So, it’s crucially important that your clients understand that your own company has an impressive set of values, ethos and image which distinguishes it from the competition. Your company may already have these attributes which are well documented and used in the sales process. Alternatively, your company may have such values and ethos but they are not documented or possibly…
Understanding your clients, particularly culture and psyche, is a pre-requisite for successful account management and development, everywhere. Without a satisfied client you have nothing …………… apart from maybe an opportunity to turn the situation around if there have been client management changes or there is a newly-appointed supplier account manager. Client managers & client staff are human beings, they have good…
A SWOT Analysis can be used in various scenarios including establishing your own company’s current position in the market or with a specific client, the position of your client in their market, analysing the position of your own or your client’s competitors or the position of a particular assignment, project, service, people placement or product you are delivering. It can…
As satisfaction surveys are a crucial component when evaluating supplier performance, they require significant thought and preparation. Ideally, you will survey the same areas at least once a year so that you can monitor trends as well as receiving a snapshot of client satisfaction, although it may take a few attempts to refine survey questionnaires. However, there is a great…
You’ll never achieve your business goals & targets without regular pragmatic Account Performance Reviews. Therefore, in addition to any current contractual commitments and aspirations for the account, the frequency of internal account performance reviews will depend on the size, complexity and potential of each client. It is also very important that the right people are present to contribute on specific…
Risk Management is a process which enables you to identify, assess, classify, action & monitor any identified risk in order to either eliminate, reduce, share or maintain it. So, there are always choices: Avoid the risk by eliminating the probability or by not undertaking the activity in the first place. Reduce the probability and/or severity of the risk or extend…
The balanced scorecard is a performance management tool which will enable you to assess how well the account management process is working. It provides for the ‘measurement’ of several key areas, most of which are not financial. This is particularly important as company boards invariably make decisions based on financial information. However, the balanced scorecard enables some very significant areas…
Sales opportunity qualification is another crucially important component for the successful account management and development of any client or prospect. Extensive amounts of time and money are frequently wasted in the pursuit of sales opportunities which either don’t result in an order or, where an order is won, there is either a very low profit margin or an actual overall…
Sales propositions and opportunities is another key area in the successful management and development of any client or prospect. Regardless of whether there is a formal sales team or not, as your client account will not survive without new business, everyone who represents your company must be constantly on the lookout for opportunities to secure further work, no matter how…