4. Determine your Selling Approach

Consolidate the above insights the critical strategies and actions necessary to succeed.

• How do you help them accomplish their strategic objectives?
• What is your unique selling (value) proposition?
• Based on your SWOT, what are the critical few strategies to win in the account?
• What type of opportunities will you concentrate on?
• How can you leverage your differentiations? (Sales approach can be a differentiator.)
• What is your strategy to leverage current successes?

5. Engage the Resources you Need

Enrol the people and gather the knowledge you need.

• Which internal resources have the skills/connections you need?
• Who inside the account can help you win?
• Are there external resources that can support you (partners, people “in the know”)?
• What additional product/industry information do you need? What sources can provide it?
• How could you improve your selling and account management skills?

6. Create and Work your Plan

Use your plan as a guide to proactively produce your intended results.

• What are the high-leverage actions?
• Which resources are needed for each task?
• What are the due dates and key milestones?
• Do you take action and update the plan on a regular basis?
• Are you engaging your management, internal and partner resources?
• If you don’t plan your work, you can’t work your plan. Winging it is the best way to lose a big opportunity you could have won!