“What do the executives I’m targeting have in common?”
It’s a question we’ve heard over and over again from C-level sales and marketing pros who understand that executive engagement works best when it’s personalized, highly targeted and built off accurate and timely intelligence. Personas can be helpful, but they are essentially educated guesses and, when you’re targeting the C-suite, often not enough. What if you need real information and the ability to generate that information at scale?
We built the Common Threads dashboard within our BI PRO℠ platform — an advanced version of our BI SIGNATURE℠ service — to answer that question.
The Common Threads dashboard leverages the intelligence across our database of 28,000+ executive profiles to help you pinpoint what your target executives have in common, across four key areas:
- Companies — the most common companies across the work histories of your target executives
- Boards — including for-profit, nonprofit, educational and industry-centric boards
- Education — the undergraduate and graduate institutions most popular among your target executives
- Interests — from sports and hobbies to reading and mentorship
Why are common threads important in C-level sales and marketing?
Strong executive engagement starts with connection.
And, contrary to popular belief, you can foster personal connection at scale. It’s all about finding out what your target executives have in common and then leveraging that information to create an executive engagement strategy with impact.
For instance, the Common Threads dashboard could tell you that many executives on your list of prospects attended Northwestern University. You could leverage this information to host an intimate executive event that coincides with the first football game of the season. If you choose to include your own executives, you may find a few internal alums, which could seed some valuable connections moving forward.
We’ve also seen our customers leverage “Interests” to create custom events, capitalizing on common hobbies such as skiing or cricket to provide opportunities for more authentic and enthusiastic engagement. It’s the kind of insight you might be able to surface after dozens of hours of research and cross-referencing — only BI PRO delivers it to you in seconds.
Your prospects are people first.
It is vital that C-level sales and marketing pros understand the business priorities, challenges and opportunities of their target executives. But, in the process of building strong executive relationships, it’s just as vital to remember that your prospects are people, too. They have passions and interests outside the realm of business, and understanding those factors can offer prime opportunities for connection and engagement. You can get a foot in the door and then maintain your seat at the table.
The takeaway?
The more insight you can gather on your target accounts, the more value you can add. And that’s key when you’re marketing and selling to the C-suite. You’ve got to get creative. You’ve got to do your homework. And you’ve got to do it fast — before the competition beats you to the punch.
Want to see what you could gain from an upgraded BI experience? Schedule a custom demo today.
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