Sales trainer Kelley Robertson recently attended a webinar with guest speaker Jeffrey Hayzlett, former Chief Marketing Office of Kodak. Here are 4 of the several key insights he shared:

Stalk them (professionally). You need to be extremely persistent and use a variety of approaches to get their attention. Hayzlett mentioned that he often directed his team to say no to everyone and then wait to see who took the initiative to make additional contact.

Develop a 118 second elevator pitch. The average elevator ride in a metropolitan city is 118 seconds. You have 8 seconds to capture the executive's attention and 110 seconds to sell them on continuing a conversation with you.

Develop and work your network. CXO's are more likely to meet with someone when they are referred by a colleague. Develop and nurture relationships with everyone who might help you connect with that individual.

Sell the executive assistant. These individuals often determine whether or not you meet their boss and their reputation is at stake. Treat the EA with dignity and respect and work under the assumption that they ARE the decision maker.

Selling to executives is challenging but you can improve your results by implementing these four strategies.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. He specializes in helping businesses increase their sales, develop better negotiating skills, coach and motivate their employees, create powerful work teams and deliver outstanding customer service. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com