What’s the best way to gain access to your key account’s top executive and stay there?

Watch: Build access to your key account’s top executive through a Champion

What’s the best way to gain access to your key account’s top executive and stay there?

First, we need to address these:

Does your Key Account Leader (KAL) have influence with the person one level up from their Champion? Two levels up? Three? How far up the customer’s organization do they need to climb to protect the growth and momentum of the partnership? Do they have a Champion, someone with power, influence and access who is willing to sell up their chain of command? Do they have verifiable intel on what the top executives care about most? Do any of your competitors have a direct relationship with the top executives?

Your honest answers show whether an executive relationship gap exists and how large it is.

Next, remove the excuses that keep KALs from acting. These are the most common:

All the decisions are made two or three levels down. They don’t care about vendors like us. We’re a small fish in a big ocean. They won’t return my voicemails, emails or DMs. If they knew how much they already spend with us, they’d want to cut costs.

Here is what removes each one:

Decisions are typically made one to three levels down. The top executive delegated that authority and remains the ultimate decision maker. Top executives tend to care about partners whose work links to the business outcomes they care about most. The size of today’s spend is a poor indicator of what the account can become. Outreach to a top executive lands best when it comes from someone they already listen to, a person with power and influence on their side. We call that person a Champion. Executives already see what they spend with you. When your KAL connects that spend to the outcomes they care about, it reads as value.

Now, the best way to build influence with your key account’s top executive and stay there is to leverage a Champion and quip them with proof points that point to risk mitigation, revenue growth and cost savings.

Build proof points in this order:

Focus on risk first. What could happen in the top executive’s business that could hinder growth, and how does your solution address it? Next, focus on growth. Which of the top executive’s revenue builders can you tie your solution to, to help them expand? Then, focus on cost. Where can you provide efficiency, productivity or capacity that helps the executive save money?

Then coach your Champion on how to bring them to the top executive, through executive summaries and an executive business review. When the timing is right, ask your Champion for an introduction. Be ready to share what you’ve learned about the executive and how you’re helping them reach their goals.

The Vitality Index maps this climb. Executive Access, Status with Champion and Proof Points are three of the 21 growth drivers it covers. Your KALs follow a clear path from the start, and the relationship with top executives can be built to last.

Schedule a Demo: https://www.matchverticals.com/booking-calendar/match-vertical-partners-consultation