Gaining Executive-Level Access

Executive buyers respond well to clear, personalized, easily scannable emails as a way to raise their interest in taking a meeting. The things that motivate executives to take a meeting fall into two categories: Either you can solve a problem within an initiative already in motion, or you can help them think through an overall approach to meeting a goal of theirs, or solve a new problem. In both cases, being timely in your approach, and concise in how you have helped others, is critical to securing a meeting. Referrals can be effective in gaining access to executives, but you raise the bar on expectations, so be prepared to share stories of both success and failure and keep the conversation lingo free to earn the right to move ahead.