What are the top 3 things that will provide value to C-Suites as a sales leader?

• A clear perspective backed by data and customer examples

• Brevity while still ensuring substance

• Creativity in finding solutions that may not align perfectly to only the thing you had in mind.

I screwed up both these things on two separate occasions in highly visible roles where the cost to me (and my sanity on the days that followed) wasn't small. I didn't let the work nor my commitment to finding a suitable resolution fade into the background. Instead I doubled down my commitment to find creative solutions, digging more deeply into the data and customers and using 1:1s and quick actions to show my commitment to seeing solutions through.

Hitting the number is the first thing - But this wasn't all that easy to do over these last few years, so here are some things that will provide value to the C-Suite as a sales leader.

1. Keeping the troops aligned to the big picture -- Keeping the team engaged, happy, and focused on the big picture is exhausting but rewarding. C-Suite will pick up an unrelenting positive outlook and will reward sales leaders when applicable

2. Organizing feedback loops from the field to the C-Suite. The C-Suite is always looking for something insanely positive to share with the Board. If you can create feedback loops on things that are working well in the field, create a system that captures and shares it across the business. Slack is great for this. Bring key stake holders in a channel where you share Win Anecdotes about your sales team. I had a channel called #baller-emails. It was just a channel of killer emails my reps sent to customers and their super-positive responses. My CEO ate it up because he would share customer responses with the BoD

3. Continue to find areas of the business that can be optimized/organized. This can be tricky if you are stepping on others' territories -- but if you see there is a solution to a problem or process that, when asked, the process owner says "We do it that way because that's how we've always done it" then lean in and see if you can share a solution. If you're stonewalled at the operational level, find a sponsor in the business who is aligned on making the fix, build yourself a short SMART goal around it, and see if you can make a measurable impact. Record the work, record the results and get a read on if the impact/change was enough to get the interest of the C-Suite. If so, share in the right setting. Take the thank you, don't ask for more. Over time, more problems will need fixing and you might be the person who is asked to "run to the fire" thats where the money usually is.

Users // Practioners Buyers Care about:

• Product/Fit for needs
• Services/Expertise
• Impact of Daily work
• Impact on Career
• Budget

Business Leaders Care About:

• Business problem solved
• ROI/Business Justification
• Who else is using it
• Services to make it work
• Executive Meeting

Ultimately, the higher you get in an organization, the bigger your deal size will be.