Marketing Yourself to a New CEO by Julia Chang ...................................................................................................

Many companies are trying to win the battle against a beleaguered economy by bringing in CEOs to breathe new life into the organization. Amid this game of CEO musical chairs, sales and marketing executives are being forced to constantly prove themselves to a new leader.

Before a new CEO comes on board you should do your homework. Find out what makes him tick, what his professional background is, even what he is involved with outside business. This allows you to gauge the CEO's management style and will help you establish a good rapport. After the CEO starts, show credibility and flexibility right away. Proactively brief the CEO on the status of plans and results, and where you are off and on target. And don't inflate projections just to impress, or you could face trouble down the road. Credibility is dashed when you promise the moon and deliver gravel. You should also be open to new ideas; keep in mind that the CEO was brought in for his fresh approach. Remaining flexible—and not being defensive or skeptical—will greatly improve your chance of staying on board. "So called-personality clashes are actually management-style clashes," says Alexander Hiam, author of Making Horses Drink.

When RadicaLogic Solutions got a new CEO, Jason Schuy, vice president of marketing, took the time to educate him on past and pending marketing initiatives and yearly sales and revenue cycles to help set reasonable expectations. Schuy admits there "were concessions made on both sides of the fence," but says that what helped was a willingness to listen to all ideas.

"Of course strong sales growth is the greatest determinant of job security, but missed revenue goals don't have to be a sign of impending doom. The focus should be on what strategies you are implementing for a turnaround", Hiam says. "Maybe you've been working on a certain market segment, or gathering information and feeding that into the product development process. Tell those stories, " Hiam says. "If you haven't been doing those things, maybe he ought to fire you."