Big Game Hunting: How to Sell to Large Accounts

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Big Game

Hunting: the joys

and risks

of large account

acquisition.

Learning Outcomes

• How to Prospect for Large Accounts

• How to make yourself invaluable and create loyal

clients

• How to position your small company to service a

gigantic one

Why Go After Big Game?

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You can make a few big sales to a few big customers.

Big Accounts can be very rewarding…

• Large volume

• Profit

• Lots of attention from suppliers

• Attract top talent

Big Accounts Can Kill You!

• All your eggs in one basket. • Unreasonable demands. • Low to no profit.

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Just like big game, big clients can be dangerous.

So why sell a few big customers? • focused in your advertising and marketing. • deeper and more meaningful relationships. • more professional culture within your organization.

How do you find, attract, keep and leverage Big Clients?

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Commit to it!

You must make this a Vital Activity

• Take daily steps • Perform weekly activities • Persist

Prospecting

• Always and All Ways

• Follow your passion

• “Best Companies to Work For”

• Reading Labels

• Lifestyle Assessment

• What are you good at?

Create Your Target List

Daily – refine your list and

research one of the targets on

your list.

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Weekly • Learn about

the industry about one of your targets.

•What are their trade shows?

• What are their trade pubs?

Monthly Make a

contact, soft or hard – mail,

direct mail, email, or

telephone.

Quarterly

Send a creative direct mail or

drop off promotional

product campaign.

Annually – clean

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You must have the right tools, approach, and message.

Learn Who your

competition is and

what they are doing,

how long they’ve had the account, what departments they are working in.

LEARN

• Who you can develop who might be

able to champion you

inside

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LEARN How they decide

to buy your product or

services

LEARN What are their pain points? Listen. Look. Find places where you can offer solutions.

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Involve everyone in your organization

Nobody buys Promotional Products at a big company!

Buyers at big companies are

looking to impress their boss, to

outperform their coworkers, to be

creative, innovative and known for the

results they get. And it’s your job to make sure they do

just that!

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Be relevant.

Be different.

Or be gone.

How will you stand out from the herd?

What is Your Purple Cow?

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Hone Your Skills

Professional Development

Be able to demonstrate your competency and your understanding of

the Big Game’s Game.

Learning about your prospects

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Have a process and follow it…

Introductory Mailing First Phone Call Detailed Mailing Phone Call #2 Creative

Mailing

Third Phone Call

Telephone Tips for getting that first meeting. •Relax

•Call when you’re most likely

to reach them •Never leave a

voice mail – they will not

call you back.

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• Always have a reason – never

call to touch base.

•Ask for the

meeting.

•Be real and be realistic.

Six Keys to Big Customer Focus (from Bag the Elephant by Steve Kaplan)

2. You must make them feel like your most important client.

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Six Keys to Big Customer Focus (from Bag the Elephant by Steve Kaplan)

3. Whatever It Takes.

Six Keys to Big Customer

Focus (from Bag the Elephant by Steve Kaplan)

5. Breath of Fresh Air

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Six Keys to Big Customer Focus (from Bag the Elephant by Steve Kaplan)

6. Partnership

Who Does What?

Who can kill your proposals?

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Look the part. Always Dress at least as well as your client is dressed.

Play by their rules. But Avoid Corporate Politics!

Respond immediately.

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Know when

to Walk

Away.

Money Tricks of the Big and Powerful

• They make money on your money

• Because they can • Because you let them

• Never give something up without getting something in return

• Put Value on What you Do

What Big Companies are Looking for in a preferred vendor…

• To optimize their cost savings because of their volume. • To avoid unprofessional, unreliable, financially risky and unproven vendors.

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Big companies have their own lingo – you need to learn it.

Bureaucracy is a fact of life in

many big companies.

Learn the System. Adopt and embrace

it.

They run on Timing cycles related to Budget, Strategy, Goal Setting, and execution.

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Positioning your company to serve the Giant.

• Have a Giant-friendly website • Offer custom reports and forms that validate your value

• Provide value-added services such as field research or surveys • Provide proposals in

formats that position you alongside their other professional agencies.

• Be someone they can be Proud to Call Their Partner. • You reinforce their Brand Image • They reinforce YOURS!

Professionalism

Relationships built at Big Accounts

tend to move together.

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Develop Champions

Create a flow chart

Thank them

Good people tend to flock

together.

• Nurture relationships • Be a best friend • Go deep.

Trophy Clients are the result of Hard Work, Persistence, Faith,

Professionalism, Commitment and Intention.

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Paul A Kiewiet MAS CIP CPC 269-806-4489

paul@brandkiwi.com www.create2bgreat.com Linkedin. Twitter. facebook