1 Educators providing ACCA Strategic Business Leader (SBL) courses in Glasgow

This programme has a simple objective: to help a sales team create and implementa comprehensive account development plan. If you want to earn strategic partner or preferred supplier status with your clients and customers then you need to add value to their business, consistently, and you can only do this if you have a plan - a key account management plan. This programme will help participants: * Discover opportunities - through a deeper understanding of the customer's business * Develop partnership - through a better 'value proposition' for the customer * Increase repeat business - based on higher customer satisfaction * Improve synergy - by getting everyone to 'sing from the same hymn sheet' * Develop a collaborative account plan - validated by the customer and their own management * Secure resources - management will align resources to execute soundly based account plans * Win an increased share of 'customer wallet' - through systematic account development 1 THE SIX PRINCIPLES OF STRATEGIC ACCOUNT DEVELOPMENT * Introduction to the PROFIT account development model: * - Performance * - Relationships * - Objectives and goals * - Feedback * - Integration * - Teamwork * Practical account development strategies: overview and case studies 2 PERFORMANCE * Use practical tools to help you manage and measure account performance and success * Design and build a monthly account dashboard for all sizes of account * Prioritise and manage accounts and customers pro-actively and successfully, using proven planning tools * Develop a cross-selling strategy to integrate products or solutions into the customer's business as closely as possible 3 RELATIONSHIPS * How to build and manage key relationships within an account * Qualifying and managing key influencers accurately * Producing a 'relationship matrix' for each account quickly and easily * Approaching and developing new contacts strategically * Tools and techniques for successful tracking of contacts and call-backs * Developing a coach or advocate in every customer organisation pro-actively 4 OBJECTIVES AND GOALS * Where are you now? - how to establish your competitive position within an account * Know how to set, monitor and track key objectives for accounts over the short, medium and long term * Selling against the competition - developing both long- and short-term sales strategies 5 FEEDBACK - BUILDING LOYAL AND SATISFIED CUSTOMERS * The correct way to manage customer expectations and create listening loops within an account * How to monitor and track your customer's perception and satisfaction with your organisation * Building a personalised satisfaction matrix for each account * Customer review meetings - best practice in building loyalty by regular joint planning events * Understanding the concept of long-term customer value and the importance of adapting a customer-focused attitude 6 INTEGRATION * How to integrate your products or solutions with the customer's business needs and processes * Spot and react to early warning signals that may cause an account's loyalty to fade, reduce revenue or switch to a competitor * Developing a loyalty strategy for key accounts or groups of smaller accounts * Getting your message and strategy across to C-level contacts 7 TEAMWORK * Working with others to achieve your account goals * Gaining internal commitment from your organisation * Managing and working with a virtual team * Creating cross-departmental communication loops 8 PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER * Personal account reviews * Personal learning summary and action plans

The Sales Accelerator programme is a fresh approach to improving business development productivity. It focuses on identifying and using a series of business productivity metrics in order to build a clear action plan for improving sales results - typically within 90 days. The metrics are grouped under three headings: The basic principle is that a small improvement in each area can lead to a significant increase in sales results and productivity. And the object of the programme is to show how best to achieve that. The programme therefore looks at each of these three areas in turn, spending a day on each. Suitable for any and all businesses and all levels of experience and expertise, this is a remarkably practical and hands-on programme. During the workshop, participants discuss, review and apply many proven sales and marketing techniques and personal selling ideas. The goal is to generate and commit to changes and actions that can lead to a 10-30% increase in the next three to six months. There's also a consultancy option, rather than the workshop-based programme. See below for details. DAY ONE - ACTIVITY Key objective This first module introduces the Sales Accelerator model. The goal here is to show participants how to increase their pro-active activity levels by around 10%. It covers all aspects of creating new business opportunities, from existing customers and non-customers alike, and is linked to personal activity improvement goals. Main elements * Improve the productivity, accuracy and effectiveness of your business approach by using new and unique models and techniques. * Different methods of creating and generating new business opportunities in the short, medium and long term. This includes sourcing new business, up-selling, cross-selling, warm calling and gaining referrals. * Using organised persistence to track and build new customer revenue. * Managing your sales time effectively. Key learning points * Sales productivity - understand the dynamics of increasing the combination of activity levels, deal value and conversion rate of proposals/quotations to orders and implement an improvement plan. * Sales goal setting: setting business development objectives for quantity and quality - plus tips and tricks of top performers. * Maintain a peak activity level, on a consistent basis using 'organised persistence' and structured business development tracking methodology. * How to prioritise opportunities and manage your time when sourcing new business. * Identify potential new customers - and particularly the decision-makers and influencers - with greater accuracy. * Make outbound business or appointment calls with improved confidence, control and results. DAY TWO - VALUE Key objective To be able to better anticipate, identify, create, and develop business opportunities using a customer / client-focused communication-based business model and consultative skills. Main elements * How to develop sales more effectively from new and existing customers; and managing the first appointment with a new customer. * Use structured and assertive drawing-out skills to identify, develop and formalise business opportunities and to gain commitment. * How to better position your company and your products and services against your main competitors. * Create and deliver persuasive business messages based on specific need areas, criteria and value. Key learning points * Advanced consultative selling - use a variety of structured and advanced questioning techniques to confidently and efficiently uncover opportunities, need areas and business criteria - confidently and efficiently. * Involve the customer/client at all times, and to a far greater degree, and keep better control of business development process. * Value message - differentiate your solutions clearly and accurately with customer/client-matched value statements. * Presenting the right USPs, features and benefits and making them relevant and real to the customer. Qualification and reading buying signals. DAY THREE (HELD AROUND FOUR WEEKS AFTER THE FIRST MODULE) - CONVERSION Key objective This module looks at how to improve the final qualification, progression and conversion of opportunities in your sales pipeline. Also includes price negotiation, overcoming objections and obstacles to gaining agreement. The module begins with a learning review, sharing participants' experiences over the last four weeks in applying the new techniques and skills acquired during the first two modules. This is an opportunity to revisit particularly challenging areas as well as to share and celebrate successes. Main elements * Structuring and preparing for negotiating a deal and knowing when and how to move into the 'end-game' mode. * Anticipate and answer customer objections and questions more confidently. * Build more credibility and proof into your business process to reduce 'buyer's remorse' and speed-up decision-making. * Being more assertive and developing better instincts and strategic thinking in progressing quotations and proposals. Key learning points * Smart ways to position price, emphasise value and be a strong player without being the cheapest. * Becoming more assertive in closing deals, and the importance of organised follow-up on the telephone. * Qualify pipeline opportunities with more accuracy, using a proven check-list. * Use an 'option generator' to simplify complex proposals, increase business value and close business faster. * Writing more effective sales proposal documents and quotations. * How best to draw-out, understand, isolate and answer customer objections, negotiate points and concerns. * Practical methods of asking for agreement and closing a sale