Duration
2 days
What is this course about?
As a result of takeovers / acquisitions and mergers, accounts are becoming fewer but bigger and often much more complex to manage. Buyers are also becoming more sophisticated and all of this has subsequently caused the role of the Account Manager to become more diverse and demanding than ever before.
It is crucial that the modern Account Manager is dynamic and proactive in the management of their key accounts. It is no longer acceptable to simply react to situations Account Manager’s must anticipate potential opportunities and problems within their major accounts and be seen to be acting accordingly.
By building a lasting relationship and partnering with your key accounts you will set yourself and your organisation apart from your competitors and will protect your accounts from outside attack.
This rigorous two-day course will give you all the skills and techniques needed to enhance your capability as an Account Manager and ensure that both you and your organisation are perceived by your accounts to be indispensable.
Pre-course work
Prior to the course, participants are asked to identify and bring with them information relating to one of their key accounts. This will be referred to throughout the training programme.
Key topics covered
- What is Account Management?
- The Account Manager
- Managing Key Accounts
- Account Analysis
- Understanding the Buyer
- Persuading and Influencing
- Pre-Call / Visit Preparation
- During the Call / Visit
- Post Call Follow Up / Follow through
- Account Penetration
- Relationship Building
- What happens when things go wrong? Contingency planning
- Headlines for Account Development
Who would benefit?
Anyone wishing to learn effective techniques for maximising the potential of each and every major / key account that they manage.
Objectives
At the end of the course those attending will:-
- Recognise and appreciate the difference between selling and account management
- Have learned to extend their sphere of influence throughout their key accounts
- Understand the key stages of a call / meeting
- Be able to persuade and influence the key decision makers within their accounts
- Understand what buyers expect from their account managers
- Have identified the information needed to successfully manage key accounts and developed a plan to obtain this information
- Understand the importance of account penetration and how best to achieve this
- Be able to identify the best strategy for maximising potential revenue from each of their accounts
- Know how to build and maintain good relationships
Key topics covered
1. What is Account Management?
- Definition of terms
- Account Management vs Selling
- The PARETO principle
2. The Account Manager
- Account Management self-assessment
- The roles and responsibilities of the Account Manager
- Support needed within the account management role
3. Managing Key Accounts
- Your nominated account
- Identifying key accounts
- Researching and profiling your customers
- Recognising the potential of each of your accounts
- How to spot opportunities to increase both your influence and revenue
- Time versus Yield analysis
4. Account Analysis
- PEST Analysis
- SWOT Analysis
- Identifying knowledge gaps
- Strategies for plugging your knowledge gaps
5. Understanding the buyer
- The changing role of the buyer
- Buyer psychology – what the buyer expects from their supplier
- The Seven Deadly Sins of Account Managers
- Making you and your organisation indispensable
6. Persuading and Influencing
- What is persuasion and when is it best to use it?
- The many benefits of persuasion
- Exercise in persuasion
- Negotiation fundamentals
7. Pre-Call / Visit Preparation
- Ensuring that you are fully prepared prior to the call
- Anticipating possible objections
- ‘What if?’ scenarios for handling objections
- Identifying your call objectives
8. During the Call / Visit
- Carrying out the Customer Needs Analysis (C.N.A.)
- The 5 steps to consultative selling
- Top tips for understanding body language
- Taking Notes
- Closing the call
9. Post Call Follow Up / Follow through
- Meeting individual client expectations
- Internal follow-up and documentation
- Contact reports
- Best Practice post call administration
10. Account penetration
- Embedding yourself within your accounts
- Key principles of Account Penetration
- Account Penetration checklist
- Different approaches for different customers
- Identifying the key decision makers
- Recognising Account gatekeepers
- The concept of the white knight
11. Relationship building
- How senior do my accounts think I am?
- Maintaining regular contact with your accounts to build relationships
- Wiring the account for maximum benefit
- Networking within your account (social interaction)
- From relationship to partnership
12. What happens when things go wrong? Contingency planning
- Whose responsibility is it?
- Dealing with difficult people and situations
13. Headlines for account development
- Setting three SMART objectives for your nominated account
In-company training
Are you interested in running this course for your team or organisation?
This programme can be delivered on a date of your choice and at a location of your choice, in other words exactly where and when you need it!
From the outset we will provide you with expert advice and you will be assigned your own personal training adviser who will stay with you throughout the process. Every team is different so we will provide you with a tailored training programme, designed around your team’s needs and focused on your desired outcomes.
All courses are followed up by a full training evaluation report and certificates of learning for each delegate. For groups of up to 12 delegates per course, our in-company training is a very cost-effective way to develop your people and improve team performance.
Get in touch today for a full quotation to suit your budget. To discuss your requirements in more detail with one of our friendly advisers please call on 0845 130 5714 or email one of the team at info@ga-training.com. Alternatively you can complete the short contact form below.
Getting in Touch
If you would like to discuss your sales skills training requirements with someone on the phone, please call us on 0845 130 5714 and you will be put straight through to one of our friendly advisers who will be pleased to assist you further.Alternatively if you would prefer you can email us at info@ga-training.com or fill out our simple online contact form below and one of the team will get straight back to you.
If the exact solution does not already exist in our portfolio we will design something specifically for you.