Everyone has different priorities. Everyone has a different style of work. Everyone is expected to do something different. And that's why things sometimes get rough between them. We're talking about the relationship between the head of the business and the owner or CEO of the company. The success of not only the sales department and revenue growth, but also the long-term prosperity of the company often depends on their collaboration. How to strengthen and improve their relationship?
You see this quite often in medium-sized companies. While the sales director is primarily pursuing his short-term goals and trying to meet the monthly plans, the CEO is constantly throwing the company's long-term strategic goals, short-term ideas for action, or blaming him for not meeting the business goals and pushing for immediate correction. On top of that, he stresses that his point of view is more important. Thus, mutual communication often lags or doesn't work at all, and everyone goes about their business. But that won't get the company very far.
What spoils the relationship between CSO and CEO
Is the store at fault? Maybe... Let's first look at the reasons why the CSO is damaging his relationship with the CEO:
1. Often not in the office or in the office too often
The CSO spends a lot of time away from the office as he travels to see clients, potential customers and business partners. Because of this, he interacts less with other management and team members, which means less communication, often resulting in poor team leadership. And fewer opportunities to build relationships with the CEO.
The counterparts, on the other hand, sit in the office all the time, analysing what they can, micromanaging the team, and thanks to that they don't know much about the market. Here too, relationships with the CEO soon start to sour. In fact, the business loses its function as a "periscope" into the market and the company becomes considerably more difficult to manage.
2. It doesn't sell upwards
If the CSO prefers to focus on customer interactions and revenue generation, he or she has no time or energy left to present his or her successes and plans to other members of management, including the CEO. "I bring money into the company, that should be enough for you. I'm not going to explain how I do it." But then the CEO can't appreciate the real benefit of the deal and doesn't see it in the broader context of the company's strategy and goals.
3. Prioritises short-term goals
Marketers often put a lot of emphasis on short-term goals such as monthly plans and quarterly sales. Even at the cost of light market manipulation. I'll move something here, something here. Just to meet the month or quarter. Longer-term goals are... simply far away for them. CEOs, on the other hand, are all about long-term strategy, resource allocation and preparing for future challenges. It's no wonder things often spark between them.
4. He's working his ass off to bring in sales
The CSO is often determined, persistent, never stops trying and can cope even in difficult situations. Just to bring revenue into the company. This perseverance is often necessary to achieve business goals, but can be challenging from a managerial perspective. Achieving monthly sales is not always more important than achieving other company goals. Simply leading such a "stubborn" person can be quite difficult.
How the CSO can work to improve
So what can the CSO do to strengthen the relationship with the CEO and gain his support? According to Gartner, CSOs can take the following 4 steps:
Make a mutual agreement
Set the rules of cooperation and mutual expectations. A successful partnership should be based on transparency and trust. It's up to the CSO to communicate any potential risks (new markets, competitive pressures, changes in demand), the current performance of the sales team, and future plans so that the CEO has a clear sense of direction, the way business is going. In return, the CEO should give the sales director enough freedom and authority to effectively manage his team and implement sales strategies.
Do you know how a CEO resolves conflict? Adapt to it
Every CEO has a unique communication style. And conflict resolution. Whatever it is, Gartner says businesspeople do best by feeling it and adapting to it. There's no point swimming against the tide and swirling the water. When you're on the same wave, you can avoid further conflict and more easily come to an agreement.
Gartner distinguishes 5 basic types of CEO:
1. A CEO who listens to the opinions of others before making a decision.
2. A CEO who wants to have as much information as possible about the matter.
3. A CEO who follows established procedures to solve a problem.
4. A CEO who wants the employees to work it out amongst themselves.
5. A CEO who relies on the recommendations of expert advisors.
Does your CEO like insight, require detailed data and analysis? Put more numbers, graphs and statistics in your presentations. The CEO will feel he has everything he needs to take further action.
Do business in line with CEO priorities
The CEO needs support across the entire management team. The CSO can help him get it. And quite easily. And he can rack up positive points quite easily.
How do you do that? Just show that as the head of the business you dig behind the CEO's goals and priorities. That the business is linked to the running of the whole company, supports the corporate strategy and is not just about achieving its own short-term goals. Plus, as head of sales, you're in a position where you can easily foster collaboration with other departments such as marketing and customer support. You can gain additional points when you get involved in conflict resolution within the company. The CEO will appreciate not having to deal with disputes alone.
Give the CEO the information
As a CSO, you have unique access to customers, their preferences, market trends and the competitive landscape. It's hard for a CEO to access this information alone. Yet it's very valuable to him. So give it to him. They will help the CEO in making decisions about strategy and the future direction of the company, and they will bring you extra plus points. That's what you want.
A CSO who can align his or her goals with the CEO's priorities can achieve significant success not only in sales but also in the overall company strategy. If your relationship with the CEO isn't 100%, try to think where it's going. Try these tips and start building a solid foundation for long-term collaboration and success for your business. Fingers crossed.
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