Reaching senior executives in major accounts takes the skills of a seasoned tracker. The Alpha animal’s job is to keep out intruders.
Although they seldom make decisions on their own, if what you are offering helps them keep shareholders or customers happy, senior executives will refer you to their direct report(s) who are responsible for finding solutions.
Being referred to a member of their [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Since you are a specialized business services firm, becoming a preferred provider to a few key accounts may make the difference between a stable income and “drought” periods. Before you pull on your jodpurs, you’ll probably need to know:
Are you hunting water or tree-dwellers?
Where do they prefer to eat?
Do they travel in herds or are [...]
Inertia, says behavioural economists, is the result of overoptimism and loss aversion (the human tendency to experience losses more acutely than gains). If a major account you’ve had your sights on has said “not now”, you know what I’m talking about.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far ) If have been trained in sales techniques, you may find my approach to major accounts counter-intuitive.
If you are a sales manager, major account executive or are responsible for high-value client relationships, you may have noticed that subject matter experts are most effective in peer-to-peer discussions, where a defined scope of work has been established.
Internal experts who can [...]
In order to win a key account, start with the senior executive responsible for each line of business. This is how I get a green light:
1. Tell the executive admin you’re calling to schedule an appointment
2. Acknowledge that you haven’t spoken before & offer to send an executive briefing. Ask permission to send by email.
3. Call back a week later [...]
