New CISO, new priorities
A new CISO reviews every control, vendor and gap in the first months, and that review becomes funded work. Here's how to show up early.
3 min read
Blog
The Stage 1 blog Page 13
How services firms find accounts getting ready to buy, get in through people they know, and open conversations worth having. Written by Kevin French.
Selling to a chief digital officer
A chief digital officer owns customer-facing change and the revenue it drives. Here's what they're measured on, what they tune out and how to open.
3 min readSelling to state and local government
State and local agencies buy through public tenders, but the deal takes shape long before the RFP. Here's who buys, what drives them and how to open.
3 min readWriting for the champion, not the buyer
The champion sells your work inside the company. Here's how to write openers and follow-ups that give them the words to carry the case up.
3 min readInbound is not a strategy for big deals
Inbound leads rarely bring the large services deals a firm needs. Here's why big buyers don't fill out forms and what to build in their place.
3 min readMake it easy to say no
Connectors say yes more often when saying no costs them nothing. Here's how to write an intro ask with a clean exit that still gets forwarded.
3 min readWhen a CDO arrives, data budgets follow
A new chief data officer is often the first visible sign a company will fund data work. Here's why the budget follows and how to reach them early.
3 min readSelling to private equity portfolio companies
PE portfolio companies buy services on the owner's clock, with an operating partner in the room. Here's who decides, what pressures them and how to open.
3 min readSell to the committee, not the contact
Services deals over $50K get decided by a committee. How to reach the economic buyer, champion and technical lead with a message for each seat.
3 min readAfter a breach, the fix is bigger than the incident
A disclosed breach starts a security program that runs for years. Here's how a services firm reads the signal without chasing the ambulance.
3 min readLinkedIn or email first
Whether to reach a buyer on LinkedIn or email first depends on where they show up and what you found. Here's how to choose and use both well.
3 min readEvent pipeline that survives the event
Event pipeline dies the week after the event if the work starts late. Here's how to pick targets early and turn hallway talks into deals.
3 min readContent that sells services
Content sells services when a champion can forward it to their boss and it makes their case. Here's what to write, who it's for and what to skip.
3 min readSelling to a VP of engineering
A VP of engineering owns delivery, people and the release calendar. Here's what they're measured on, what they ignore and how to open.
3 min readThe new COO and the operations agenda
A new COO arrives with an operations agenda and a short runway to show progress. Here's what that agenda holds and how sellers should respond.
3 min readLinkedIn connection notes that get accepted
A LinkedIn connection note gets accepted when it gives one specific reason and asks for nothing. Here's how to write one senior buyers accept.
3 min readSelling to software companies
Software companies buy services when the roadmap outruns the team. Here's who buys, the pressures they face and the signals that show a window opening.
3 min readKeeping score without keeping score
Warm intros run on give and take, but a ledger kills them. Here's how to stay generous with your network and still know who's carried you.
3 min read