Three Bears Story; account base upgrade – part 3

This is NOT the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Instead it’s the story of me trying to decide between three bears when I was buying a gift for a brand new little person.

When I went shopping for a stuffed animal I believed I had no expectations of what I was going to get… which we know is a lie!

If I truly had no expectations I would have purchased the first stuffed animal I saw in the store and left.

#1 – does if FEEL right?
> yes the first thing I did in the toy store was start petting. WEIRD, perhaps. In my world the very first stuffed animal I get a new child needs to be two things: squishy and soft.

That actually eliminated more options than you’d think.

In your account base: what feel are you looking for?

Need a few examples? open to new ideas, quick decision makers, thoughtful, collaborative, etc.

#2 – is it the right size?
> since my particular shopping trip was for an infant – I didn’t want the stuffed toy to be any larger than the baby itself.

No matter what you’re selling – size DOES matter.

What that size is of course depends your corporate profile – from a parameter perspective. It also depends on you and what size organization you’re masterful at navigating.

#3 – do I love it?… will they love it?
> I’ll admit I have to fall a little in love with the stuffed animal in order to buy it. On my recent trip the only animals that tugged at my heart were three bears and an elephant.

As much as I had to love it… I then needed THEM to love it too. “them” because buying something for an infant is as much about the parents as it is about the baby.

The elephant was NOT going to fit into baby’s room they’d put so much work into making perfect.

How about the companies you’ve got in your account base?
1. do you LOVE working with them?
2. do they fit into what your company is trying to accomplish?
3. will you make a lot of money putting a little more effort in with them?

#4 – you don’t have to get rid of EVERYTHING
> So I was going with a bear – but WHICH one… all three were squishy and soft. none were bigger than the baby, I loved them, I believe the parents will love them…

I splurged and got them all.

As you’re upgrading your account base – it’s not about ditching everything, rather it’s about making conscious thoughtful decisions about who you’re going to keep.