Tracking Major Accounts: How Long is Too Long?
Winning a major account is not for the faint of heart.
Four years ago, on a client assignment, I initated contact with a senior executive of a firm ranked in the top 10 of their industry..
When this leader took a position in another company, I was back in touch. Still no business was won.
Shouldn’t I have stopped tracking and gone on to greener pastures?
This leader now heads up the #6-ranked firm in the industry. Will this leader remember something about my client from previous contact?
Probably not. She is more likely ro refer me to one of her direct reports.
A referral will mean a triple win:
1. By referring us to someone on her team, she signals that the business problem our client addresses is a concern. (If it weren’t she would have declined)
2. Since it has come from their boss, the referral will almost certainly look closely at my client’s solution.
3. A merger has taken place, so the referral will most likely put together a new team. From here on, we are inside and will meet members of the herd through referrals.
Most trackers give up too early.
