Discussions about how to win major accounts usually involves the “get to the right person” myth.
The bigger the dollar value of the service you offer, the broader the impact of your service and the more stakeholders it affects, the more people will be involved in the decision before you are hired.
As a rule of thumb, you should [...]
Discussions about how to win major accounts usually sound like this:“I know someone in there”. This I call the “network” myth.
You may have recruited business development talent because of their rolodex.
You know that word of mouth marketing and referrals is the most dependable way for specialized, knowledge services to win new clients.
And yet, when it comes to getting [...]
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 [...]
Reaching the most senior executives in a major account can take the skills of a big game hunter.
Before asking for an appointment, I design an Executive Briefing to help open doors:
1. Get permission from the administrator to send an executive briefing in advance of a meeting. This document situates your service at senior level concerns rather than day-to-day operations.
2. [...]
