Reaching the Top:

Marketing to the C-Suite

Mark Bonchek

CMO Club Coach on

Executive Engagement

Successful marketing

to the C-suite is more

important than ever

Decisions once made

at a lower level have

elevated to the C-Suite

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But the air gets thin at the C-level

Executives are

• Busy

• Sophisticated

• Demanding3

Companies

often fail as they

climb higher in

the organization

• Can’t get there

• Nothing to say

• Don’t stay there

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But those who

reach the top

reap the rewards

• Brand equity

• Customer advocacy

• Bigger deal size

• Shorter sales cycle

• Share of wallet

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How can you successfully

reach the C-Suite?

1. Acclimate to higher altitude

2. Plan your route to the summit

3. Get the right gear

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1. Acclimate to Higher Altitude

Understand how

executives work

and think

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What distinguishes Climbers?

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What makes

Executives

stand apart?

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Think

• See connections

others don't

• Sort the relevant

from the irrelevant

• Move from general to

specific and back

• Build mental models

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Work • See a longer time horizon

• Build personal networks

• Communicate verbally

• Advance an agenda

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Decide

• Mix analysis and intuition

• Draw on lessons learned

• Make inferences from limited

information

• Adapt to changing circumstances

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DO

• Help them

o Advance their agenda

o Refine their mental models

o Justify their intuition

o Grow their network

• Share lessons learned

• Focus on conversation

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DON’T

• Make them read

too much or listen

too long

• Be only detailed, or

only conceptual

• Have “The Answer”

• Gloss over the hard

parts

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2. Plan Your Route to the Summit

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Vendors

Team

Peers

CFO

CEO

Elevating the Conversation

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Vendors

Peers

CFO

CEO

Making it to the Top

Competitiveness

Profitability

Career

Performance

Customer Value

Most companies stop at

“base camp” – the direct

conversations they have

with buyers.

To go higher, enable the

conversations they want

to have with others.

Team

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Vendors

Peers

CFO

CEO

Example: IBM and the CIO

End-to-End View

Business Value of IT

Leadership

More with Less

Global Enterprise

TeamBoard of Advisors

Mid-Market Advisory Network

CIO Leadership Exchange

Center for CIO Leadership

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3. Equip yourself with the

right tools

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The Standard Toolkit

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Leading Edge

Councils

Advice > Satisfaction

Content

Stories > Testimonials

Events

Conversation > Presentation

Communities

Profession > Products21

Where do your strengths

intersect their interests?

What you know. Who you know.What you value.

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Climbing is, above all,

a matter of integrity

Gaston Rébuffat

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How Can You Leverage Existing

Executive Relationships?

• As Consultants

– On your Advisory Councils

• As Thought Leaders

– In your Content

– At your Events

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A Thought Experiment

If you were a …

• Consulting Firm What would you advise?

• Conference Organizer Who would you convene?

• Media Company What would you publish?

• Business SchoolWhat would you teach?

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Connections

Mark S. Bonchek, Ph.D.Chief Strategist, Soundbridge Group

& Founder, Truman Company

mbonchek@soundbridge.net

Twitter: mbonchek

978-405-1710

“Marketing to the C-Suite” Breakfast Salon on June 11 in Boston, MA

www.EngagingExecutives.com

www.TrumanCompany.com

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