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Influencing the C-Suite
Sales / Customer Success Alignment
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Sales Stakeholders
2 Answers
Sarah Mercedes (Osborne)
HubSpot Head of Corporate Sales, West Coast • January 24
First, seek to understand. What is each stakeholder's stance, but more importantly, why do they have that stance? What are their priorities, what are their concerns and what are they looking to accomplish with their vision of a given strategy? Once you understand that, it will be clear to see whe......Read More
1998 Views
1 Answer
Katie Harkins
UserTesting VP of Sales • April 27
My old CRO always said, "If you're at a company that isn't hiring or growing, you're at the wrong company." Harsh, but true. Key stakeholders from other departments will consistently change as your company grows. Maybe some people move on or maybe some people get let go in today's world. It's......Read More
782 Views
3 Answers
Sarah Mercedes (Osborne)
HubSpot Head of Corporate Sales, West Coast • January 24
The simple answer is that I didn't. However, it didn't take long for me to realize that in order for me to accomplish what I was driving on personally (both internally, as I thought about promo paths at the companies I've worked for and externally, when selling into other companies), I needed to ......Read More
903 Views
2 Answers
Sarah Mercedes (Osborne)
HubSpot Head of Corporate Sales, West Coast • January 24
Sponsors are critical for career progression. When you think about the best persons to lean on for sponsorship, you should be thinking about someone who is already bought into you and would endorse you to others within the business. You want to also ensure that this person is well connected and h......Read More
1154 Views
2 Answers
Sarah Mercedes (Osborne)
HubSpot Head of Corporate Sales, West Coast • January 24
Be prepared: C-Suite folks are busy people- don't waste their time. Ensure you are prepared for every meeting you have with them. Anticipate the questions you would expect them to ask and have your answers ready to reply with in real time. Be clear and concise: It goes a long way in terms of h......Read More
1065 Views
2 Answers
Sarah Mercedes (Osborne)
HubSpot Head of Corporate Sales, West Coast • January 24
The biggest thing you need to make sure to do when looking to ask something of the C-Suite (or anyone really) is to first ensure you know what that person cares about. The path of least resistance in getting approval of something you want is for the person you need to win over seeing how they als......Read More
881 Views
1 Answer
Katie Harkins
UserTesting VP of Sales • April 27
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 Me......Read More
756 Views
1 Answer
Katie Harkins
UserTesting VP of Sales • April 27
My interactions with c-suite look different per title. My CFO cares about different things than my CEO and CRO. Nonetheless, feel free to invite them to team meetings and revenue forecast calls. They won't be on all of them, but it's great visibility when they pop in if they have the time. If you......Read More
705 Views
1 Answer
Katie Harkins
UserTesting VP of Sales • April 27
If you're junior at your company and a newer sales professional, below are a few ways to get exposure to the c-suite. Internally at your company: * Manage up emails * Exposure during company all hands * Shout outs * Customer Wins Shared via Slack or Email * Employee of the month nominati......Read More
778 Views