The document discusses the challenges of effective strategic account management (SAM) and how technology can help address them. It provides an example of a company, Enviance, that improved SAM practices and outcomes by using a collaborative account planning software. Key benefits included developing tailored client demonstrations, reducing sales cycles, boosting win rates, and achieving holistic visibility across complex deals. The document advocates proactively addressing SAM challenges with technology rather than scrambling after competitive losses.

1. 1
Doing Strategic Account
Management vs. Talking About It
Jim Dickie
CSO Insights
+1 (303) 521 4410
jim.dickie@csoinsights.com
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2. 2
The Marketplace Reality
Today we have a surplus of “similar” companies,
employing “similar” people,
with “similar” backgrounds,
coming up with “similar” ideas,
producing “similar” things,
with “similar” quality & “similar” pricing!
Kjell Nordström & Jonas Ridderstråhle
– Funky Business
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3. 3
Sales Relationship/Process Matrix™
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4. 4
Sales Relationship/Process Matrix™
Sold a Product,
Bought a Product
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5. 5
Sales Relationship/Process Matrix™
Sold a Promise,
Bought a Promise
Sold a Product,
Bought a Product
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6. 6
SRP Matrix Analysis
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7. 7
The SAM Dilemma
We know what we should do,
so why isn’t it happening?
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8. 8
The SAM Cost/Payback
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Let’s do the math
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9. 9
For Better or Worse
Culture eats strategy for breakfast!
- Peter Drucker
Great strategic account planning
begins with Mindjet. Try it now.
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10. 10
Challenges Impacting SAM Success
• Do I Personally Want to Do It?
• Do I Know How to Do It?
• Am I Held Accountable for Doing It?
• Are We Getting Better Because of SAM?
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11. 11
The SAM Motivation Challenge
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12. 12
The SAM Motivation Challenge
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13. 13
The SAM Planning Challenge
Manual
Create a SAM Format
Assess Accounts
Populate with Account Info
List Stakeholders
Determine Tasks
Email Out Team Tasks
Plan Management
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14. 14
Sales Account Planning Challenges
Many Firms Don’t Enable Research in a Web 2.0 World
?
CRM
? ?
21st Century
Traditional
Account
? Pans ?
 Synthesize Research in One Spot ? ?
 No more Email Hell
 Disconnected Assets Backend
 Email version control issues
Systems
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15. 15
A Second Model for
SAM Plan Development
Manual APM Tech-Enabled
Create a SAM Format 
Assess Accounts 
Populate with Account Info 
List Stakeholders “Assess” Stakeholders
Determine Tasks Leverage Best Practices
Email Out Team Tasks Track Action Progression
“WORN” Plan Management Integrated Workflow Management
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16. 16
The SAM Accountability Challenge
• Reminding Me to Stay on Track
• Reminding My Manager When I Get Off Track
• Determining How to Get Back On Track
Plan the Work,
Now Work the Plan
Great strategic account planning
begins with Mindjet. Try it now.
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17. 17
The Gold Mining Challenge
– Demographic Analysis
– Problem Assessment
– Key Stakeholders
– Buying/Selling Tactics
– Competitive Effectiveness
– Solution Usage Profiles
– …..
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18. 18
“Recipe for Successful”
Technology Requirements
1. Enable “Collaborative Account Plans”
2. Holistic & Granular View
3. “Dynamic” Org Chart Creation
4. Minimize Manual Entry for Reps
5. Connect Account Plan to CRM
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19. 19
Tech-Enabled SAM in Action
Enviance, Carlsbad, CA
• Environmental ERP Software Firm
• Nigel Nugent, VP Worldwide Sales
• Complex Sales
• Differentiation Challenge
• Need to Build Strong Business Case
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20. 20
Nigel’s Marketplace Reality
Today we have a surplus of “similar” companies,
employing “similar” people,
with “similar” backgrounds,
coming up with “similar” ideas,
producing “similar” things,
with “similar” quality & “similar” pricing!
Kjell Nordström & Jonas Ridderstråhle
– Funky Business
With “similar” sales reps all doing “similar” tactics!
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21. 21
Selling as Science AND Art
• Think of Sales Manager as Play Director
• Think of Team Members as Actors
• Think of SAM as a Great Script
– Construct a Unique Story
• Things to do, Question to ask, Info to get
– Develop Fully Each Chapter
• Qualify, Discovery, Demo/Present, Proposal,
Close, and Implement
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22. 22
Tech-Enabled SAM
The First Sale Nigel Made Was an Internal Sale
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23. 23
Enviance Improvements
• Chasing Fewer Poor Opportunities
– Can’t write a great script, then don’t start the play
• Sell Cycle Length Decreased 10 – 15%
• Prospects Clear on Differentiation
• Win Rates More Than Doubled
Great strategic account planning
begins with Mindjet. Try it now.
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24. 24
Enviance Summary
Customer Success Story
• Challenge: Lacked effective solution for supporting
complex team selling and account management –
needed holistic visibility.
“Last quarter using Mindjet we won
• Solution: Use Mindjet software to collaboratively
every account that we forecast -every
map and brainstorm account plans. Developed an
single one.”
entire methodology suited specifically to their
business.
“Mindjet has created efficiencies and
collaboration in every area of my • Benefits:
organization, providing a more holistic • By using the shared account plan to understand
and efficient view of a complex multi- each account's needs, sales teams were able to
dimensional negotiation” create individually tailored client demonstrations that
were highly effective
- Nigel Nugent, VP Worldwide Sales • Improvements in efficiencies, collaboration, and
creativity
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25. 25
Excelling at SAM Will Happen
Your Can Either Deal With It Proactively
Or
You Can Scramble to Do It After
A Major Competitive Loss
Which is Your Company Choosing?
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26. 26
What happens next?
Great strategic account planning begins
with Mindjet. Try it free for 30 days:
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