Gordian Business

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Why bother with Strategic Account Management

If you’re considering implementing SAM but aren’t sure if it’s right for your business, then here is a real example of how SAM has increased results and transformed an already successful company.

Like many organisations that embark on the Strategic Account Management (SAM) journey, this company was getting signals from the market and feedback from customers that things were changing. How customers make decisions was changing, and what was important to customers was changing.

Is your market changing?

Here are three questions to help you decide if you need SAM.

1.      Are you seeing new or different competitors emerge? Many industries are experiencing new niche competitors nibbling away at their revenue, or online channels creating low-priced and convenient alternatives.

2.      Are generic products a growing threat? Can you justify the premium customers must pay for your branded product – and for how much longer?

3.      Is the way your key accounts buy changing? Are procurement and the senior executive team becoming more involved? As organisations apply greater governance and executive oversight decisions are being made higher up. This is a clear trend. Is your account team equipped to deal with these changes in the buying process?

If your business is not seeing any of these changes, then carry on with business as usual. If your business is seeing changes, then have a look at this brief overview of a case study on one of our most successful customers.

The case study details how the CEO and his leadership team from a global medical devices company transformed their approach to selling and executing on value.

It outlines the challenges confronted and lessons learned in radically changing the business from a product focus, to a customer results based approach. In less than 3 years this company went from not having a structured approach for managing its most critical accounts to establishing a world class SAM program.

Strategic Account Management (SAM) is a proven process used by some of the world's most successful companies to respond to increasing demands from customers and increasing price competition from competitors. On the 8th April, UTS is holding a 1 hour breakfast session to introduce you to Strategic Account Management. We look forward to seeing you there. http://ow.ly/KRzRl