Many of us want to talk to executives, want to have that great conversation with them because somebody has to either we do it or our champion does it or nobody does it.

And if it's not done well, the deal typically slips.

It gets put on the pile of good ideas that we'll look at someday. Some people call it no decision. Some people call it status quo. I call it no commission.

So what we're going to be talking about today is those hard conversations with executives. What to say? How to say it?

Give you plenty of examples so that we're going to get a little tactical here on very strategic conversations.

This sales rep, like most of that I have on the show is by far one of the world's best. And that's what we do here. This is not a show for people just looking for tips and tricks.

If you want that, I've got the sales questions, brutally honest answers, podcast, short, sweet. I hit a topic, give you a little tip, a little trick, something to get this day started that you can use immediately.

I know you like that actionable insight. That's where you can find that. If you want to hear the best of the brutal truth, I have a whole feed just for that.

Just search on your podcast player best of brutal truth. It'll come right up. It has a shiny, different artwork that I think you'll enjoy. Let's get into the show.

And hey, don't I do a lot for you folks? I only ask you if you could do this one thing. If you see my stuff fly by and LinkedIn, give it a little thumbs up, a little clap.

Please, is that too much to ask? It seems to be, but I know you'll do it for me. Here we go.

Hey Dean, welcome back to the show.

Brian, it's great to be back with you. Hey, you sent me some great topics. Anyone that you're really passionate about? You want to kick off or you'd like me to pick it?

Well, listen, I'll let you pick. I know we had collaborated a little bit on some of the things that I see that I've done in my career and some of the things I see other sales people doing that might be a little off target.

So maybe why don't you ask some questions? And then if I come up with some additional ones, we can go there.

Cool. Let's start with like a champion. How to determine how good the champion is or how qualified or how usable. I'm usable is kind of a derogatory term more realistic, I guess, because it all starts good, right?

Yeah, I think what I've seen, I've done this to what happens is you think you have a champion. And in the end, you've really had a coach.

They, right? I mean, they provide good information. But really, they're not selling on your behalf, which is one of the big things you want to test for.

Are they aligned with the executives? Certainly the executive sponsor person with the purse strings, the ones that are going to make that project happen.

Are they aligned with that person? And the other test, I think, Brian is some of those executives to get their input on the individual that you think is your champion.

Because if you ask that question, they may say, oh, no, he's a great great guy or a great woman, but, but no, we really look to other people for the input.

Right? They're not, yeah, they say, oh, he's a good guy. That's when you know it's not a champion.

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