Win the Heart of the CEO and Win the Sale—With Adrian Davis

RainToday.com's Podcast: Marketing & Selling Professional Services

Sales are not made financially; they're made emotionally. So, if you win the heart of the CEO, his emotional investment can temper any pessimistic financial opinions that might be brought to the table. The key is to be perceived as a peer to the chief executive and provide valuable guidance and advice, says Adrian Davis, CEO of Whetstone, Inc.

"The sale with a chief executive is more around the fact that he or she has found somebody that understands them, that understands what they're trying to achieve, understands what their challenges and fears are," Davis says. "What you want to do … is demonstrate that you understand the issue and you can bring insight with that understanding and then you have access to resources who have the expertise."

Listen as Davis discusses what CEOs look for in service providers, how to prove you have the expertise they're looking for, why face-to-face meetings are better than phone meetings, the difference between men and women CEOs, and the difference between CEOs and leaders of small and midsize businesses.