Create value with strategic accounts

Kirjan kuvaus

PROCESSES Do you know who are your most valuable customers? Do you manage opportunities in these customer relationships in systematic way? How do you involve your customers into value creation in a customer relationship? It is not unusual that a small percent of customer base provide all the positive cashflow of the company subventing the remaining customers. This fact alone is a sufficient reason for focusing on firm's most valuable customer relationships. The value of relationships is not dependent only on profitability. There are also other dimensions in evaluating relationships such as huge business potential, reference value and opportunities to increase the provider's competence. These dimensions also need to be taken into account when deciding on which customers to focus. As Strategic Accounts are important both from an earnings and strategic point of view, the importance of taking a proactive approach to customer relationships is crucial to a firm's success. A Strategic Accounts Management (SAM) program is needed to ensure that the firm utilizes the full potential of existing relationships by proactively and systematically following up, planning and developing its most valuable relationships. Thus, managing the most valuable customer relationships well makes business sense. In order for a Strategic Account Management to be successful it needs top management commitment. This book will provide a overall picture of what Strategic Account Management is about and will be useful tool for senior executives in marketing and sales and development managers that are responsible for Strategic Account Management programs. The book contains a number of cases illustrating the critical issues of Strategic Account Management and special attention is paid to presenting the Account Planning processes and tools.