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

© 2013 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited 3

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

CIO

Your Seller


Manager

Vice-President

CIO

Real?Your Seller


Agreement networks decide and fund

A tale of multiple sales…

Your Seller




Your Seller


From tactical Strategic Account selling

Manager

Vice-President

CIO

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

[email protected]

Twitter: MarkLindwall

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

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