A Chief Technology Officer’s (CTO) job is a tough one. Their job description is expansive, and ever changing along with developments in technology. Not only do they need to manage risk, oversee research and development and have their finger on the pulse of new technological developments to keep their company ahead of the curve, they need to ensure all of the above adheres to policies and regulations, and aligns with company goals.
Needless to say, they’re busy people, overloaded with information and juggling priorities. Trying to sell to them isn’t easy. Knowing the best sales techniques to win them over is even harder. But it isn’t impossible – you’ve just got to know and perfect the best sales techniques that’ll make them sit up and, eventually, buy from you. If others before you have succeeded, so can you. Here’s how:
The best way to sell to a CTO is to understand their problems as well as they do
The thing about CTOs is that they’re usually several steps ahead of even the most fastidious planners. It’s their job to be. They’re rational beings with the next three years mapped out, plus several contingency plans. They’ve identified all the risks, threats and problems that could possibly threaten their business – and they’ve probably also drawn up a list of potential solutions to these roadblocks. If you have any chance of selling to a CTO, you need to be aware of these problems and their potential solutions too, so that you can truly understand just how your solution can help solve your CTO’s problems.
Market research allows you to become an expert in your CTO’s industry
This is where solid market research and prospect profiling come in. You need to amass as much data about your prospective CTO’s industry and business – and them – before you can even think about scheduling a call with them. Subscribe to their newsletter, sign up to trade publications, talk to other CTOs, follow their social media accounts, read every press clipping you can get your hands on and memorise their website – in short, make yourself an expert in their field. Another important part of market research is to educate yourself about how IT departments work, as well as the intricacies of IT policy. If you understand the business of IT, you’ll be able to navigate the IT selling process.
Empathise with your prospect to truly understand their pain points
Even though you operate in B2B sales, one of the best sales techniques for selling to CTOs is to reach out to your prospect on an emotional level, to empathise with them. This doesn’t mean resorting to B2C-style sales techniques, but appreciating the personal goals and dreams of your target CTO. Like many business leaders, CTOs are driven by both organisational and personal targets. They want their business to succeed, and, as a result, succeed themselves. Put yourself in their shoes and try to imagine what you’d look for in a technology vendor (that’s you!) if you were head of technology for an industry giant. To do this, you need to have a thorough understanding of their business and its objectives (as we mentioned in the previous paragraph).
The best sales techniques involve knowing how to speak a prospect’s language and understanding their culture
By now, you should know your prospect and their business better than you know your own. Part of this is being able to speak their language, and understand all the technical jargon associated with their industry and product. And by language we mean the actual words and the cultural nuance – speaking in terms of solutions, rather than features and functions. Remember, CTOs don’t need educating about features, they’re only interested in how your product can solve their problems and fit in with their business goals.
Industry events are the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in a CTO’s industry
In light of the points mentioned above, you might have realised that to sell to a CTO you pretty much need to become a CTO. One of the best sales techniques is to act like one too, and attend as many industry events as possible. Through this you’ll be introduced to their world, learn the language, meet the people who’ll be able to impart all kinds of valuable insights into the technology sphere, and even meet the CTOs themselves, as many of these big shots are keynote speakers at industry events. By listening to them speak, you’ll gather information about their particular challenges, and how your solution can help them overcome these. If you can, introduce yourself during a coffee break (without trying to pitch), simply to make a connection and start a relationship with them.
Personalisation is key when reaching out CTOs, especially given how specific their problems and needs are compared to any other CTO. That’s why account based marketing is an effective method of building a relationship with your prospect. To find out how you can apply this to your own integrated lead generation approach, download the guide:
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