included

traditional (press releases, e-mail, and webinars) as well as new media (blogs, Twitter, and LinkedIn Groups)

• Announced new product to a new market and offer a free trial.

• VP of Engineering and VP of Corporate and Product Management sent out tweets from their personal Twitter accounts

•2/3rds came from social media and networking

•Early on closed 20% of his sales via Linked In and Twitter

•50% of the traditional sales opportunities were qualified

•90% of those coming from social programs were qualified”

•Within 30 days, $3 million in incremental revenue added to pipeline

Mark Hamilton, Vice President, New Scale

Case Study 3:$3M In 30 Days


Slide 35 Case Study 4:Connect At Live Events

• Strauss Troy is a mid-sized regional law firm

• Several attorneys actively attend business events

• After meeting the CFO of large company, they did a small amount of personal work for him – but no one developed the relationship further. In fact, the attorney who had done the work had left the firm

• Then, at an Association for Corporate Growth event, two other attorneys introduced themselves, said that they would love to keep working with the CFO

• They set up a lunch and closed a major deal in a weekwww.strausstroy.com


Slide 36 Case Study 4:Best Practice Tips

• At events… simply stick your hand out and say “hi.”That’s all it took for these attorneys to make the connection

• Lose your inhibition and fear of rejection

• Have a clear purpose in mind

• Be relational

• Be receptive to opportunities

• Be subtly aggressive

• Always set up a following engagement (coffee | lunch)www.strausstroy.com


Slide 37 Case Study 5: W-O-M


Slide 38

Business Development

No "Howdy Calls” online or off

Be prepared

Be professional

Add value always

Shut up and listen – really listen

Create value at every interchange with a customer

Looks count

Execute with excellence!


Slide 39

5 Top Secrets To Success

1.Likeable

2.Believable

3.Credible

4.Expert

5.Trusted


Slide 40 12 Things That Show Poor

Form

1. You’re A No Show

2. You Do A Drive By

3. You Get Drunk

4. You Pre-Judge People

5. You Push For A Sale

6. You Break Confidences

7. You Don’t Follow-Up

8. You Self-Promote

9. You Spam

10. You Forget To Thank

11. You Abuse Relationships

12. Your Forgot Everything You Learned Today


Slide 41 Key Take-Aways

1.Sales Fundamentals Still Matter

2.Understand The Law Of Attraction

3.Where To Find Whales

4. Social Media Levels The Playing Field

5.Enlarge Your Circle Influence & W-O-M


Slide 42

Useful Resources• Cincom

http://radio.cincom.com/

• Scott Ginsberg, The Name Tag Guyhttp://www.hellomynameisscott.com/

• Rain Todayhttp://www.raintoday.com/

• Jill Konrathhttp://www.jillkonrath.com/

• Dale Carnegiehttp://www.dalecarnegie.com/

• Pam Gilchrist’s Bloghttp://www.gilchristgroup.com/news/


Slide 43 Q&A SESSION

What Questions Do You Have?


Slide 44

As chief strategist at the Gilchrist Group®, Pam is a Fortune 100 leadership and communications expert. She advises organizations on how to have more impact by focusing on breakthrough business strategies, leadership, brand identity and influencer engagement.

Pam is an author and professional speaker. She connects with audiences across the country through her wit, wisdom and real-life stories of what goes on inside Fortune 500 companies.

Pamela Gilchrist Gilchrist Group®

[email protected]@pamgilchrist


Slide 45

How To Best Network With CEOsAs A Business Executive

Reach Them Online Using Social Media, and Enlarge Your Circle The Best Tips, Techniques and Tools to Meet More CEOs, Of Influence

Featured Presenter: Pamela Gilchrist, Chief Strategist, Gilchrist Group®

Sales 2.0

Author | Speaker Pam Gilchrist

execsense | how to network with ceos

Business

pamela gilchrist

gilchrist group sales

gilchrist group author

author speaker pam gilchrist

cpt chief strategist

sales fundamentals

government sales success

traditional sales game