DIG Insurance & Business Magazine Fall 2018 | Page 20

WHO ARE YOUR ALLIES?
Building A
Relationship
With A CEO?
Woo The Inner Circle First
W
hen building partnerships with other
businesses, most entrepreneurs naturally
target the C-suite leaders first. That's
understandable: CEOs, after all, are the
decision-makers, so naturally you and every
other entrepreneur is going to clamor for a meeting with the
top brass.
However, the problems you want to solve are not likely to be
the same ones keeping those executives up at night. What's
more, your constant calls and follow-up emails are actually
a turnoff for CEOs. And your messages will probably just
get buried in the 84, on average, other emails, that CEOs
typically receive in a day. Getting the face time you need to
close a deal is a challenge, all right.
This is why you should rethink identifying the “right people”
to contact. Every business leader maintains a core staff that
manages his or her schedule, advises on business decisions,
coordinates events and acts as this leader's gatekeepers. For
this reason, your only shot at landing a meeting with the
CEO is to find an internal advocate who can prioritize the
proposal and educate the boss about its value.
Your best strategy, then, is to develop a relationship with
the company head’s assistant or a well-placed manager, to
dramatically boost your chance of making a deal. And the
best way to do that is to give thoughtful corporate gifts.
WHO ARE YOUR ALLIES?
Gifts are a great way to connect with staff members
who work hard for little recognition. Depending on the
organization, you might find the best allies in division heads
or assistants, event planners or junior team members looking
for ways to get noticed. Showing appreciation and respect for
their time helps earn their trust and assistance.
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