What are you using for building materials in your account base?
As salespeople start to either build new, renovate, or add on to their account base – a question that typically isn’t considered is:
Am I using materials that will help me build the kind of account base I want to live in?
Is the foundation strong enough?
What would make an account base SOLID in your business?
Perhaps it is a barrel full of accounts that do steady day-to-day business. An alternative view is you could maintain a couple handfuls that have one large project annually.
Make sure you have a strong foundation to build your account base on by knowing what you’re working to build.
Will it keep the weather out?
Are you developing accounts that will weather the economic storms that come along?
Don’t have a territory full of holes; make sure there are windows and doors to cover the empty spaces. Your account base needs to still be weather tight if something fails during an economic storm.
Are other people going to want to visit?
Are you creating something that will attract referrals to you?
There are some buildings that people drive by everyday and don’t notice. Other buildings draw you in, making you want to stop and visit. Ensure that working with you drives people to bring others by to work with you.
What makes it comfortable?
Do you know what about the account base you are building will make you comfortable?
Maybe you like the high ceilings, lots of windows, or varied space. Make the space you are going to spend lots of time in, comfortable for you. Sales is so much easier (and more fun) when you are comfortable working inside the companies you’ve built into your account base.
Is it interesting enough to keep me interested?
Are you going to be bored in your own account base?
Ensure that you will be interested, entertained, and enjoy the people you are choosing to work with. If you’re bored with them – they’ll be deleting NOT doing business with you.
One last thought, although I’ve been describing an account base like a building – perhaps you would rather build something completely different instead; a sculpture like Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg perhaps?
Make sure the account base you end up with is one you want to live with – if not in!
- What makes an account easier for your company to do business with
- What are the things that make you successful with prospects
- ENSURE that you have something about money in there
- Don’t forget to keep purchasing habits and patterns in mind too
Abundantly yours,
Lynn
ps. Not sure where to begin? Ask all your customers why they buy from YOU… that is the building you’re already living in; do you like it?
Comments (0)