Do you think your ideal marketing target is the C-suite? You know, one of those Chiefs – chief executive officer (CEO), chief operating officer (COO), or chief whatever officer (CWO).

• But should that be your target?
• Your chief target?
• Sorry, couldn’t resist.

The following offers three reasons why middle management may be better strategy.

Wearing a Bulls-Eye

Have you ever been a middle manager? In my corporate career, I spent 20 years as a manager or director.

The cloak of the day seemed to be a cape with a bulls-eye painted on the back. At times, you were a hero. Other times, the target for criticism.

When I made the leap to freelance business writing, my ideal contact was the manager or director of an organization. They were an invaluable resource.

 

The mid-level of an organization’s pecking order could be your best friend. How? Glad you asked.

Reason #1 – Middle management gets you in the door.

Think about how many purchasing decisions are made solely by the C-suite.

• The Chiefs may have final approval,
• but most sales run through middle management first.
• That’s good delegation.

What C-suite officer wants to be the sole handler of the following business tasks?

• Bid responses to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) 
• Vendor contract negotiations
• Cold call meetings

More than likely, the chief is going to forward these tasks to their managers. You risk ticking off middle management if you do an end-round and go directly to their boss.

So, learn who middle management is and what their role is. There are several places you can find that information.

• The company’s website often has a page identifying executives and management and what roles they have.
• LinkedIn is a good source for discovering who the players are. And you have an opportunity to interact with them through online postings or Groups.
• Search engines for business directories may also have management information although they may require signing up for information. You can also check review sites (such as, the Better Business Bureau or Yelp), or search by industry and management titles.

You do not get in the door unless the manager or director opens it.

Reason #2 – Middle management offers insight.

There’s a reason the title is called middle management. They are between the front line of customer service and the executives.

So, middle management provides you with two critical marketing needs.

1. Insight into their business and their customers’ challenges
2. The details to help your business discover the right solution

No matter what business you are in, a sale of your product or service boils down to one question.

What problem are you going to solve for the buyer?

Who has a better understanding about buyers’ problems than middle management? Whether you market to business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C), a knowledgeable manager or director is instrumental in your success.

The latter part of my corporate career was working for benefits consulting groups. Our clients were companies offering employee benefits (healthcare, life insurance, etc.).

So, let’s say you work for a company that sells benefits technology platforms. What do you need to convince the company that your software will make their life easier? Knowledge.

• What benefits do they offer?
• The current process for administering benefits.
• What’s working and what is not.

A good manager or director brings a management perspective to a front-line challenge.

Reason #3 – Middle management seals the deal.

Who could have predicted a global pandemic? Business owners scrambled to find solutions to keep the business running.

Before the pandemic, 17 percent of U.S. employees worked from home five days a week or more. During the pandemic, that increased to 44 percent. (Source: Statista)

Making remote work happen is no small task. Who do you think had that unenviable assignment? Probably not the C-suite.

• Imagine you work for Zoom or one of the other remote-enabling technology.
• How do you help the manager with the formidable challenge?
• How do you make her look good?

An effective salesperson knows how to make a manager or director look good by offering the following.

• Help preparing a presentation to the C-suite
• Solving a problem that results in better productivity
• Saving the company money

Remember that cape? The manager or director becomes a hero in the eyes of the C-suite.

Whose service or product do you think that manager will support in the future?

Rising to the Top

Not all businesses are created equally. When you are fortunate enough to discover a well-respected, knowledgeable middle manager, latch on.

Who is your chief marketing target? Have you changed your target? If so, why? Share your thoughts in Comments.

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Note: This post originally published on October 31, 2012. This April 12, 2022 version updates it.

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