Online · Live

Executive Conversations: Make marketing investments CMOs and CEOs say yes to.

An intensive programme for high-tech sales and growth professionals who negotiate budgets with C-level decision-makers. Limited to 10 participants.

Format
Online · live
Dates
15–22 June 2026
Duration
6 programme days 9:00–13:00 CET
Group size
max. 10 participants
Fee
€2,290 incl. VAT Team rate −15 %
Request a spot Request a new date See the programme

Registration closes 31 May 2026

Registration closed

This date has passed. Request a new date – we will let you know as soon as it is set, or plan the programme for your team.

Overview

Is your deal failing because of scepticism, a lack of expertise or impatience on the other side?

High-tech sales and growth teams know their product inside out. Yet when it comes to the budget decision, CMOs and CEOs ask different questions: What does it return? How do we know it works? Why now, after the last campaign disappointed?

Executive Conversations trains you to answer these questions in the language of decision-makers. You work on your own live deal and leave with an investment recommendation you have tested in a realistic decision simulation.

Core formula: Invest X in campaign Y to achieve Z.

What you will be able to do

  1. Read the decision-maker. Recognise how your counterpart decides and align your argument and evidence with it.

  2. Argue in financial logic. Speak ROI, payback and budget cycles with CMOs and CFOs, and prove the incremental impact of marketing.

  3. Turn past failures into a case for testing. Defuse objections from disappointing campaigns and frame experiments as investments.

  4. Get to a decision in minutes. Structure and deliver a recommendation that leads to a clear yes or no.

Programme content

Module 01

Diagnosing decision dis­position

Recognise how your counterpart decides, and align your argument and evidence with it.

“How do I deal with growth champions who aren't tech-savvy, or with risk-averse finance nerds?”

Module 02

Handling objections rooted in negative experience

Defuse objections from disappointing campaigns and translate experiments into your counterpart's investment logic.

“How do I explain that experiments are investments that don't always pay off immediately, but reliably increase profit over time?”

Module 03

Structuring investment recommen­dations

Build, stage and deliver a recommendation that leads to a decision within minutes.

“How do I convey the decisive information for a marketing investment in the shortest possible time?”

Further competencies

  1. Financial reasoning with CMOs and CFOs
  2. Proving the incrementality of marketing investments
  3. Stakeholder and decision-process analysis – agency vs. CMO
  4. Confident presence in conversations across a status gap
  5. Defining your professional and ethical position in conflicts of interest

Is this programme for you?

This programme is for you if …

  • you sell or recommend marketing, media or technology investments to CMOs, CEOs or CFOs
  • you work in sales, growth, partnerships or account management in a high-tech company or agency
  • you have a live deal you want to move forward

It is not the right fit if …

  • you have no direct conversations with decision-makers yet
  • you are looking for a general sales basics course

Requirement: experience in B2B sales, growth or account management.

Faculty

Christopher Specht, Programme Director of Executive Conversations

Christopher Specht

Programme Director · Founder, CS Consulting

Industrial engineer and MBA in Information Systems (Bentley University, Boston). Trained at Volkswagen across six divisions, then founded CS Consulting in 2022. As Managing Partner, he helped build one of Europe's largest balcony-solar providers, with more than €100 million in revenue growth generated. He speaks on AI, search and marketing.

  • Fulbright Association
  • Bentley McCallum Leadership Award
  • Harvard GAC
  • IHK Scholarship for Gifted Students
  • Association of German Engineers (VDI)
Read more Show less

Christopher Specht is the founder and owner of his own management consultancy. Since 2022 he has advised corporations and emerging companies in the DACH region on strategic realignment and digital transformation, helping clients realise more than €100 million in revenue growth and establish themselves in their markets for the long term. As an industrial engineer, he led operational and strategic projects at Volkswagen AG in core areas such as finance IT, supply chain management and technical sales, building on corporate experience gained during his dual study programme. He graduated with High Distinction (GPA 4.0) and holds an MBA with a focus on Information Technology from Bentley University in Boston, as well as a double degree in industrial engineering (B.Eng.) from Hochschule Hannover and Tampere University. He serves as a civic ambassador of the Fulbright Association, for example at the Harvard Transatlantic Conference, and is a member of the Association of German Engineers (VDI). He is an alumnus of the McCallum Fellowship and of the IHK scholarship programme for gifted students.

Methodology

  • Your own deal

    You work on a live deal from day one instead of textbook cases.

  • 1:1 coaching

    Individual sessions with feedback on your case throughout the week.

  • Role plays & video feedback

    Practise with CMO, CFO and CEO personas and review yourself on video.

  • Case simulation

    Present your recommendation in a realistic decision simulation on the final day.

  • Certificate

    Certificate with a detailed competency grid.

  • Alumni network

    Access to the alumni network and peer experience reports.

Your week

June 2026

Mon 15
  • Kick-off, introducing your deals
Tue 16
  • Diagnosing decision disposition
Wed 17
  • Financial reasoning & incrementality
Thu 18
  • Handling objections
Fri 19
  • Stakeholder analysis
  • Presence & status
Mon 22
  • Structuring recommendations
  • Case simulation, certificates

Live sessions run from 9:00 to 13:00 CET; afternoons are for 1:1 coaching and work on your deal.

Admission & Fees

Admission in three steps

  1. Free intro call. 20 minutes to clarify your role, your deal and your goals.

  2. Confirmation of fit. If the programme fits, you receive the participation agreement.

  3. Booking & invoice. Your place is confirmed once the agreement is signed. Invoice to your company on request.

Registration closes 31 May 2026.

Individual

€2,290

per person, incl. VAT

Team rate

€1,946.50

per person, incl. VAT

15 % off for all participants from the same company when 3 or more book.

Included

  • All live sessions and materials
  • 1:1 coaching on your own deal
  • Role plays with video feedback
  • Certificate with competency grid
  • Alumni network

Limited to 10 participants.

Request a spot Request a new date

Cancellation terms

Up to 30 days before the start: full refund. 29 to 15 days before the start: 50 % refund. Less than 15 days before the start: no refund. A colleague from the same company can take your place at any time free of charge.

Online format

The programme runs live via video conference in a small group, with breakout rooms for role plays and case work. Sessions are not recorded, so you can speak openly about your deal.

You need a laptop with camera and microphone and a stable internet connection.

FAQ

What language is the programme held in?

English or German, depending on the group.

What if my deal is confidential?

All participants sign a confidentiality agreement. You can anonymise company names and figures.

Can I stay reachable for my team?

Yes. Live sessions run in the mornings; afternoons leave room for calls.

How does the team rate work?

When 3 or more people from the same company book, all of them pay €1,946.50 instead of €2,290 (incl. VAT).

Can my company pay?

Yes. We invoice your company directly.

What if I have to cancel?

Up to 30 days before the start you get a full refund. See the cancellation terms under Admission & Fees.

Do I need prior knowledge of finance?

No. We cover the financial basics you need with CMOs and CFOs.

Ready to talk decisions?

Interested in a new date?

Book a free 20-minute intro call. We'll check together whether the programme fits you and your deal. Registration closes 31 May 2026.

Registration for this date is closed. Write to us and we will get back to you as soon as a new date is set – or plan the programme for your team.

Request a spot Request a new date

Or write to info@christopherspecht.com

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