Carson V. Heady's Blog, page 20

How Becoming a Parent Transformed My Career: A Journey from Workaholic to Compassionate Leader

Becoming a parent is one of the most transformative experiences a person can undergo. What impact has becoming a parent had on your career?

Sales VP and author Jeff Kirchick joined me today to discuss. Jeff became a parent 9 months ago while I did 17 years ago, and we share our perspectives.

When I became a Dad at 28, I was a selfish, ego-driven workaholic, pouring all my energy into my career. I worked constantly and even spent time with colleagues outside of work.

The best thing that ever happened to me was becoming a Dad.

From the moment I held my first child, my universe expanded to include a new center—someone who wasn’t me. It was no longer just about chasing the next promotion or hitting the next sales target. It was about being there for those irreplaceable moments: the first day of school, volleyball games, gymnastics, or even a simple bedtime story. And while my drive to succeed never diminished, it evolved. It wasn’t just about personal achievement anymore—it was about creating a legacy that my children could be proud of.

Every decision is now viewed through the lens of how it will impact not just me, but my entire family.

The stakes are higher, but the rewards are infinitely more meaningful.

Parenthood has not only reshaped my priorities but has also made me a better leader. I’ve developed a deeper empathy for my colleagues, especially those balancing the demands of a family. I’ve come to appreciate the importance of flexibility and understanding—qualities I might not have valued as a young, single sales director. Being a parent has made me more patient, more compassionate, and more committed to fostering a work environment where everyone feels supported.

My family has not only been my greatest source of joy but also my greatest teacher. They’ve taught me what it truly means to lead, to serve, and to love.

How has parenthood—or any significant life event—reshaped your professional journey? Share your thoughts below! Let’s start a conversation about the beautiful ways our personal lives intersect with our careers.

#Leadership #Parenthood #WorkLifeBalance #ServantLeadership #CareerGrowth #FamilyFirst #LegacyBuilding #Empathy #ProfessionalDevelopment

Mastering the Process: How Focusing on People and Strategy Drives Unstoppable Success

It’s not about the quotas or the sales numbers. It’s about people and process. I’ve never focused on a number, rather on ensuring I’m controlling all controllables in relationship building and execution… and it works.

Obsessing over quotas or the end goal can lead to tunnel vision, making you miss the opportunities right in front of you. Instead, I’ve learned to channel my energy into mastering the process. Why? Because if you perfect your process, the results will naturally follow.

It’s simple: When you have the right team executing an optimal strategy, magic happens. This approach doesn’t just apply to sales—it applies to leadership, project management, and even life.

“I could go to the casino and lose five card games in a row, but probability says there’s still a chance. In sales, it’s the same. It’s about playing the numbers and trusting your process.”

The process isn’t just about one-off wins; it’s about understanding the bigger picture. Even when the odds seem stacked against you, if you maintain your course, learn from every interaction, and adjust your sails accordingly, success is just a matter of time.

“Consistent execution of the right process leads to consistent results.”

This is the cornerstone of sustained success. It’s not the flashy numbers or the quick wins that build a career—it’s the discipline to execute the right process day in and day out.

Takeaways to Elevate Your Game:

1⃣ Prioritize Process Over Outcome: Shift your focus from hitting numbers to mastering the strategy and execution that get you there.

2⃣ Surround Yourself with the Right People: Your team can make or break your success. Invest in relationships and cultivate a winning culture.

3⃣ Trust in Consistency: Great outcomes are a byproduct of consistent actions. Maintain your course, refine your methods, and let the results speak for themselves.

4⃣ Embrace Learning and Adaptation: Each step in the process is a learning opportunity. Reflect, adapt, and grow—this is the real path to mastery.

“Don’t let the numbers distract you from the strategy. Execute with excellence, and the results will take care of themselves.”

How do you focus on mastering the process in your role? Share your strategies below! Let’s learn from each other’s experiences and elevate our collective game.

#SalesSuccess #Leadership #ProcessImprovement #Teamwork #ContinuousLearning #GrowthMindset #RelationshipBuilding #StrategicExecution #PerformanceManagement

Are You Waiting for Opportunities to Knock, or Are You Building the Door?

Have you ever felt like your career was at a standstill, waiting for that perfect opportunity to come your way?

The most successful professionals don’t wait for opportunities—they create them.

I’ve learned that passivity is the enemy of progress, and if we are not going out creating relationships with people that care what we can do, we will not realize our career dreams. It’s not about being in the right place at the right time; it’s about making the right place and time for yourself.

Whether it was turning layoffs into lessons, leveraging my network to open doors, or creating platforms for collaboration where none existed, every step forward in my career was built on intentional actions and a relentless drive to add value.

So, I ask you: What are you doing today to create your own opportunities? Let’s dive deeper into the power of intentionality, proactive networking, and leading from every seat. Your career growth is in your hands—don’t just wait for it to happen. Make it happen.

Creating Your Own Opportunities: The Power of Intentionality in Career Growth

Every move I’ve made in my career has been because of relationships (people getting me an interview, people recruiting me because they knew what I could do) or reputation (broad impact in organizations, the fact I was a published author as a sales leader) or both, but mostly relationships.

Let me take you back to the start of my Microsoft journey. I didn’t come from a tech background. My chops were in sales and sales leadership from my time in telecommunications and advertising. When I joined Microsoft, I had to learn fast. I realized early on that I wasn’t going to become an expert in technology overnight, but what I could do was leverage my sales experience and build a community around me.

So, I asked myself: How can I add value here? What can I bring to the table that others can’t? That’s when I started to focus on unique prospecting and building community with customers and consistent networking and building relationships with the people around me—the ones who were better than me in areas I wanted to learn.

I became a sponge, soaking up everything I could from those who excelled in their fields. Once I heard something delivered, I could assimilate it into my arsenal.

Lesson #1: Be intentional about who you surround yourself with. Find people who are where you want to be, and learn from them. Absorb their best practices, their mindset, their approach.

But I didn’t stop there. I noticed that there were no formal avenues for collaboration among people in similar roles across the company. So, I took the initiative to create “Colleague Corner,” a forum where managers from different regions could come together, share best practices, and support each other. This wasn’t something anyone asked me to do; it was something I saw a need for and decided to build.

Furthermore, I kept hearing our leadership talk about how we did not have any good relationships outside of IT and procurement; we needed line of business relationships to truly drive meaningful transformative change and deals with our customers. So, I told myself, these folks are on LinkedIn – and I started reaching out to executives by the thousands. It went so well my system generated over $1B in landed revenue and led to me training employees globally.

Lesson #2: Don’t wait for someone else to solve a problem you’ve identified. Take the lead and create the solution. This not only showcases your initiative but also sets you apart as a leader who is proactive and forward-thinking.

A few years into my time at Microsoft, I was in a position that wasn’t my dream role, but I saw it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Think about it – if we created our dream role, it likely would not pay as much as a sales role where you are performing well; I found ways to do what I love inside my role in ways it had broad impact with others.

I’ve always built community with others for the purpose of best practice sharing and rising tide raising all ships.

Lesson #3: Amplify the success of others around you. When you help others grow, you grow too.

Fast forward to today. I’m doing what I absolutely love doing, while getting to be a small cog in the wheel supporting hundreds of nonprofit organizations in North America. It’s meaningful, it’s fulfilling, and I’m having the time of my life.

How did I get here? By being intentional in every step of my career, by not waiting for someone else to show me the way, but by paving my own path and helping others along the way.

Furthermore, while I couldn’t find a job for over a year back in 2010 when I had no network, I get recruited now many times per year. And it’s not cheating to talk to other people or organizations and know your worth. Until you have an offer on the table, you don’t have a decision to make! Understand the playing field. I have. And I have re-committed to my organization many, many times – they get the best I’ve got.

Lesson #4: Create your own opportunities. Don’t wait for the perfect job to come along. Instead, find ways to turn your current role into your dream job by being proactive, intentional, and adding value every day.

So, my challenge to you is this: What’s one thing you can do today to take control of your career path? How can you be more intentional in your actions to create the opportunities you want? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!

#CareerGrowth #Leadership #Networking #PersonalDevelopment #SuccessMindset #IntentionalLiving #Opportunities #ProfessionalDevelopment #Inspiration

How I Built a Personal Brand and Achieved Success Without Spending a Dime: My Journey from Aspiring Author to Social Media Influencer

You can put yourself into any position you want to be in and create your own luck. You just have to be willing to try, do the work and fail, and get up again. I have fulfilled every one of my dreams by putting myself out there.

In 2010, I finished my first book, “Birth of a Salesman,” which I messaged 968 publishers and agents about. 15 agreed to read it, 6 offered to publish it and I picked the 1 with the best distribution. I never spent a dime to publish it.

My publisher told me to open up every single social media account I could. I did, and over time, content and consistency, I have amassed over 300,000 social followers. I have never spent a dime doing this.

Furthermore, I reached out to every newspaper, radio station and podcast host I could with press releases and announcements, asking to be interviewed. I never spent a dime on marketing or publicity.

And I started booking shows! I was interviewed by my hometown newspaper, news station and radio station. I managed to miraculously get responses to be on shows with legends like Jeb Blount and Jeffrey Gitomer.

And over time and consistency and promoting others and creating my own podcast, I never had to ask to be on a show again. A personal brand and a social engine was born.

Social has been a huge part of my brand, and it has enabled me to connect with incredible people all over the world while hopefully having a positive impact on the success of others. I’m so very grateful.

If I can do it, truly anyone can.

#PersonalBrand #SuccessStory #SalesJourney #SocialMediaGrowth #ContentCreation #Networking #PersistencePaysOff #DreamBig #EntrepreneurMindset

Mastering Modern Selling with Strategic Partnerships – Episode 101 featuring Rob Fegan

A sometimes-overlooked way to maximize sales success is leveraging strategic partnerships. In many cases, leveraging partnerships has become a crucial strategy for driving success.

How can businesses effectively use partnerships to enhance their sales processes and expand their reach?

In Episode 101 of Mastering Modern Selling, Rob Fegan of Venvito joins Fist Bump‘s Brandon Lee, Tom Burton of LeadSmart Technologies and Microsoft‘s #1 social seller and author of Salesman on Fire Carson V. Heady as they explore key insights and practical advice for anyone looking to navigate complex ecosystems successfully.

The Journey into Strategic Partnerships

The journey into partnerships often begins with a broad exposure to multiple products and services. Many start their careers as individual contributors in diverse environments, working with a range of vendors and products. This diverse experience allows one to identify platforms that offer significant value to customers.

One popular arena that stands out for many is tech, where organizations offer a comprehensive suite of tools and services. Those who pivot their careers toward leveraging such ecosystems often find themselves in roles that involve direct engagement with these platforms. For some, this journey includes starting a company that is deeply integrated with the platform, growing it on its foundation, and eventually selling it for a significant return.

The next natural step for many is to continue their passion for the platform by helping others understand how to navigate and leverage the ecosystem for modern selling. This involves coaching others on effectively working with major vendors, understanding the ecosystem, and maximizing the potential of these partnerships.

Understanding a Complex Yet Rewarding Ecosystem

Navigating vendor ecosystems can be daunting due to their vast and intricate nature. However, it’s essential to recognize the importance of understanding where your business aligns with the vendor’s mission and how you can contribute to achieving it.

Find Your Niche: Identify where your business fits within the broader ecosystem. Understand the vendor’s mission, product offerings, and strategic goals, and find out where your strengths align with their needs.

Build Relationships: Establishing strong relationships within the ecosystem is key. Rather than asking for direct leads, focus on how you can help the vendor achieve their goals. Ask, “How can I support your success?” This approach is far more effective than simply asking, “Do you have any leads for me?”

Key Strategies for Engaging in the Ecosystem

Engaging effectively within a large ecosystem requires a strategic approach. Here are three elements to focus on:

Revenue: Bring deals to the table. This benefits everyone involved—the partner, the vendor, and the customer.

Relationships: Leverage relationships that the vendor may not have. If a partner has strong connections within an organization that the vendor lacks, this can be incredibly valuable. Bringing key decision-makers to discussions can open new opportunities.

Relevance: Demonstrate how your solutions or expertise are relevant to the vendor’s customers. Whether through joint customer strategies, unique solutions, or specialized industry knowledge, showcasing relevance is crucial.

Building a Personal Brand and Leveraging Social Platforms

Building a personal brand and leveraging social platforms, such as LinkedIn, is a powerful strategy for establishing authority and building relationships within any ecosystem.

Consistency is Key: Regularly show up on platforms like LinkedIn to share knowledge, engage with your network, and build your reputation. This approach not only attracts the right people but also establishes you as a thought leader in your field.

Engage Meaningfully: Use social platforms to engage with key contacts and share valuable content. This increases visibility and strengthens relationships, making it easier to build partnerships.

Overcoming Challenges in Modern Selling

One common misconception is that social selling does not provide immediate results. However, it’s essential to recognize that modern selling requires patience and consistency. While traditional sales methods like cold calling or trade shows may provide more tangible, immediate outcomes, social selling is a long-term strategy that pays off over time.

Play the Long Game: The results of social selling may not be immediate, but consistent effort in building relationships and sharing valuable content will eventually yield significant returns.

Final Insights and Key Takeaways

For those looking to build successful relationships within any major ecosystem, here are some essential steps to consider:

Develop a Strong Message: Clearly define what you want to be known for and how you can make an impact within the ecosystem.

Engage Strategically: Use platforms like LinkedIn to reach out to relevant contacts and share your message effectively.

Leverage Available Tools: Utilize tools provided by the ecosystem to grow your business and enhance your partnership.

Understand Incentive Programs: Learn how to leverage various co-selling opportunities and incentive programs to drive deals forward.

Mastering the art of strategic partnerships can be the difference between simply surviving and truly thriving.

By building genuine relationships, leveraging unique strengths, and consistently engaging with key players, you can unlock unprecedented opportunities and elevate your success to new heights.

What steps are you taking today to build stronger partnerships and make a lasting impact in your ecosystem?

#ModernSelling #PartnershipSuccess #StrategicGrowth #SocialSelling #PersonalBranding #SalesStrategy #DigitalTransformation #CustomerEngagement #LinkedInTips

The 8 Golden Rules of Negotiation: Mastering Strategies for Successful Sales, Building Trust, Discounting and Internal Selling with Aaron Cullip

Mastering the Art of Negotiation and Discounting: Strategies for Today’s Sellers, with @Aaron David Cullip

Negotiation is an essential skill in sales, one that combines strategy, art, and psychology.

For sellers today, approaching negotiation with a clear philosophy and a strategic mindset is crucial to achieving success.

@Aaron David Cullip joined me on the latest Salesman on Fire to dive into how understanding the nuances of negotiation, from discounting to selling value over price, can significantly impact outcomes.

1. The Foundations of Effective Negotiation

A successful negotiation begins with understanding that it’s not just about overcoming objections or focusing solely on price. Many sales professionals make the mistake of diving straight into overcoming objections without understanding the customer’s business, mission, or desired legacy.

The foundation of effective negotiation lies in setting the table before the feast—understanding the customer’s needs, their goals, and their desired outcomes. Negotiation is like a chess game; it’s about understanding your opponent and playing with them, not against them.

2. Building a Collaborative Relationship

Negotiation should be viewed as a joint venture where both parties ideally emerge feeling they have won something. In business-to-business contexts, this is particularly true.

Unlike competitive, distributive negotiations—like buying a car or a house, where each party is looking for the best individual deal—business negotiations often benefit from an integrative approach.

This means both sides are working towards the best possible outcome for all involved, not just a good outcome. Achieving this requires a willingness to understand each other’s goals, frame the negotiation upfront, and ensure that both sides feel they have gained something valuable.

3. The Pitfalls of Desperation in Negotiation

One of the biggest mistakes in negotiation is entering the process from a place of desperation. When sales professionals appear desperate to close a deal, they lose leverage.

A desperate seller is a weak seller, and buyers can quickly sense this desperation, using it to gain the upper hand. It’s essential to avoid being overly eager or pushy, as this can erode trust and damage the negotiation’s integrity. Sellers must be prepared to stand their ground, let deals marinate, and be willing to walk away if necessary.

4. Transformational vs. Transactional Selling

To succeed in negotiations, it’s vital to adopt a transformational rather than a transactional approach. Transactional selling focuses on closing deals quickly, often at the expense of building a long-term relationship.

In contrast, transformational selling is about solving problems and adding value. It’s about being a partner in the customer’s success and thinking beyond immediate gains. This approach not only helps in building trust but also positions the seller as a valuable advisor who is genuinely invested in the customer’s long-term success.

5. The Importance of a Robust Pipeline

A strong pipeline is critical to maintaining leverage in negotiations. Sellers who rely on a single deal or have a weak pipeline are more likely to appear desperate, as their success hinges on that one transaction.

Having multiple deals in play allows sellers to negotiate from a position of strength, without the pressure of needing to close any single deal. This confidence can change the dynamic of the negotiation, making it easier to push back against unreasonable demands and avoid unnecessary discounts.

6. Mastering the Art of Discounting

Discounting is often seen as a go-to tactic in negotiations, but it must be handled carefully. Offering discounts too quickly can devalue the product or service and diminish the perceived value.

Instead, consider the approach of adjusting the “trim level” of the offer, similar to selecting features on a car. This means adjusting the package by removing certain features or services to meet the customer’s budget, rather than immediately lowering the price. This method maintains the integrity of the value proposition while still offering flexibility to the buyer.

When discounting becomes necessary, it’s important to avoid the common pitfall of using round numbers (e.g., 10%, 15%). Instead, use specific, non-rounded percentages (e.g., 9.61%, 14.67%). This signals to the buyer that the discount was thoughtfully calculated, not arbitrarily given, and that there are margins and considerations behind these numbers. It also prevents the expectation of further concessions in similar increments.

7. Leveraging Internal Negotiations

Successful negotiation isn’t just about the external conversation with the customer; it also involves negotiating internally within the seller’s organization. Sellers should position themselves as advocates for their customers, gathering all necessary information to negotiate effectively on their behalf. This internal advocacy helps secure the best possible terms while aligning with organizational goals and constraints.

It’s crucial to prepare internally before offering discounts or concessions to a customer. By understanding what the organization values—whether it’s growth in specific areas, strategic positioning, or long-term contracts—sellers can frame their offers to align with both the customer’s needs and the organization’s objectives.

8. Building Trust and Reducing Risk

Trust is the cornerstone of any successful negotiation. Customers are often hesitant to take risks, especially when switching vendors or changing established processes. To overcome this, sellers must focus on building trust and demonstrating reliability. Being transparent about what can and cannot be done, acknowledging the customer’s concerns, and working collaboratively to find solutions can help de-risk the customer’s decision-making process.

A powerful technique in negotiation is using the “power of no.” Instead of pushing for a “yes” response, which can feel confrontational, sellers can frame their requests in a way that invites a “no” answer, which paradoxically feels safer and more in control to the buyer.

For example, instead of asking, “Can you sign this by Friday?” consider, “Do you see any reason why you wouldn’t be able to sign this by Friday?” This subtle shift in language can make a significant difference in how the request is perceived and received.

Navigating the Complexities of Negotiation

Negotiation is a complex, multifaceted process that requires preparation, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of both the customer and the market.

By focusing on building relationships, understanding customer needs, maintaining a robust pipeline, and being strategic about discounting, sellers can navigate the complexities of negotiation more effectively.

Remember, every negotiation should aim for the “holy sales trinity”—a deal where the customer, the company, and the seller all come away feeling like winners.

Are you ready to transform your negotiation tactics to build trust, drive value, and secure better deals?

#SalesStrategy #NegotiationSkills #ValueSelling #SalesLeadership #DiscountingStrategy #BuildingTrust #InternalSelling #B2BSales #SalesSuccess

From Rock Bottom to Rebirth: How Losing My Job Became a Catalyst for Unprecedented Growth

One of the worst things that ever happened to me turned out to be a great blessing and necessary for my growth. I unexpectedly lost my job in what I thought was my “prime” and it shattered my world.

People who had called me family, attended my kid’s birthday parties and had worshipped me now treated me like a leper and would not take my call.

My life went from delivering sales speeches every morning to standing ovations to silence. A phone that rang off the hook all day long to silence.

And while I thought I could quickly parlay my experience and results into something comparable, it took a year and 1,600 job applications to get a job making half what I made before – something that only happened because I wrote a book in my time off and it made my resume stand out.

It took me 3 jobs and 3 ½ years to make close to what I had made previously.

It took me 8 years to forget it.

But the important lessons I learned were priceless.

I had no network. This forced me to learn how to connect and create valuable relationships and get to know the people who would care about my unique skills. I’ve now had years where I got 4 job offers in a year and have been very aggressively recruited.

You may make friends at work, but you should invest in relationships outside of work and be very selective in whom you trust. There are a lot of people who act like they care about you because they want something from you. When they don’t, you are invisible. I’ve experienced this with longtime “friends” too.

Keep investing in yourself. I turned my year off into finishing and publishing a book, and it transformed my whole world.

And, lastly, now that I have far surpassed what I thought I was capable of, you can always keep learning, keep growing, and keep contributing.

Your prime is now.

#GrowthMindset #OvercomingObstacles #NetworkingSuccess #TrustWisely #NeverStopLearning #CareerGrowth #PersonalDevelopment #KeepMovingForward #Inspiration

Why Real Leaders Aren’t Heroes – They Make Them: A Transformative Journey from Manager to Mentor

When I was first promoted to management, I thought it was about proving myself, driving results, and being the best. I was wrong. Leadership isn’t about being the hero; it’s about making heroes.

I’ll never forget my early days managing a team. I was full of energy, fueled by the need to prove I could lead. I tried to mold my team in my image, believing that was the path to success.

But I quickly realized that each person had their own strengths, their own ways of achieving greatness. It wasn’t about me directing every move; it was about understanding their unique talents and guiding them to flourish.

I remember one rep who wasn’t hitting their numbers. Instead of pushing them to do things my way, I took a step back and asked them what they needed, how they worked best.

We worked together to develop a strategy that played to their strengths, and soon, they were not just meeting expectations but exceeding them.

My job wasn’t to be the star; it was to help others shine. Helping them understand that results only tell the story of the effectiveness of their process, where there are gaps and together figuring out the path to improved process.

Today, I see my role as removing barriers to success, helping strategize based on my experience, and providing recognition – being the greatest advocate for my people I can be.

The greatest reward? Watching those I’ve mentored surpass their own expectations and grow into leaders themselves.

To all the leaders out there: embrace being a hero maker. The impact is far greater and more rewarding than you can imagine.

What’s your greatest lesson learned in leadership? Share your thoughts below!

#Leadership #HeroMaker #Empowerment #GrowthMindset #ServantLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamSuccess #InspireGrowth #LeadingByExample #LinkedInLeadership

From Surviving to Thriving: Why Every Day Without Learning is a Lost Opportunity for Growth

Do you ever wake up feeling like there’s more to life than just going through the motions? Have you caught yourself yearning for growth, change, or a new perspective? A day without learning is a day without truly living.

We are all on a quest—whether it’s for knowledge, power, happiness, or something entirely unique to us. But here’s the kicker: it’s not just about reaching the destination; it’s about the journey, the trials and triumphs that shape who we are.

Every experience, every setback, every victory—each one holds a lesson waiting to be discovered. And you’ll someday look back grateful for every one of them.

Ask yourself:

Are you actively seeking the lessons hidden in your daily experiences?

How are you using your setbacks as a springboard for growth?

What can you learn today that will make tomorrow a little brighter?

The truth is, learning is everywhere. It’s in our relationships, our work, our struggles, and even our quiet moments. Every failure is a teacher in disguise. Every challenge is an opportunity to grow stronger, wiser, and more resilient.

So, what can you do today to make sure you’re learning and living fully?

Reflect on your recent experiences. What lessons did they teach you?

Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone. Try something new!

Engage with someone who has a different perspective. What can you learn from them?

Read a book, listen to a podcast, or watch a documentary that stretches your mind.

Mentor someone else or seek a mentor for yourself. Learning is a two-way street!

Ask questions—don’t settle for the surface answers. Dive deep into the ‘why’ behind things.

Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain. Embrace every challenge, every triumph, every defeat. Don’t let today slip away without squeezing every drop of wisdom from it.

So, I challenge you: What will you learn today? How will you use today to grow? Remember, the power to change your life is always in your hands.

#NeverStopLearning #GrowthMindset #ContinuousImprovement #PersonalDevelopment #LearningEveryday #EmbraceTheChallenge #SeekKnowledge #LiveFully #CarpeDiem

How I Get 40% C-Level Response Rate in Sales Prospecting: The AI-Powered Personalization Playbook

Sellers I connect with tell me that contactability is their biggest challenge and often prospecting is their least favorite activity, likely because it’s challenging. I love it. And I have discovered an ability to get 40% response rate from the C-Suite.

Over the last two months, I’ve sent out AI-aided personalized prospecting messages to 121 different organizations, including C-Level, VP-Level and Board. The result? 47 net new meetings with folks we had never met with before—nearly a 40% response rate. So, how did I do it?

It starts with leveraging AI as a powerful tool to scale our efforts without losing the human touch. Here’s the process:

Research: Use AI to comb through LinkedIn profiles, company websites, and reports. AI helps surface key insights, aligning our business solutions with the prospect’s mission and needs.Personalization: AI drafts the initial message, but this is where the human touch comes in. I review, tweak, and personalize each email, ensuring it reflects my voice and the specific needs of the prospect.Execution: Send out these highly targeted messages at scale. Because they’re personalized and aligned with the prospect’s goals, they stand out in the inbox. You can use tools like Sales Navigator and/or Zoominfo to figure out the e-mail addresses of those you seek to engage.Follow-Up: AI can help craft follow-up messages, but again, I make sure to add that final touch to keep the conversation warm and engaging.

The key takeaway? AI can amplify your efforts, but it’s the personalization and authenticity that drive the real results.

I’ll literally ask AI to write a message to leadership at XYZ organization from me at my organization (naming it, linking websites) and ask it to surface areas for collaboration that would specifically be of value for my customer based on their mission statement.

The output is gold, and I massage it to ensure it’s short, sweet and to the point while also in my voice.

C-Levels get a lot of e-mail, so you can’t sound like everyone else who has come and failed before.

Cutting through the noise with value and their mission statement gives you a higher probability of success.

Prospecting success comes from controlling the controllables: quality of message, quantity of outreaches and consistency of execution over time.

Remember – we’re not trying to sell anything. We’re trying to earn a meeting so we can build a relationship and earn the right to be a trusted advisor. Every meeting we’ve earned in the last couple of months with this method has yielded several net new opportunities with people we’ve never talked to before.

Putting It All Together

Achieving a 40% response rate from C-level executives isn’t about luck—it’s about having a well-crafted strategy that combines the power of AI with the irreplaceable human touch. By following these steps, you can start to see similar results in your own prospecting efforts.

Remember, AI is a tool that can help you scale and optimize your outreach, but it’s your unique insights and personal engagement that will close the deal. Start implementing these strategies today, and watch your response rates soar.

What’s your biggest challenge in prospecting? How are you leveraging AI in your sales process? Let’s discuss in the comments!

#SalesProspecting #SalesStrategy #SalesSuccess #B2BSales #LeadGeneration #SocialSelling #AIinSales #CLevelEngagement #PersonalizationInSales