This course is designed to transform participants into business advisors and high-yielding and profitable relationship managers whom clients rely on and companies value. The course provides a practical roadmap to understand and grow existing and high-potential accounts. Delegates will learn how to develop account development plans, craft solid business relations with accounts, and harnessing retention strategies profitably. The course also provides a strong focus on quantitative approaches to account qualification and showcases best practices in service management necessary for growing and retaining strategic accounts.
Course Methodology
The course includes self-assessment tools, planning and analytical templates, and psychometric self-assessment instruments to measure personal abilities to accommodate different personality styles. Group exercises and case studies will also be integral parts of the training methodology used.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
Define the functions and process of strategic account management with a highlight on its importance for the commercial organization
Identify and prioritize strategic accounts to measure their profitability and qualify their strategic importance for their company
Classify the different levels of customer relationships to enhance the way they interface with such customers
Develop customer-focused plans and strategies needed in the development of strategic accounts.
Build core strategic account competencies related to research and service management to meet the ever-changing challenges in the market.
Target Audience
This course is targeted at cross functional personnel who seek to understand modern customer management practices to improve cross functional support and develop personal careers in strategic account management. The program is also conceived for sales managers who oversee the development of key customers, and key account managers responsible for managing the relationship and the performance with strategic customers.
Target Competencies
Account planning
Networking skills
Cost to serve computations
Account classification models
Customer retention and loyalty
Customer research
Service management
Performance reports
Course Outline
Introduction to Strategic Account Management
The changing nature of sales force activity
Definition of strategic account management
Competencies of strategic account managers
The strategic account management process
Account Analysis: Qualifying and Profiling Accounts
Account analysis insights
Account analysis methods:
The single-factor models
The portfolio models
Important criteria for determining account profitability
Computing the cost per call
Break-even sales volume
Profiling the top 10 characteristics of your SA
Strategic Account Relational Development Model
Business partnership defined
The partnership skill set
The Strategic Account relational development model
Pre-relationship stage
Early relationship stage
Mid-relationship stage
Partnership relationship stage
Synergetic relationship stage
Reasons for divesting partnerships
The Strategic Account Planning Process
Two layers of planning
Prioritizing efforts
Important business analysis
Customer analysis
Past business analysis
Competition analysis
Identifying opportunities
SWOT analysis
Developing account strategy
TOWS analysis
Monitoring account performance
Aligning the account plan with KPIs and metrics
Using a balanced scorecard to monitor overall account performance