5 keys to marketing to CEOs

So, your line of work is business and you're interested in marketing to CEOs. First of all, we all know that businesses rise or fall according to the strength, wit, and adaptability of their marketing department. If you've got whizzes in your marketing department, you've got a powerful tool on your side. A strong marketing department can even make up for weaknesses in other departments. It's an outstanding thing to have.
But we're talking about marketing to CEOs-a pretty powerful, choosy bunch of people. CEOs may require a different marketing approach than the Joe or Jane on the street. At the same time, CEOs are human beings and most likely enjoy the same things that other human beings do, for example music, television, eating out, and so forth. Then again-some CEOs at least are probably used to eating out at more expensive places than your average Jane or Joe. They're used to buying their business suits at stores that Jane wouldn't even think of entering, much less patronizing. They frequent car lots that Joe can only gaze longingly at from afar. That means that we've got to do a little juggling if we want to market to CEOs.
By juggling, I mean we're going to have to keep in mind two things simultaneously. (1) That CEOs are human beings like other human beings and have similar desires and pleasures etc. And (2) CEOs are usually big personalities with big ambitions and big success and they're used to flaunting it in a big way. How would we go about this? How would we develop a marketing approach sophisticated enough to give an "average guy or girl on the street" feel AND a "we know you're a V.I.P." feel? Here are five things to keep in mind when marketing to CEOs.

1. The first key to marketing to CEOs is: appeal to their vanity. Vanity is a strong motivating influence in all of our lives, and particular among those of us who've had great success at one endeavor or another. When developing a marketing plan for CEOs, definitely keep vanity in mind. But you've got to be subtle! If you're too obvious in this sort of thing you'll turn more people off than on. Flatter them in small ways. Tell them you know how busy they are, for example. Busyness is often a sign of lots of responsibility, lots of pressure. It's also a subtle say of saying, "WE know how important you are, come to us, we'll take care of you without a lot of hassle."
2. The second key to marketing to CEOs is: appeal to their sense of wanting to fit in. This might seem to (in a minor way at least) contradict the key above, but in reality it works alongside it. When you imply that someone's above the crowd, you're also implying a certain kind of loneliness. People At The Top often (you'd be surprised how often) tire of being treated like People At The Top. They want to relate to other human beings at more equal level. They want to look someone in the eye, so to speak, and not be always staring down at the top of their head.
3. The third key to marketing to CEOs is: being at the watering hole at the right time. Now, that's a jungle metaphor. In the jungle, certain animals that want to make a significant impact on certain other animals try to go where those certain other animals drink. You see, those certain other animals have to drink; they've got to go to the watering hole sometime. And that means that the first group of animals knows when and where and why they'll be there. AND it means that the first group of animals will get what they want (i.e. the other animals!). To make a long story short: when you market, go where CEOs have to go. CEOs just have to read certain magazines, have to attend certain seminars, have to do X, Y, and Z if they want to stay successful. You make sure that you're there with them.
4. The fourth key to marketing to CEOs is: be exact! CEOs, as we mentioned above, are busy people with lots of deadlines and complications. When they want an answer, they want it now; when they want a coffee, they want it now; when they want a presentation, they want it-you get the picture. Don't try to be cute when marketing to CEOs; act as if you're an employee explaining why sales are so high this month. Be short, precise, and to the point.
5. The fifth key to marketing to CEOs is: know what CEOs want. But maybe you don't know too many CEOs; maybe you don't have access to their minds and thus can never say with any surety what they want. But you can read, and you can listen. CEOs are writing for other CEOs all the time. CEOs are presenting to other CEOs all the time. CEOs are producing books that tell non-CEOs how to become CEOs all the time. Remember, you can't be too careful, you can't be too prepared. Take time to listen to CEOs and to read what they have to say. Chances are, you'll be able to figure out what CEOs really want and how they want it advertised.