Join our new LinkedIn Group!
There are plenty of forums out there about general sales and marketing–but I haven’t yet found a good one that focuses on the special challenge of selling and marketing to senior executives and CXOs. So I started a new forum on LinkedIn on just this topic. It is sponsored and moderated by Boardroom Insiders, but you don’t have to be a customer to join–everyone is welcome! Appropriate questions and discussion topics include:
- how to increase the effectiveness of account-based marketing efforts
- what CXOs expect from vendors who want their business
- best practices in CXO engagement
- how to “move the needle” with executive-level customers and prospects
- how to customize marketing communications and programs for individual CXOs
- how other companies have successfully reached and engaged CXOs
- how to pitch new ideas to CXOs within your own organization
To join, just go to LinkedIn, click on “Groups Directory” and search for: “Boardroom Insiders.”
Look forward to seeing you there!
Posted January 30th, 2009 in- CEO, News
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Boardroom Insiders Launch Announcement
Boardroom Insiders Provides Deep Information on Senior Executives
San Francisco-based Boardroom Insiders is announcing the launch of its new online subscription service at www.boardroominsiders.com. Subscriptions give users access to in-depth information on hundreds of CEOs, CMOs, CIOs and CFOs from Fortune 1000 companies and beyond.
Boardroom Insiders executive profiles include far more than you would find in a typical corporate biography, according to company founder Sharon Gillenwater.
“It’s easy enough to find out where someone went to school or what his career path has been,” says Gillenwater. “But how do you get more insight into the person–what was his childhood like? What are his hobbies? Personality quirks? Leadership style? Who are his influencers? What are his current business challenges? This is the type of information that we are interested in.”
Boardroom Insiders supports companies’ increased focus on key account strategy and executive engagement. “More than ever, companies are looking to deepen relationships with the customers they already have,” says Gillenwater. “So they need to understand the individual players, their backgrounds, their current initiatives and challenges, and what makes them tick.”
Gillenwater says she founded Boardroom Insiders because there was no other resource with this level of information and analysis on individual executives. “So I decided to build it myself,” she says, describing Boardroom Insiders as “like a mashup of Hoovers, LinkedIn and A&E Biography.”
Gillenwater piloted Boardroom Insiders for two years with companies such as Sun Microsystems and Cisco Systems before launching the subscription database in late 2008. Subscribers have access to all of the profiles in the database as well as a relationship mapping tool that shows points of connection between executives. Subscribers can also request that additional profiles be added to the database as needed.
Clients use Boardroom Insiders data to drive key account sales strategies, prepare for face-to-face meetings and events, and to trigger executive-to-executive outreach. “A client who is active in Junior Achievement noticed that one of his prospects–who we had identified as an avid golfer–had just joined the JA Board,” says Gillenwater. “He sent him a congratulatory note and suggested that they co-chair a charity golf tournament to raise funds for the organization. The introduction had a lot more impact because it tapped into two things that the executive cared about. That’s the power of knowing what’s relevant.”
Gillenwater is hosting a free webinar on February 5, 2009 entitled, “Winning Executive Buy In Within Your Organization: The Art of the Internal Pitch.” For more information or to register, visit www.boardroominsiders.com.
Posted January 29th, 2009 inDon’t miss our free webinar on 2/5!
Mark your calendar for the next in our series of Boardroom Insiders 30-minute webinars!
This time the topic is “Winning Executive Buy In Within Your Organization: The Art of the Internal Pitch”
Feedback from our last webinar indicated that you want tips and tools for winning support from your own senior executives for your ideas and initiatives. Having worked with a variety of teams across Fortune 500 companies, I am excited to share some anecdotes and best practices that I have acquired over the years.
In just 30 minutes, we will cover how to:
- zero in on senior execs’ business and personal careabouts
- work with internal gatekeepers to gain access
- speak their language
- craft a compelling story and a winning presentation
- keep the momentum going
So grab a cup of coffee or a sandwich and listen in! I promise it will be worth 30-minutes of your time. Plus–everyone who attends will receive one free custom executive profile and a two-week trial subscription to www.boardroominsiders.com!
Sharon Gillenwater
Founder and Principal, Boardroom Insiders
