Mike Soutar has occupied almost every seat at the boardroom table. From a 17-year-old trainee journalist to the CEO and MD of six different companies. These include the Evening Standard and Shortlist Media, he has seen thousands of pitches. Most famously, he has spent more than a decade as one of Lord Sugar’s “nasty” interviewers on The Apprentice.
In his keynote at the National Sales Conference, Mike pulled back the curtain on the CEO mindset. Specifically, he shared what irritates business leaders and what actually earns their trust. Here is how to get into the head of a CEO and stop wasting months of sales work on “erratic, unpredictable beasts.”
The Reality of the CEO Mindset
CEOs often seem unpredictable. You might spend months selling to a team, only for the CEO to veto the deal because it doesn’t align with a new strategic direction. However, if you understand their mindset, they become your most lucrative customers.
To prepare for his talk, Mike asked his LinkedIn network of business leaders what irritated them most about sales pitches. The response was overwhelming and angry. Here is the definitive list of what to avoid.
10 Things CEOs Hate About Sales Pitches
1. Over-familiarity
Just because you connected on LinkedIn does not mean you are “mates.” CEOs hate people who pretend to be overly familiar or call relentlessly without earning the right.
2. The “Nanosecond” Spam
We have all experienced it: you accept a connection request, and a nanosecond later, you receive a link to an ebook or a Calendly invite. Stop doing this. You must find out what the CEO’s problems are before suggesting a meeting.
3. Deaf Ears
Mike highlighted a story of an agency calling a CEO 35 times in two weeks. Persistence is one thing, but ignoring the lack of interest is simply annoying.
4. Generic “Solutions”
If a pitch feels like a “copy-paste” job, it will be rejected instantly. CEOs want to know you have taken the time to understand their specific challenges.
5. Too Many Credentials
“I’m buying the product, not your business history,” said one CEO. Do not waste the first ten minutes on a PowerPoint about your company’s awards. Summarise the problem, the solution, the cost, and the ROI on the very first slide.
6. Unconscious Bias
Never assume who the decision-maker is based on gender or age. Mike’s advice? If you are unsure, just ask: “Who is the key decision-maker in the room?” The person in charge usually cannot help but speak up.
7. Sycophancy
While everyone likes a compliment, inauthentic flattery feels desperate. It kills your credibility.
8. Following Your Own Agenda
Bad salespeople race in with their own timelines and specific products. They put their “quota” first and the customer’s problem second.
9. Poor Research
Pitching from a script without researching the individual or the company is a cardinal sin. In the age of Google, there is no excuse for lack of knowledge.
10. Too Much Talking
The customer should be speaking 75% of the time. You should be speaking 25% of the time. If those numbers are reversed, you are in trouble.
What CEOs Actually Love: The “Dave” Standard
Mike concluded with a story about the best sales pitch he ever received. It wasn’t from a high-flying media executive; it was from a burglar alarm engineer named Dave.
Dave didn’t act like a salesman. He acted like a product expert and an engineer. He walked around Mike’s house, consulted him on his needs, and, most importantly, connected on a human level. Dave shared a personal story about a heart bypass and a dream he had about his family’s safety.
Because Dave demonstrated so viscerally that he understood the value of keeping a family safe, Mike didn’t care about the price. Dave was the most expensive supplier, but he won the business instantly.
The Takeaway for Manufacturers and Sales Leaders
Research is your superpower: Spend at least 30 minutes on Google and LinkedIn. Don’t just look at page one; go deeper to find a genuine connection point.
Focus on ROI: Ensure there is a return on investment of at least five-to-one. If you show a CEO how you will make them money or solve a specific headache, they will listen.
Be a partner, not a vendor: CEOs are looking for partners who will roll up their sleeves and help drive the business.
Ultimately, don’t sell a pitch. Let them buy a solution.
Check out our other From the NSC Stage articles, including:
The ‘Invisible Sale’: 3 Lessons from Simon Hazeldine
Ben Hanlin: The Psychology Of Sales Audience Engagement
Andy Bounds: Why Your Prospects Don’t Care About Your History
Zena Everett: The Crazy Busy Cure
