Selling to Major Accounts/Account Management

INTRODUCTION

As business becomes more multi-national and as more products connect to or communicate with each other over international borders, customers will seek suppliers who can meet their needs and with whom they can build long term business partnerships that will span many months and even years.

These needs are likely to cover technology, product development, support over a large geographical area, training and consultancy. Orders will be large, but often placed less frequently, with unsuccessful suppliers being locked out of the account for many years!

It is important, therefore, that suppliers have a strategy for dealing with large accounts, otherwise the inevitable result is an invitation to tender which has been written in conjunction with a major competitor and slanted in their favour!!

A suppliers revenue and profits will depend more and more on acquiring, protecting and developing major accounts.

DEVELOPING A BUSINESS STRATEGY

The objective of having a strategy is to achieve an in-depth penetration of a large account. Only in this way can a supplier influence the thinking of top management favourably. This, together with professional performance on existing installations, does more to achieve success than any pricing concessions.

What makes the larger account more difficult is that it needs to be 'managed'. This means thinking 'strategies' rather than 'tactics'. An important factor is that it does not necessarily take ten times as much effort to get an order for 100,000+pounds as it does to get an order for 10,000 pounds. But there will be less large prospects than small ones, so making sure you win business and do not come a "good second" is important.

A WORKSHOP FOR ACCOUNT MANAGERS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS.

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES - 2 DAYS

To enable Account Managers to:

• Understand the key elements of selling their company products and services to corporate accounts and then managing the account over time.
• Appreciate what prospects and customers expect from Account Managers.
• Understand the supplier sales cycle and the complimentary prospect/customer buying cycle.
• Analyse the total ‘product' and ‘company' offering and communicate specific factors in a persuasive manner.
• Plan and prepare for visits to prospects and customers to meet defined objectives.
• Handle multi-level decision processes in large organisations and develop strong business relationships via a partnership approach.
• Use ‘tailored' control documentation to monitor account activity, forecast business and manage existing accounts more effectively.
• Review communication processes and mechanisms to ‘add value' the company's products and services.

WORKSHOP PROGRAMME - 2 DAYS

DAY 1 Commence 9.00a.m. - End 7.00p.m.

• Introduction and workshop objectives.
• Key ideas in selling new business into large organisations and account management - what is driving the market?
• The performance improvement formula - how it affects Account Managers.
• Syndicate exercise: groups identify main areas of knowledge and skills required to be successful.
• Review and discussion - where are we weak - where are we strong?
• The comparison process and the business cycle - how it affects suppliers.
• What prospects and customers want from Account Managers.
• The structure of a sale and the complimentary buying process - managing the selling and buying process.
• Planning and making calls on prospects and customers - objective setting.
• Qualification procedures and information gathering.
• Motivational factors that affect prospect decision making.

Evening: syndicate exercise: groups analyse ‘products and services' - the organisation and support services and competition.

DAY 2 Commence 9.00a.m. - End 5.00p.m

• Informal presentations by syndicate leaders of previous evening's work and review analysis.
• An introduction to Basis of Decision methodology - a mechanism to influence prospect/customer decision criteria.
• Syndicate exercise: groups identify factors important for an organisation to take into account in making a decision to use a particular supplier.
• Review and analysis - identifying ‘differential'.
• Multi - level decision processes in large accounts - managing the complex sale.
• Account Planning processes - documentation and its use and abuse - review of current procedures - do they need to change?
• Mechanisms to ensure high level contact within key accounts and regular business reviews.
• Managing accounts effectively and ‘locking out' competition.
• Selling the Account Management approach and its benefits.
• End course discussion and action plans.

The programme, as outlined, provides for plenty of participation by delegates and feedback/discussion sessions. The workshop can be amended to focus or place emphasis on areas that may be specific to and individual client,