Wishful Thinking or Realistic Account Strategy: 3 Mistakes to Avoid

Too often what we call a strategy is just sloganeering or wishful thinking. A team captain who urges his sales team to “go out there and win” is not providing a realistic account plan for doing so. If you are in charge of strategic account planning for your sales force, be sure you avoid the following three elements of so-called strategies that do not work.

1. No clarity around the fundamental customer goals, problems or needs. Too many sales account teams start doing before they have clear and agreed upon client-centric objectives.  Before you start to act, make sure that you set aside the time to understand your customer and what you want to achieve to help them succeed.
2. No practical plan for achieving the goal. It is not enough to want to be successful. We all do! But only those with a well-defined path through the muck will get there…step-by-step with clear roles and responsibilities.
3. Too many objectives. Be careful not to create too many to-do’s that dilute what should be the main focus of good sales account strategy. Invest the time it takes to identify the critical few account objectives that make sense for you, your sales team and your client.

Think and re-think; plan and review; share and invite criticism. Put in the extra effort to create a strategic account plan that works.