Risk & Business Magazine Spectrum Insurance 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. 20