LinkedIn Posts
If I dropped you somewhere in any one of the 50 states and handed you a map of that state, could you pinpoint where you are without GPS?
A good plan starts from your true position. Can your team say where it stands across every dimension of a key account relationship?
If I dropped you somewhere in any one of the 50 states and handed you a map of that state, could you pinpoint where you are without GPS?
Most of us could. You'd fall back on what we did 30 years ago: find the nearest landmark, locate it on the map, and narrow it down until you find the street you're on.
Now picture a place that has already mapped everything for you, like the "You Are Here" sign on a mall directory, at an airport or at a trailhead. Knowing where you are gives you confidence, because you're no longer lost.
Knowing your starting point is a huge advantage in any complex environment. GPS made that easy. Before it, people had to read a map, perhaps use a compass and track landmarks to find their way.
Today, almost anywhere on Earth is mapped through our GPS, so we can see where we are and how to get where we're going.
Can we say the same for key account partnerships?
Picture your largest account as a mountain with several trails to the top. One trail is your executive relationships. Another is how well you stand against competitors. Another is how far you've expanded inside the customer's business. The summit is a vital partnership that lasts.
Which trail is your team on right now, and how far up?
Most account plans start at the summit: grow revenue, win the renewal, expand into a new division. Those are good destinations. The route to them depends on your starting point.
If your team can't say how things really are with the top executive, your champion, your competitors and your contract terms, they're planning while lost. Can you pinpoint your exact location?
Today's approach to account planning is falling short. Gartner found only 34% of key account managers report hitting their quota.
A good plan is a good working theory about where you are and where you're going next. It only works when it starts from your true position, and that takes an honest assessment across every dimension of a key account relationship.
The Vitality Index is a system that has already mapped the entire landscape of key account partnerships across 7 domains and 21 growth drivers. It shows you where you are across the 4 levels of each domain and growth driver, from Building to Vital Partnership.
Complete a one-time baseline assessment and your team will know where they stand today. The system, along with support from our expert key account leaders, will help guide them to vital partnerships that last. Schedule a free 30-minute consultation and ask for a demo.
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