Let's Call it the "New Economy"

How could you help but not realize that there is global economic turmoil - to say the least. Everybody is looking for the key to selling in a down economy - companies are even asking me to speak to this challenge - well, I prefer to think of this economic period as just another phase of another new economy! After 38 years - yes, 38 years of "Making the Number" it just means that once again we all have to be even better at generating customers and keeping the ones we have.

Relative to strategic accounts - by the way we all have them - we really need to now focus on their economic challenges and determine how we can make them more profitable through our own products./solutions - this may be no easy task - yet it must be demonstrated to and validated by your customers.

I discovered a while ago that companies get wealthier in three distinct ways - sometimes in all three ways concurrently:

1. Reducing their existing expense base
2. Avoiding catastrophic and unplanned expenses
3. Increasing their revenues and profits

My thought for today - how are you helping your strategic accounts get wealthier?

One way I can think of is by providing quality and well-proven goods and/or services that minimize their legal risks - in other words help them avoid catastrophic costs by keeping their names off the front page of the paper!

Do you have any ideas - speak up and share,

Dennis

New Economic Pressures Influence Global Strategic Account Management

I just returned from a European trip and meeting around global strategic account management - everywhere in the world people are talking "the economy"!

Some of their feedback and linkage to strategic account management included:

• We better re-connect NOW to our top accounts
• More than ever a ROI approach to account relationships is paramount
• As like sales, SAM programs must deliver on their agreed upon metrics
• Engaging with accounts is becoming very trying considering financial constraints - technology may have to fill some voids in the relationship
• Economic discussions are really driving everyone to think global implications

I, like everyone is probably very interested in any ideas anyone has to help us all through these challenging times as they relate to keeping and growing our strategic accounts - I'll give up one thing I am going to do right away...

Ensure that I am receiving any/all pertinent news about my top accounts from news services - you just do not know who owns who and who still works where when you wake up each morning!

Dennis