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Selling to the C-Suite, Second Edition: What Every Executive Wants You to Know About Successfully Selling to the Top
The classic guide to high-level selling. Updated with new insights from global executives.
How do the best salespeople become trusted advisors to top executives? How do they prepare the right message and get in front of the right influencers and decision-makers? How do they close major sales and establish loyalty for the long-term?
The authors of this groundbreaking book took a novel approach to answer these questions by asking more than 500 senior decision-makers what they look for when salespeople call. What these top executives reveal will change the way you sell.
This second edition has been updated with new insights on how to stand out and succeed in a market where executives are using social media and other technologies as a key part of their buying process. You'll learn how
Target the most relevant executives in any sales opportunity Win support from the executive's network of gatekeepers and influencers Position yourself as the supplier who will add the most value with least risk Update your prospecting and selling skills for the digital age Sell higher, win bigger, and close faster Based on the world's largest study of its kind, Selling to the C-Suite, Second Edition blends empirical research with practical insights to help you sell higher, faster, and stronger.
How do the best salespeople become trusted advisors to top executives? How do they prepare the right message and get in front of the right influencers and decision-makers? How do they close major sales and establish loyalty for the long-term?
The authors of this groundbreaking book took a novel approach to answer these questions by asking more than 500 senior decision-makers what they look for when salespeople call. What these top executives reveal will change the way you sell.
This second edition has been updated with new insights on how to stand out and succeed in a market where executives are using social media and other technologies as a key part of their buying process. You'll learn how
Target the most relevant executives in any sales opportunity Win support from the executive's network of gatekeepers and influencers Position yourself as the supplier who will add the most value with least risk Update your prospecting and selling skills for the digital age Sell higher, win bigger, and close faster Based on the world's largest study of its kind, Selling to the C-Suite, Second Edition blends empirical research with practical insights to help you sell higher, faster, and stronger.
- GenresBusiness
Audible Audio
First published January 1, 2009
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383 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 25, 2017
This book is specifically targeted to sell to the C-Suite.
It is very focus on the topic and it identify some of the factors that are crucial for them and when do they actually participate in the sales cycle.
For example, C-Suite people are highly strategic and future driven people and in the book you can learn how to position your value to them.
If you are entirely new to selling to the C-Suite, this book is bound to provide you insights.
It has a lot of actionable resources in there too.
This book is definitely not perfect but it answer and provides a framework to selling to the C-Suite.
It is very focus on the topic and it identify some of the factors that are crucial for them and when do they actually participate in the sales cycle.
For example, C-Suite people are highly strategic and future driven people and in the book you can learn how to position your value to them.
If you are entirely new to selling to the C-Suite, this book is bound to provide you insights.
It has a lot of actionable resources in there too.
This book is definitely not perfect but it answer and provides a framework to selling to the C-Suite.
February 3, 2021
If you liked Spin Selling you will like this book too. Though the only drawback is it tends to be too 'research' language and abstract and tends to get boring a little while later.
First few chapters are a gem. They will also end up teaching you advanced marketing lessons.
First few chapters are a gem. They will also end up teaching you advanced marketing lessons.
September 30, 2025
Selling to the C-Suite fills in many of the gaps that older sales books (like Zig Ziglar’s Secrets of Closing the Sale) leave behind. Those classics focus heavily on component or commodity sales, but the industry has changed. Today, you’re not just selling the benefits of a product—most businesses, especially in manufacturing, already know exactly which commodities they need. The salesperson’s job is to uncover what key decision makers truly care about and work backward from there. In other words, it’s about anticipating the problems executives face and helping them map out solutions.
One of the most valuable principles in this book is knowing your audience. Selling to a maintenance tech is very different from selling to a COO. A maintenance tech cares about getting the part that fixes today’s problem quickly; a COO cares about downtime, efficiency, and shareholder value. These problems are connected, and the book makes it clear that understanding these “tiers of problems” helps you be a more effective seller at every level. By the time you reach the executive level, you’ve already built buy-in from maintenance, procurement, and project managers along the way.
Here’s a real-world example from my own experience. One of my customers uses automated systems and injection molding equipment to produce plastic bottles for a food and beverage company. They had been testing a new automation system that wasn’t performing well. My company specializes in automation solutions and also sells critical components for these systems. Instead of going directly to the plant manager, I started by helping the maintenance guy with a small but pressing issue: he needed rubber hose that was hard to source from his German supplier and wanted an American alternative. After solving that, I began asking deeper questions: How is the automation equipment performing? Where is it sourced from? When it fails, how long is it down? How much does each hour of downtime cost? What’s the machine’s critical failure point? Eventually, when the tech told me, “That’s above my pay grade,” I knew it was time to take my insights to the plant manager and show how our solutions could reduce downtime and improve profitability.
This ties back to one of the book’s central themes: building trust and credibility. Companies buy from people they trust. With executives, you have a narrow window to demonstrate value, so preparation is key. You can’t walk in cold—you need calibrated questions that prove you’ve done your research. Speak their language. Offer insights, not just information. Identify their strategic priorities and connect them with your company’s strengths. That’s how you earn the right to stay at the table.
Pro tip: If you don’t know your customer’s business goals, their personal priorities, or how your company’s vision aligns with theirs—ask ChatGPT. Seriously.
One of the most valuable principles in this book is knowing your audience. Selling to a maintenance tech is very different from selling to a COO. A maintenance tech cares about getting the part that fixes today’s problem quickly; a COO cares about downtime, efficiency, and shareholder value. These problems are connected, and the book makes it clear that understanding these “tiers of problems” helps you be a more effective seller at every level. By the time you reach the executive level, you’ve already built buy-in from maintenance, procurement, and project managers along the way.
Here’s a real-world example from my own experience. One of my customers uses automated systems and injection molding equipment to produce plastic bottles for a food and beverage company. They had been testing a new automation system that wasn’t performing well. My company specializes in automation solutions and also sells critical components for these systems. Instead of going directly to the plant manager, I started by helping the maintenance guy with a small but pressing issue: he needed rubber hose that was hard to source from his German supplier and wanted an American alternative. After solving that, I began asking deeper questions: How is the automation equipment performing? Where is it sourced from? When it fails, how long is it down? How much does each hour of downtime cost? What’s the machine’s critical failure point? Eventually, when the tech told me, “That’s above my pay grade,” I knew it was time to take my insights to the plant manager and show how our solutions could reduce downtime and improve profitability.
This ties back to one of the book’s central themes: building trust and credibility. Companies buy from people they trust. With executives, you have a narrow window to demonstrate value, so preparation is key. You can’t walk in cold—you need calibrated questions that prove you’ve done your research. Speak their language. Offer insights, not just information. Identify their strategic priorities and connect them with your company’s strengths. That’s how you earn the right to stay at the table.
Pro tip: If you don’t know your customer’s business goals, their personal priorities, or how your company’s vision aligns with theirs—ask ChatGPT. Seriously.
October 24, 2025
Surprisingly good. Based on strong research and surveys of executives. This edition is clearly an updated and contemporary version, which I appreciated.
Notes:
Offer execs suggestions for their business instead of just regurgitating a premeditated sales pitch.
80% of execs get involved in the early stage of the sales cycle by being visionary and planning how they can evolve their business. However, their involvement this early on doesn’t mean they’ll be involved throughout the entire sales cycle. Execs search the internet based on the problems they’re having, not based on the solution (because they’re not informed of your solution yet). This is important for your marketing. Think about the exec Googling their issue instead of the exec Googling the solution. Use Customer Speak instead of Product Speak.
Execs don’t want to talk to Product Experts. These people squander their one and only shot with an exec. Be an Emerging Resource instead. Do your research and identify what advantages you can have on a customer. Or be a Problem Solver that’s forward looking to the exec’s problems. Execs love Problem Solvers. Or be a Trusted Advisor to the exec by upstanding their personal preferences and issues. Demonstrate to the exec that they can benefit from your experience.
Usually, most of the “purchasing process” is completed before any RFP or first meeting with a prospect is conducted because execs or buyers have done enough window shopping of solutions to know what they want.
There are usually 5+ decision makers in every B2B transaction.
Execs say it can take up to 6 attempts to reach them, if not warm introduced by someone on their team.
Execs can benefit from hearing about how the other companies you’ve helped and worked with solve their problems. Treat it as if you were a board member.
Profile stakeholders in a customer’s business to determine who has influence. 84% of execs said they would usually or always take a meeting with a sales rep who was recommended internally.
Speak to execs from a business perspective and don’t get caught up on product features and bells and whistles.
Treat gatekeepers well, as a resource, and as if they were the exec. They can help you out.
Execs like to be listened to before you throw a solution at them.
Execs like selling to people they trust, not necessarily to people they like.
Sometimes, the biggest competitor can be the alternative ways in which their capital can be spent.
Execs buy not when they understand, but when they feel they’re understood.
Consistent delivery of value drives loyalty.
Notes:
Offer execs suggestions for their business instead of just regurgitating a premeditated sales pitch.
80% of execs get involved in the early stage of the sales cycle by being visionary and planning how they can evolve their business. However, their involvement this early on doesn’t mean they’ll be involved throughout the entire sales cycle. Execs search the internet based on the problems they’re having, not based on the solution (because they’re not informed of your solution yet). This is important for your marketing. Think about the exec Googling their issue instead of the exec Googling the solution. Use Customer Speak instead of Product Speak.
Execs don’t want to talk to Product Experts. These people squander their one and only shot with an exec. Be an Emerging Resource instead. Do your research and identify what advantages you can have on a customer. Or be a Problem Solver that’s forward looking to the exec’s problems. Execs love Problem Solvers. Or be a Trusted Advisor to the exec by upstanding their personal preferences and issues. Demonstrate to the exec that they can benefit from your experience.
Usually, most of the “purchasing process” is completed before any RFP or first meeting with a prospect is conducted because execs or buyers have done enough window shopping of solutions to know what they want.
There are usually 5+ decision makers in every B2B transaction.
Execs say it can take up to 6 attempts to reach them, if not warm introduced by someone on their team.
Execs can benefit from hearing about how the other companies you’ve helped and worked with solve their problems. Treat it as if you were a board member.
Profile stakeholders in a customer’s business to determine who has influence. 84% of execs said they would usually or always take a meeting with a sales rep who was recommended internally.
Speak to execs from a business perspective and don’t get caught up on product features and bells and whistles.
Treat gatekeepers well, as a resource, and as if they were the exec. They can help you out.
Execs like to be listened to before you throw a solution at them.
Execs like selling to people they trust, not necessarily to people they like.
Sometimes, the biggest competitor can be the alternative ways in which their capital can be spent.
Execs buy not when they understand, but when they feel they’re understood.
Consistent delivery of value drives loyalty.
February 13, 2025
A super book that details what you really have to do to become a Trusted Advisor to C-suite people.
I like that the book provides simple templates to help you capture the information you need to prepare for your first meeting with CXO people, as well as the next and the next. There are also mentions of the websites where you can get info on industries and people you are targeting for business, though all websites may not be as suitable or active today.
All of this is supplemented by interesting examples.
One of my insights was about the stages at which the senior people get involved in the buying process.
Strongly recommended not just for sales people, but anyone who interacts with C-suite.
I like that the book provides simple templates to help you capture the information you need to prepare for your first meeting with CXO people, as well as the next and the next. There are also mentions of the websites where you can get info on industries and people you are targeting for business, though all websites may not be as suitable or active today.
All of this is supplemented by interesting examples.
One of my insights was about the stages at which the senior people get involved in the buying process.
Strongly recommended not just for sales people, but anyone who interacts with C-suite.
August 15, 2025
I read this book for work, as one does. There are some helpful nuggets in there, but even the new version needs to be updated for changing technology. It is very easy to see the paragraphs with 2016ish studies that were clearly inserted for the second edition, and still the discussion of the use of the internet sounds like it was written in the 90s. It is also very male in perspective and almost every author recommended is male. This also makes it seem dated. It would be helpful to hear from more diverse perspectives in 2025.
April 25, 2025
Solid report on what matters to most executives, from how to get their attention to what not to do when in the process.
Some of it wasn't anything new or unique from regular B2B sales practices. Executives are just people, so the fundamental people elements are the same. But there are few nuggets unique to their role.
I've been an executive and I've spent many years working with executives and it all rang true.
Some of it wasn't anything new or unique from regular B2B sales practices. Executives are just people, so the fundamental people elements are the same. But there are few nuggets unique to their role.
I've been an executive and I've spent many years working with executives and it all rang true.
November 26, 2025
not all books are meant to offer novelty, especially if they are the third you have read on the same topic, where you have likely already encountered most of the essential terms, approaches, and core ideas
I value this book for sparking new B2B communication ideas, offering some useful guidance on networking with C-level executives, and refreshing a few of my ‘dormant’ soft skills around reaching out and showing up ))
well deserved 5️⃣⭐️ for its briefness and to-the-point structure
I value this book for sparking new B2B communication ideas, offering some useful guidance on networking with C-level executives, and refreshing a few of my ‘dormant’ soft skills around reaching out and showing up ))
well deserved 5️⃣⭐️ for its briefness and to-the-point structure
July 7, 2018
Good book. Lots of strategy training comes in handy, but applies in different context.
August 9, 2019
Best book on selling to executives I have seen so far
June 8, 2010
Value-based guidance on selling to senior executives
If you are in sales, getAbstract thinks you’ll like this book by Nicholas A.C. Read and Stephen J. Bistritz, who offer solid advice on how to sell to senior-level executives. They start by helping you identify and gain access to the “C-Suite” denizen – that is, the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer or other chiefs – you want to approach. The authors base their suggestions on hard data: the results of surveys conducted by Target Marketing Systems, Hewlett-Packard, the business school at the University of North Carolina and other institutions. Hundreds of senior-level executives answered survey questions about how they work with the “buying cycle” and with sales professionals. The authors derive useful lessons from this research to help salespeople transform themselves from “Commodity Suppliers” to “Trusted Advisers.” They explain the best tactics for getting to know executives, establishing credibility and making sales as an insider who has earned the boss’s confidence. The question is whether you can get upstairs the way they advise – by cultivating mid-level managers who can make that crucial suggestion to the top boss: “I know a salesperson you should meet.”
To learn more about this book, check out the following web page: https://www.getabstract.com/summary/1...
If you are in sales, getAbstract thinks you’ll like this book by Nicholas A.C. Read and Stephen J. Bistritz, who offer solid advice on how to sell to senior-level executives. They start by helping you identify and gain access to the “C-Suite” denizen – that is, the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer or other chiefs – you want to approach. The authors base their suggestions on hard data: the results of surveys conducted by Target Marketing Systems, Hewlett-Packard, the business school at the University of North Carolina and other institutions. Hundreds of senior-level executives answered survey questions about how they work with the “buying cycle” and with sales professionals. The authors derive useful lessons from this research to help salespeople transform themselves from “Commodity Suppliers” to “Trusted Advisers.” They explain the best tactics for getting to know executives, establishing credibility and making sales as an insider who has earned the boss’s confidence. The question is whether you can get upstairs the way they advise – by cultivating mid-level managers who can make that crucial suggestion to the top boss: “I know a salesperson you should meet.”
To learn more about this book, check out the following web page: https://www.getabstract.com/summary/1...
January 8, 2012
One of the few sales books to be based on that rare blend of actual research into what works today, and the authors' experience of having led actual sales teams so the theory is tempered by street smarts. Read (joined by Bistritz in this book) has delivered a masterwork that is easily accessible, entertaining and pragmatic. As last generation's sales guru Neil Rackham put it: "this book is worth its weight in commission checks".
Read's next book, http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13..., expands the research to the other side of the table. Where "Selling to the C-Suite" shares what executive buyers say works best when selling to them, "Target Opportunity Selling" shares what top sellers around the world do to stay in the top 20%. Both books serve as essential reading in any professional's sales library.
Read's next book, http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13..., expands the research to the other side of the table. Where "Selling to the C-Suite" shares what executive buyers say works best when selling to them, "Target Opportunity Selling" shares what top sellers around the world do to stay in the top 20%. Both books serve as essential reading in any professional's sales library.
November 18, 2009
Very practical, fact based approach to defining what works in building a trusted advisor relationship with C-suite persons. Usable in both a selling and operational role, when building trust with a senior executive.
November 6, 2011
So far so good. I am a chapter in and it's obvious that this is another "sales system". It's a methodically researched piece that provides case based examples of how one should approach selling to larger organizations.
Looking forward to the rest of the read.
Looking forward to the rest of the read.
July 6, 2011
Easy read but packed with great ideas and concepts.
December 22, 2013
Great book-highly recommend for anyone involved in complex selling. Lots a good ideas and will be used as a reference. I found the templates very useful.
March 15, 2014
Very helpful ideas for preparing for executive conversations.
Want to read
November 15, 2016To sell to a corporation's chief executive officer, chief operating officer and chief information officer is an art form I need to learn about.
April 28, 2020
Very methodological and with good insights. Very useful.
September 29, 2020
Unfortunately nothing new here
July 20, 2022
Great book
December 16, 2022
A nice approach for trying to provide value to the executives you land in front of. A healthy addition to the selling ideas from the wolf on wallstreet guy’s book on sales
March 28, 2017
Đọc kèm SPIN Selling model. Tân cổ giao duyên rất hợp.
January 31, 2019
Great strategy for getting through gatekeepers and into the room with the C level. How to prepare, how to react to objections and what is truly going to help get the “papal blessing” and win.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews