The Value of Strategic Account Relationships Featuring Analyst Forrester (Part2)

Making Leaders Successful Every Day

What It Takes To Develop Strategic Account RelationshipsMark Lindwall, Senior AnalystApril 10, 2014

What it takes to be a Strategic Provider

›Make Strategic Account designations in mutual agreement with customers

›Focus salespeople on helping executive wallet-owners succeed

›Help salespeople understand Agreement Networks and funding sources

›Provide them with what they need

Executives want strategic accounts

Strategic Providers Get More Spending

Strategic suppliers gain advantages

Frequent executive access leads to wins

Becoming a strategic provider isn’t easy

Executive buyers

We will decide what is valuable, thank you

very much.

Few Vendors Are Categorized As Strategic Partners

Salespeople Believe Most Customers Consider Them To Be Top Tier

Strategic Accounts Underperform

What it takes to be a Strategic Provider

›Make Strategic Account designations in mutual agreement with customers

›Focus salespeople on helping executive wallet-owners succeed

›Help salespeople understand Agreement Networks and funding sources

›Provide them with what they need

What executive buyers find valuable

Most Salespeople Are Not Focused On Helping Executive Buyers Succeed

When executives get product pitched

Your Seller

Typical view of strategic account buyers

Manager

Vice-President

Your Seller

Manager

Vice-President

Real?Your Seller

Agreement networks decide and fund

A tale of multiple sales…

Your Seller

From tactical Strategic Account selling

Manager

Vice-President

Your Seller

To Strategic Account planning

To account team plan execution

Four Sales Objectives

Gain access

Have successful meeting(s)

Create a shared vision of success.

Develop a business case

+Messages Messenger Audience

Gaining access

Have successful meeting(s)

Create a shared vision of success

Develop a business case

Next Steps in Strategic Account Selling

›Designate Strategic Accounts only when customers mutually agree and commit

›Align sellers, messaging, and tools to solving buyers’ problems

›Help reps understand and navigate agreement networks and new funding dynamics

›Create account plans with customers

Visually Map your Key Relationships

Identify Areas of Relationship Weakness

Segment based on Relationship AND Revenue

S.M.A.R.T. Relationship Plans

Questions?

Mark Lindwall

+1 617.613.8886

marklindwall@forrester.com

Twitter: MarkLindwall

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