know, I know – you’re afraid. First step, get over it. CEOs are people too. They have spouses, children, grandchildren, parents, siblings and deal with many of the issues we all face in life.
Here are a few things you need to know about CEOs that can help tremendously when making your pitch to them.
1. Whenever possible, try to get an introduction from another CEO. This is Endorsement Marketing and it makes a testimonial letter look like it’s a recommendation written in crayon. Not powerful – or compelling.
2. They’re busy, so don’t be long winded on paper or when following up and speaking to their assistant (regardless of what the information marketing folks are telling you – CEOs will not read 13 page letters and review endless materials)
3. Befriend their assistant and ask him or her if it’s ok for you to e-mail a Power Point deck that clearly illustrates what your company can do for them to help their business be more successful. They’re not interested in providing you with an opportunity. They think about the bottom-line impact and return on investment to their company. Speak their language.
4. Do your homework and become an expert on their business. Google the CEO, read their website, research on Hoovers to make yourself knowledgeable about what they stand for, what organizations they support and who is their primary target market.
5. Is their market your market? If not, they’re not a qualified prospect. If so, they just might be. You’ll know this by doing your homework.
6. Look and act professionally. Send them professionally produce materials, direct them to an updated and useful web site, follow-up when you say you will, under promise and over deliver and don’t always contact them when you need something from them, but rather, position yourself as a valued and trusted resource they want to seek out – and they will.
7. Remain in constant contact with them, once a connection has been made. Thank them for introducing you to the person you were referred to. Copy that person on the letter and speak well of them. They’ll be grateful that they look good to the their CEO and you let them know in a non-threatening way, that you’re in touch with the Big Guns within the organization as well. This keeps everybody honest and doing their jobs.
8. When you follow-up with them and you get voice mail, leave a brief message and tell them you’ll put all the details in an e-mail which might be an easier way for them to get back to you. Then, do so.
9. Write personal thank you notes. Why? Because no one ever does that anymore and you will distinguish yourself among the competition.
Oh, one more thing. Draft a script so when you are preparing to make your follow-up calls, you are articulate, to the point and make sense. They and their assistant will appreciate that very much – and once again, you’ll rise above the rest.
Good luck!
Key Steps to Reach CEO-Level Contacts - To learn more about this author, visit Nancy Michaels's Website.
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Nancy Michaels
(Visit Nancy's Website)
Is the author of five books on marketing
for small businesses, including Perfecting
Your Pitch, (Career Press 2005) Off The
Wall Marketing Ideas, (Adams Media 2000),
How To Be A Big Fish In Any Pond, Media
Madness, and A to Z to Visibility
Served as Small Business Editor at US
News & World Report, and the Small
Business Marketing Expert for Entrepreneur
Magazine. She is a regular contributor to
Franchise Update and has been featured in
The Wall Street Journal, Fortune Small
Business (FSB), Success Magazine, The New
York Post, Franchising Magazine, among
numerous other publications
Nancy also was the publicist for Matt
Lauer (currently co-host of the Today
show)
Nancy is the President of her marketing
company, Impression Impact, which she
launched in 1990 and Founder of the Grow
Your Business Network
In the spring of 2005, Nancy became very
ill and underwent a liver transplant due
to liver failure. She is the grateful
recipient of a donor liver. Find out how
you can become a donor at www.organdonor
.gov.
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