Anyone who operates within the business of technology knows first hand how difficult it is to sell their products to CIOs. However, it is not impossible. Many companies that have succeeded in selling their technology to CIOs have discovered effective strategies of how to convert any CIO prospect into buyers.
Today, we want to share some nuggets of wisdom that will help you effectively sell your tech solutions to any of your target CIOs.
Spoiler: It’s not as hard as you may think it is.
Let’s start!
Meet the CIOs
A common mistake when selling technology is not securing opportunities to actually meet with the CIOs. If you want to meet your sales goals, you need to see to it that you can meet with the CIOs and communicate the benefits of your technology to them. Not just that, it is crucial that they also see that your reputation as a seller is reputable and not at all underwhelming.
You want to be able to impress them; convince them. So a mere explanation of what your product does, unfortunately, won’t cut it. Construct your sales pitch in a way that it quickly explains what your product does and how the CIO will be able to benefit from it. It’s all about presenting a solution to their problem rather than just telling them about your product.
Personalize Presentations and Demos
Cookiecutter presentations won’t work because every CIO is different. Each one has different needs and different pain points. As sellers, it is important the CIOs you’re selling to know and feel that you have fully understood their needs and that you’re willing to commit to a strong work ethic. If they see that you’ve put in the extra effort to do more than your competitors helps you build your credibility in their eyes which in turn will also increase your success in selling to CIOs.
Know Technology and Competition
This is quite obvious especially when you’re involved in the tech industry. When pitching to a CIO it’s impossible to bluff your way through it in the hopes that they can easily get convinced.
Some sales reps may not be tech-savvy so it’s best to hire people whose expertise is technology sales. These people will help you stay updated on current IT trends. Having a tight grasp on current IT trends helps you also get a better view of what your competitors are doing, and knowing what your competitors are doing helps you stay two steps ahead of them. Be sure that you encourage your marketing department to do a detailed competitive analysis of your competitor’s offerings.
Use Referrals
Referrals have always proven to be effective sales and marketing tools. Don’t hesitate to ask for referrals and use them when selling your tech products to a CIO. More specifically, ask for referrals from other CIOs that you’ve sold to before. There is no one CIOs trust more than other CIOs. So, when you close a deal with a CIO, ask them if they can refer you to their other peers. These are great opportunities to sell your solutions.
Align with Marketing
Lastly, before doing any prospecting, check in with your marketing team first to make sure that your website, social media channels, and materials are all up-to-date with all your current product features. Making sure that everything is up-to-date shows professionalism and consistency. So, make sure that you get rid of old phone numbers, update your logos if you’ve had a new one for a while already, and product descriptions that are included in your sales materials.
The Takeaway
Overall, you have to remember that CIOs are incredibly busy and that their time is valuable. Properly preparing and showing your respect for their time is essential if you want to secure closing a meeting and more importantly a sale with them.