What a CIO Wants: How to Approach a Sales Meeting

As a CIO, I’m constantly thinking about how to leverage technology and tools to drive the business, improve operational efficiency, and cost savings, boost customer experience, and drive revenue growth. I don’t view sellers as just vendors but as growth partners. So when you’re selling to me, I’m trying to establish three key points:

● How can you add value to my business?

● Is your solution driving a critical capability the business needs and has a competitive edge (unique IP, attractive pricing model, value commitment)?

● How can we create a win-win that serves us both? Can this evolve to a strategic partnership or is this a one-off transaction?

Before you enter a meeting with a CIO, I encourage you to think about how you’d answer the above questions. It is key that you demonstrate a clear understanding of not just your own product or solution, but also how it ties to larger technology and business objectives.