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MAJOR ACCOUNTS SALES STRATEGY
By
Neil Rackham
Presented by
Jayesh Darshane
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PURPOSE
To understand about customer’s behavior and decision process
To understand account strategy, which positively influences the customer’s
decision
INTRODUCTION
Why Sales Strategy is Important? 3
• Every company who builds a product or service knows that they
will, at some point, have to sell it.
• Formulate sales strength
• Synchronize sales operations
• Apply sales skills
What Author Says
Purpose- To influence Customers
Solution- Good Strategy must begin with understanding the
decision process from customer’s point of view
CUSTOMER’S DECISION PROCESS
Building sales strategy that focuses on steps taken by customer in deciding 4
Four Distinct Phases are
Recognition of • Uncover source of dissatisfaction and concentrate on developing dissatisfaction
Needs • Powerful Questioning Sequence to help customer discover it.
Evaluation of
Options
• Try to find out customer’s criteria for making decision
Phase
Resolution of • Work to discover and resolve issues that are troubling customers
Concerns • Very dangerous to ignore signals of customer concern
• Develop, don’t just service accounts.
Implementation • Continuing the communication and immediate responsiveness important
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ENTRY STRATEGY
Successful People- Look to seek a sponsor
Focus within account- Person or department
Focus of Focus of
Focus of Dissatisfactio
Receptivity Power
n
Individual prepared Access to Individuals having Access to Individual who has
to listen receptively problems and decision making
dissatisfaction power
where we can help
RECOGNITION OF NEEDS PHASE
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Recognition of
Needs
Identify Develop Channeling Dissatisfaction
Dissatisfaction Dissatisfaction Selectively
Understand range of problems, a product Developing Dissatisfaction- Need Payoff Questions-
can solve by asking questions Implication Questions Selective channeling
customer’s attention
Situation Questions- To get basic data
Problem Questions- Inquiry for problems
EVALUATION OF OPTIONS PHASE 7
Positioning for competitive advantage
Make sure prospects have passed the Recognition Of Needs Phase.
Start creating value for your product/service.
Three Objectives Of Evaluation Of Options Phase
To uncover decision criteria
Find out which criteria customers intend to use to make choices.
To influence decision criteria
Introduce new criteria prospects may not have considered.
Influence relative importance of existing criteria.
To maximize your perceived fit with decision criteria
Demonstration of product/service which adequately fits criteria for decision making
RESOLUTION OF CONCERNS 8
• The concern and fear about the risk of making an expensive mistake.
As the
• More people become involved, and political concerns increase.
size of
• Bigger Stakes- Attracts More Competitors -The number and strength of
the
competitors increase.
decision
• Concerns about credibility, competence, and reputation become greater.
grows
• To uncover and clarify any consequences issues
• Price issues are often raised to let seller know more discomfort exists
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NEGOTIATION
• Don’t Negotiate early in selling cycle
• Never allow negotiation to be substitute for selling
• Focus on areas for maximum leverage
IMPLEMENTATION
• Immediately after a sale is done one must put in more effort and not less.
• The implementation phase begins as soon as you get an order.
• Buyer’s remorse always sets in – fears are greatest at the beginning of
implementation.
• Anticipate how the buyer feels.
• Continual communication and immediate responsiveness are absolutely vital.
My Understandings
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MAJOR ACCOUNT SALES STRATEGY- NEIL RACKHAM
• Sales Strategy should be about customers and how to influence them. Thus the central purpose and focus of this
book is to ‘understand customer’s behavior’.
• The author Neil Rackham has used behavior analysis, tracking seller and customers certain key behavior which
are associated with sales success.
• He looks at customer’s decision process and how to form an account strategy which positively influences the
customer’s decision.
• Author discusses down in the trench approach to execute sales strategy i.e. being at the level of salesperson and
understanding all the key aspects; unlike other books which mainly focuses on strategies for top sales
management people.
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• Sales strategy is an important part of sales success at all levels and not only to be limited for top sales management.
• The book highlights various keys to success when you need to nail down major accounts, for example, understanding
buyer psychology; knowing how to get decision maker and service the client.
• It also discusses how to handle negotiations, concessions on price and term agreements effectively.
• Effective Selling Strategy is about thoroughly understanding your customers, knowing the concerns at different phases
of sale and understand how to respond to those concerns effectively.
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Conclusion
• Sales strategy vital part of Sales Success
• Effective Sales Strategy
1. Thorough understanding of customers
2. Know the concerns
3. Understand how to respond to concerns
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THANK YOU
