The minds of sales professionals and executives work quite differently during a meeting.

Michael Nick is well-versed on this difference, recently detailing his expertise in his book, The Key to the C-Suite: What You Need to Know to Sell Successfully to Top Executives. He joined CMIQ to share his insight on executive customer engagement.

Nick discussed what to do as a sales professional pitching to C-Level managers or clients. Some of the advice he shared is to not bother pitching the benefits, features and ROI of your product or service. The executive is truly only concerned about the economic impact.

The existing “language barrier” between sales professionals and executives is surmountable through extensive research and understanding your “value inventory,” Nick explained.

His book offers a fairly basic strategy to compile your “value inventory” prior to a sales meeting. Research the company’s background, do a Google search for news and use LinkedIn to find out any common connections you have with a client.

Executives use metrics to evaluate strategic buying decisions – return on asset, return on equity, earnings and operating costs – so it is beneficial to anticipate any inquiries related to those financial levers. Listen to the full interview with Nick above.