What does it take to succeed with your strategic sales accounts? You need to be able to don a variety of hats and put together a sales plan that helps you know which part to play when.
You need to be:
1. A student
Your research into your customer’s industry, business, market, products and competition should be thorough…so thorough, in fact, that your customer feels as if you are one of them. You identify with customer company goals and priorities and you exemplify in your interactions their values. You don’t sit across the table but on their side as you work together to solve their most pressing problems, compensate for their weaknesses and capitalize on their strengths.
2. An excellent communicator
Communication is a two-way street. You not only have to be articulate in your speech but empathetic in your listening. After all, you will learn much more about your customer with good questions and superior listening skills than you will in talking at them. Beyond clarity, you should be able to build relationships that are based on the rapport you establish both personally and professionally. People like to do business with people they like. Be the communicator who brings knowledge as well as friendship to your account customers.
3. A trusted advisor
Trust comes from being open and honest in all your dealings. Your customer can count on you to be straightforward even when the truth hurts. And you always do what you say you are going to do. Be accountable for your actions and own up when you make a mistake. As you build trust, you build loyalty and make it harder for the competition to break in.
4. A good decision maker
You know when to move forward and when to stay put. You know which factors should carry the most weight and which should be ignored. You provide the best advice possible and bring all your experience to bear as you influence your customer to make moves that have both your best interests at heart.
5. A team player with the goal always in sight
Your job responsibility ultimately is to your own company and your team. You need to wear your various hats or roles with the end in mind. Be knowledgeable, communicate well, build trust and guide your customer in the direction that generates results. This is the way to succeed at strategic account planning and achieve your own organization’s objectives.
