Head Of Sales

Panel: Mastering B2B Sales: Selling Effectively to CEOs

Host and panel speakers to be announced shortly.

In the realm of B2B sales, securing buy-in from CEOs stands as a pivotal challenge and opportunity. This panel discussion seeks to unravel the strategies and insights essential for B2B sales professionals aiming to effectively engage and sell to CEOs. Drawing from the expertise of seasoned executives and sales leaders, the session will explore nuanced approaches, practical tactics, and proven techniques tailored to resonate with CEOs across industries.

Topics to be Explored:

1. Understanding the CEO’s Perspective: Delving into the unique priorities, challenges, and decision-making frameworks that CEOs navigate. How B2B sales professionals can align their offerings with CEOs’ strategic goals and corporate vision.
2. Building Credibility and Trust: Strategies for establishing credibility and building trust with CEOs early in the sales process. The importance of research, tailored messaging, and demonstrating a deep understanding of the CEO’s business landscape.
3. Crafting Compelling Value Propositions: Techniques for crafting value propositions that resonate with CEOs, focusing on outcomes, ROI, and long-term business impact rather than just features and functionalities.
4. Navigating Complex Sales Cycles: Insights into navigating the often intricate and lengthy sales cycles when selling to CEOs. How to maintain momentum, handle objections, and navigate organizational dynamics effectively.
5. Effective Communication Strategies: Best practices for communication with CEOs, including concise and impactful messaging, leveraging storytelling, and adapting communication styles to resonate with diverse CEO personas.
6. Case Studies and Success Stories: Real-world examples and success stories of B2B sales professionals who have successfully sold to CEOs. Analysing key strategies and pivotal moments that led to successful partnerships.

Audience Engagement: Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with panelists through Q&A sessions and interactive discussions, allowing for deeper exploration of specific challenges and scenarios encountered in B2B sales to CEOs. Practical advice and actionable insights will equip participants with the tools needed to enhance their sales effectiveness and achieve greater success in engaging CEOs as key decision-makers.

Conclusion: By harnessing the collective wisdom and experiences of industry leaders and seasoned sales professionals, this panel aims to empower B2B sales teams to elevate their strategies and outcomes when engaging with CEOs. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the nuances of selling to CEOs, armed with practical strategies to forge stronger partnerships and drive business growth in the competitive B2B landscape.

Why You Really Win & Lose Deals – A Customers Perspective

Hosted by Cian Mcloughlin.

The world of B2B sales is littered with stories of cringeworthy moments and ‘I can’t believe that actually happened’ sales blunders. In this Masterclass Cian will dive deep into some of the craziest stories from 10+ years of customer Win and Loss Reviews. He’ll share the good, the bad and the oh-so-ugly experiences of other sales professionals, then look to the future to explore the evolving landscape of buyer behaviours and what this means for you.

This masterclass isn’t just about laughing (or crying) at the sales stuff-ups of yourself and your peers; Cian will also unpack 10+ years of Win/Loss Customer Buying Trends and real-world insights, backed-up with actionable strategies tailored for sales professionals and leaders looking to lift their game. Ready for a mix of hilarity and hard-hitting sales wisdom?

Key takeaways:

• Understand why you actually win and lose the key deals you pitch for in market
• Gain a unique perspective on what motivates, and frustrates, customers when considering a B2B buying decision
• Come away with specific, actionable and proven strategies to derisk opportunities currently in pipe and increase your win rate.

Practical Steps to be a Trusted Advisor

Hosted by Charmaine Keegan.

This session focuses on transforming sales professionals into trusted advisors by mastering effective communication and influencing skills. Participants will delve into the critical components of building trust with clients, essential for successful sales engagements. The session will outline what constitutes a winning sales journey or engagement, emphasising the strategies and steps necessary to establish credibility, foster trust, and ultimately secure client commitment. By understanding these dynamics, attendees will be equipped to navigate complex B2B sales processes more effectively, positioning themselves as indispensable partners rather than mere vendors.

Key Takeaways for Delegates:

1. Effective Communication Strategies: Learn techniques to enhance communication skills, enabling you to articulate value propositions clearly and build rapport with clients, fostering trust and credibility.
2. Building Trust through Expertise: Understand the importance of demonstrating industry knowledge and expertise to establish yourself as a trusted advisor, capable of guiding clients through their decision-making process confidently.
3. Navigating the Sales Journey: Gain insights into the stages of a successful sales journey, from initial contact to closing the deal, equipping you with the strategies to navigate each phase effectively and achieve consistent sales success.

These takeaways provide delegates with actionable insights to elevate their performance as trusted advisors in B2B sales. By mastering communication, establishing expertise, and navigating the sales journey strategically, attendees can enhance client relationships, improve sales outcomes, and differentiate themselves in competitive markets. The session aims to empower sales professionals to forge deeper connections with clients and drive sustainable business growth through trusted advisory roles.

How the Best Closers Communicate and Win

Hosted by Sue Barrett.

In the dynamic world of sales, closing deals remains a pivotal yet often daunting challenge for many professionals. The ability to navigate between assertiveness and aggression, and to strike the balance between confidence and cockiness, can make all the difference in converting prospects into loyal clients. Join us for an insightful session as we delve into how top closers effectively communicate, overcome obstacles, and consistently achieve success in closing deals.

 Key takeaways:

1. Mastering Effective Communication: Learn how top closers use persuasive communication techniques to navigate the complexities of closing deals.
2. Balancing Assertiveness and Confidence: Understand the fine line between assertiveness and aggression, and how to exude confidence without appearing overly confident.
3. Business Savvy and Emotional Intelligence: Discover the importance of being business savvy—understanding client needs and decision-making processes—and leveraging emotional intelligence to build rapport and manage objections.
4. Practical Strategies for Success: Gain practical tips and strategies to increase closing rates, reduce empty promises, and handle objections effectively in real-world scenarios.

Conclusion: As we conclude this session, armed with practical insights and proven strategies, you will be equipped to tackle the challenges of closing deals with renewed confidence and effectiveness. Whether you’re a seasoned sales professional or new to the field, join us to unlock the secrets of successful closing and elevate your sales performance to new heights.

Cian McLoughlin hails from Dublin, Ireland originally, but spent much of the past 20 years in Sydney, Australia. With a business career spanning almost 20 years, including senior management roles in a number of the world’s largest software companies, Cian is the founder and CEO of Trinity Perspectives. A sales training and consulting company, Trinity specialises in Win Loss Analysis and Sales Transformation for B2B businesses all over the world. Cian has worked with and advised sales professionals from Brisbane to Bangkok, Christchurch to Cape Town and everywhere in between. Author of Amazon #1 bestseller Rebirth of the Salesman, Cian is a regular sales and marketing commentator in the mainstream media. His blog was voted one of the Top 50 Sales Blogs for the fourth year running, and his book was voted one of the Top 50 Sales Books for the third year running by Top Sales World. With ASX and Fortune 500 clients across Australia and the Asia Pacific region, Cian is a passionate proponent of an ethical, honest and authentic approach to sales.

Charmaine Keegan is a Trainer, Keynote Speaker, Director and Founder of Smarter Selling – with a sales career spanning over 30 years.

She has trained over 8,000 Sales Leaders and professionals, empowering them with the confidence to embrace Leading and Selling with integrity and authority, to position themselves as the Trusted Advisor, the Leader in their field, and the Subject Matter Expert (and in doing so the consequence means revenue growth).

Charmaine is fascinated by human psychology. She is a Certified Trainer in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Hypnotherapy, Timeline therapy, Myer Briggs, Situational Leadership and Extended DISC. Her fascination runs deep with continuous development around the areas of Neuroscience, Epigenetics, Metaphysics, and the psychology of human behaviour.

She has authored over 20 eBooks and is a sought-after panellist, content contributor and keynote speaker across Australia and Internationally.  i.e., Speaking to (and training the) Professional Speakers Association as well as being the Australian Sales Expert chosen by Salesforce to be their spokesperson.

Charmaine is also the director of two online learning platforms, Smarter Selling Academy (Leadership and Sales) and Trucare Training (selling for pharmacists).

Sue Barrett, Founder and CEO of Barrett (est. 1995), www.salesessentials.com and the Selling Better Movement, is a pioneering figure in human-centered sales and communication. She champions the belief that everyone lives by selling something, emphasising ethical practices and emotional intelligence. Her leadership in the Selling Better Movement aligns with Industry 5.0’s focus on human-centricity and sustainability, fostering business and individual success through improved engagement, communication and collaboration.

Sue transforms businesses with her integrated approach, blending emotional intelligence, ethics, and systems thinking. This approach enhances sales team performance, refines go-to-market strategies, cultivates stronger client relationships and helps sales teams engage, communicate and sell better faster. She advocates for inclusive, purpose-driven business cultures that attract and retain top talent, and drive innovation.

Beyond business, Sue is deeply committed to integrity, climate action, and equality. Her community involvement includes being one of the founding organisers of the March4Justice movement and leading successful community independent political campaigns. She is also an advocate for women’s empowerment through projects like Sell Like A Woman.

Sue’s influence extends through her writings, media appearances, and mentoring roles, where she shares insights on resilience, gratitude, and effective leadership. Her impactful career has earned her numerous awards, including recognition in the Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame.

Billy Tucker, CEO at Beonic (ASX:BEO) the leading provider of IoT solutions to Airports and Retail globally. Formerly the CEO of Oneflare, which he sold to Airtasker in 2023 (ASX:ART). Billy has been retained as a Board level adviser by a number of well-known retail businesses, where he advises on innovation and eCommerce. Previously Billy was the Founder and CEO of Cudo Pty Ltd, a Startup that was funded by Microsoft and Channel Nine and a leading online retail business which was sold to Lux Group. Prior to founding Cudo in 2010, Billy worked for Microsoft for almost ten years where he helped launch the Xbox business in 2001 in London, before leading the Bing Search business across Asia. Billy specialises in Digital, Startups and Corporate transformation and has spoken internationally on these topics at a number of marquee events.

As CEO, Craig Charlton leads all facets of the SugarCRM business, from setting our vision and strategic direction to making sure we’re executing in the best possible way on the ground every day. Craig has been building and running high-growth businesses for 25 years. Before joining SugarCRM he was CEO of Oildex – the financial automation software and services provider – where he drove growth and oversaw the company’s acquisition by Drillinginfo. Craig also served as CEO of Abila, the financial and CRM provider operating in the association, non-profit and government space. Abila, which was acquired by Community Brands, grew its revenues threefold and transformed its revenue base to a subscription-based (SaaS) model over a three-year period. Craig has also been senior vice president and general manager (Asia Pacific) for ERP provider Epicor Software Corporation, where he shaped the company’s regional strategy to deliver consistent revenue and profit growth.

Joseph Sing is the Publisher of Head of Sales and host of the 2024 Symposium. Joseph’s sales, media and marketing experience spans over 20 years across vertical markets such as financial services, medical and healthcare, business, legal and technology. His client roster included Google, Meta, CBA, Westpac, Oracle, IBM, EY, Deloitte, J.P. Morgan, Black Rock, Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca and Pfizer. Joseph holds a economics and marketing degree from Macquarie and leadership qualifications from AGSM and AIM. Joseph’s experience cover conferences, exhibitions, industry awards, business events, publishing, advertising and digital media.