If you're having a hard time building executive relationships it's because you're not providing enough value.
You might be talking about your product or company too much.
Table the discussions about product roadmap, features, adoption, utilization metrics until you've earned the right to share why they should care.
Instead of utilization metrics, introduce them to an industry peer.
Instead of showing them your roadmap, ask what trends they see, and how it’s shaping the industry.
Instead of adoption, open a dialog around their business objectives for the quarter
In short, talk less about you and more about their personal goals, their company, and industry trends.
Once you build some rapport:
- show how your roadmap aligns to industry trends
- share how your product supports their goals
- give them customer stories that relate
We’re not entitled to executive sponsor attention just because they are a customer.
We have to work for it, just like when we made the initial sale.
How are you building exec relationships with your customers?
