Catching the attention of senior decision-makers is a challenge for business-to-business marketers. Given that top execs, according to a Harvard study, spend only 2% of their time on new suppliers, most B2B marketing messages fail to reach the desks of the C-suite--CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CMOs, etc. That's why a recent MarketingProfs article on six elements of C-Suite marketing is worth a careful read. Element No. 1, per author Tom Whatley, is to catch C-suite attention by focusing content on "what the market is talking about" in terms of challenges facing top execs--linking the value proposition to insights, statistics or arguments for change that help with those challenges. Next, underscore credibility with third-party endorsements. Then increase executive trust in the message by challenging the received wisdom already piling up on C-suite desks and inviting discussion at the strategic level where execs operate. Fourth, make sure to provide busy executives with a single, consistent contact from start to finish, as opposed to the multiple channels and touchpoints of standard B2B marketing. Fifth, position as an independent brand identity delivering more than sales pitches by, for example, sponsoring an executive forum or seminar. Finally, as is evident from the above, seek the face-to-face interaction that no blog post, whitepaper or carefully crafted creative can replace. For details, see the MarketingProfs article: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2015/27672/five-proven-elements-of-b2b-c-suite-marketing
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