AMA: HubSpot Director, Sales Strategy & Operations (APAC), Azim Mitha on Influencing the C-Suite

Firstly, it's important to know what your role is in such situations. Typically, in such situations, your role is to facilitate the alignment process, maintain a neutral stance, and act in the best interests of the organization. By creating an envirionment which encourages open communication, seeking common ground, and using data-driven recommendations, you can help two senior executives work together to reach a consensus on the proposed strategy. * Understand their point of view: First, make sure you really understand what each executive thinks. Talk to them separately and ask questions to fully grasp their ideas. Find things they both agree on, even if they disagree about the strategy. This can help build a starting point for agreement. * Bring the two senior stakeholders together in a meeting: Arrange a meeting where they can discuss their thoughts openly. You might need to guide the conversation and make sure it stays respectful. * Use data driven approach to your proposed strategy: The strategy that you are proposing should be based on facts, data, and research. Objective information can help them see what's best for the company. * Stick to the Company goals: Remind them that we are working towards company's main goals. The objective is to make decisions that help the company, not just one person. Explain how their disagreement could impact the company. * Take into consideration their feedback: Your strategy may have missed certain aspects which the senior stakeholders are concered about. Take that into consideration and adjust your proposed strategy if needed. * Escalate if necessary: If nothing else works, consider doing a clean escalation to higher management. This should be the last resort to avoid a complete standstill.

Influencing C-suite to get more resources requires a strategic approach and effective communication. Here are a few items which you should consider: * Will these additional resources help with achieving your organisation's current goals? Show how your resource request aligns with the company's strategic objectives. * Make it clear how the extra resources will help the organization (eg, driving more cost savings, enabling incremental revenue growth, or unlocking higher efficiency). * Present your case in a clear, concise, and persuasive manner. * Show that you're not alone in this - Share endorsements or support from key stakeholders. * Be open to negotiation and compromise (such as a phased implementation for additional resources). * Acknowledge potential risks or challenges associated with the resource allocation and provide clear plans for mitigating them. This demonstrates that you've thoroughly considered the implications. * Choose the right moment to present your request. Make sure the organization is ready to allocate resources. * Sometimes, it takes time to convince the C-Suite. Be patient, but also be ready to adapt.

Here are some of the habits to cultivate when working with C-Suite: * Work to understand and align your initiatives with the overarching strategic priorities and objectives of the C-Suite. This ensures that your efforts are contributing directly to the company's most important goals and vision. * Demonstrate strong communication skills to articulate your ideas, proposals, and findings clearly and concisely. The ability to convey complex information in an understandable manner is highly valued by the C-Suite. * Adaptability is crucial. Be ready to adjust your strategies and priorities to align with shifting C-Suite directives and changing market conditions. * Leverage data and analytics to provide valuable insights and support your recommendations. Show how data informs your decision-making process, making it more credible and impactful. * Keep a laser focus on delivering tangible results. Demonstrate how your efforts contribute to KPIs that matter to the C-Suite. * Cultivate strong and authentic relationships with C-Suite. Networking and building trust can open doors to valuable insights, mentorship, and opportunities to collaborate on strategic initiatives.

Remember that building exposure to the C-Suite takes time and consistent effort. It's about demonstrating your value to the organization and positioning yourself as a trusted advisor. Gaining exposure to C-Suite early in your career can be beneficial for your learning, career development, & understanding of how senior leaders operate / make decisions. Here are a few ways to consider: * Align your initiatives or projects with C-Suite's strategic priorities and goals. Demonstrate that your work closely aligns with company's success. * Use data to your advantage. Leverage data & analytics to provide actionable insights, solutions & recommendations which will influence key business metrics. * Collaborate closely with other departments. When you collaborate effectively across the organization, it often leads to opportunities for interaction with C-Suite members. * Request to participate in strategic meetings or discussions where RevOps insights can be valuable. Don't hold yourself back from sharing your expertise and solutions - your voice matters! * If possible, seek mentorship or guidance from a member of the C-Suite or a senior executive. They can provide valuable insights and introduce you to relevant opportunities. * Show leadership within your RevOps team. When you lead effectively, it's more likely that your contributions will be noticed and appreciated at higher levels.