Work in Omaha, Live in Connecticut from CareerJournal discusses the commuting schedule of the CEO of ConAgra. Two words = corporate jet. The article provides much detail regarding the interaction between CEO’s and the investment community. But in the middle of the article resides this little dandy:

But other experts suggest that in the age of the BlackBerry, the CEO’s whereabouts are increasingly irrelevant. Many travel constantly among far-flung divisions anyway. And there are several high-profile chief executives who have lived away from headquarters cities.

I don’t know if it is too early or too late to say this may be a trend. Perhaps we are headed towards the age of the virtual CEO? This technological advancement in communication will have a profound impact on companies when the Gen X CEO’s take the helm of major corporations. For now, good to see the Baby Boomers embracing the technology.

And how about some kudos for this gentleman putting his family first. Granted, as CEO he receives much support, but I do not doubt that his choice will resonate with his daughter.

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All companies want salespeople who can sell to a high-level contact. Many ads claim you must be able to sell to the C-level. For some positions this is true but others it is a lower position in the company. The main point is to get to the right decision maker, but then what should a salesperson do?

Selling Power chimes in with Don’t Make These Mistakes with Decision Makers. The author provides 5 strong points that all salespeople should follow when dealing with decision makers. The first point is one I keep encountering in other articles too:

1. Failing to prepare. When a top decision maker carves time out of his jam-packed schedule for a sales rep, and that rep comes in asking questions that are answered on the company€™s 10-K, Web site or other public documents, it€™s an immediate turnoff.

Oh how true that is. Productivity demands are hitting all parts of the corporation which is putting incredible stress on a decision maker’s time. Information is available in multiple channels which salespeople need to gather.

4. Engaging in one-way communication. Executive-level decision makers are €œreally, really tired of canned PowerPoint presentations,€ says Hodge. They are immediately turned off when a rep walks in, fires up his laptop and proceeds to dump out his marketing department€™s pre-packaged spiel. Instead, they want more engagement, more interaction.

Clear communication is the balm of sales. Whether it be decision makers or sales managers, much of sales success rides on a salesperson’s communication skills. When I read #4, I immediately think of a loquacious salesperson who lacks any ability to listen. I suspect that is the real culprit behind that point.

Read the whole thing.

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