Strategic account plan vision
Good Key Account Managers copy. Great Key Account Managers steal. If you're short on inspiration for your strategic account plans look no further than your client's vision statement.
Sometimes I'm all out of ideas when it comes to strategic account plans. And often my client is no help either.
So where do you go when you're mind draws a blank?
My all time favourite tactic to help with where to focus the goals of your strategic account plans is to start with your client's vision statement.
It's never failed me yet.
Start with a vision statement for your strategic account plan
Here is a six step process I follow when I want to come up with ideas for my strategic account plan
- Visit your client's website and read their vision statement.
- Then read it again.
- Now unpack it. What exactly does it say about their business and their values?
- What does it say about how or why they do what they do?
- What does it reveal about your clients' strategy and how might it impact your plans?
- Think about how you can align your solutions. How might you reframe your value proposition to appeal to their vision statement?
A vision statement is an aspirational description of what an organisation would like to achieve or accomplish in the mid-term or long-term future. It is intended to serve as a clear guide for choosing current and future courses of action.
Business Dictionary // www.businessdictionary.com
How to interpret a vision statement
Here are examples of businesses you know and how their vision statement can influence your strategic account planning if they were your client:
Amazon
Earth's most customer-centric company where customers can find and discover anything they want to buy online.
Earth says they want global reach.
How can you help them expand their reach or enter new markets?
Customer-centric puts customers are at the heart of everything Amazon does.
How can you come up with strategies that improve their customer experience? Make things simpler, more interactive, faster?
Adobe
Revolutionize how the world engages with ideas and information
Revolutionize says they are risk takers, bold, accelerating innovation and ready to challenge the way things are done today.
You might consider strategies that are exciting and fresh. Don't be afraid to pitch something out of the box.
Engage says Adobe are interested in more than just transactions, they are interested in experience. They want people to feel something when they use Adobe's products.
How might you tap into that? What would your solution look like if you focused on engagement?
Strategy that plans itself
Do you see how quickly this reveals opportunities?
Take a moment to write all your ideas down and incorporate them into your strategic account plan.
Such a simple tactic, but a persuasive one and a great way to gain a deeper understanding of your client.
Why?
Because you're speaking THEIR language.
And you'll bring a smile to your clients' face the next time you meet if you start the conversation about their values and let them know you're intrigued and would like to know more.
And who doesn't like to give away smiles?
