Learn how to find, approach, land and keep large clients.

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Big
Game
Hunting:
the joys
and
risks
of large
account
acquisition.
Learning
Outcomes
• How to Prospect for
Large Accounts
• How to make yourself
invaluable and create loyal
clients
• How to position your
small company to service a
gigantic one
Why Go After
Big Game?
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You can
make a few
big sales to
a few big
customers.
Big Accounts can
be very
rewarding…
• Large volume
• Profit
• Lots of attention from
suppliers
• Attract top talent
Big
Accounts
Can Kill You!
• All your eggs in
one basket.
• Unreasonable
demands.
• Low to no
profit.
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Just like big game, big clients can be
dangerous.
So why sell a few
big customers?
• focused in your
advertising and
marketing.
• deeper and more
meaningful
relationships.
• more professional
culture within your
organization.
How do you find, attract, keep and
leverage Big Clients?
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Commit to it!
You must make this a Vital
Activity
• Take daily steps
• Perform weekly activities
• Persist
Prospecting
• Always and All Ways
• Follow your passion
• “Best Companies to
Work For”
• Reading Labels
• Lifestyle Assessment
• What are you good at?
Create Your Target List
Daily – refine
your list and
research one of
the targets on
your list.
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Weekly
• Learn about
the industry
about one of
your targets.
•What are their
trade shows?
• What are their
trade pubs?
Monthly
Make a
contact, soft
or hard – mail,
direct mail,
email, or
telephone.
Quarterly
Send a creative
direct mail or
drop off
promotional
product
campaign.
Annually – clean
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You must have the right tools,
approach, and message.
Learn
Who your
competition is
and
what they are
doing,
how long they’ve
had the account,
what departments
they are working in.
LEARN
• Who you
can develop
who might be
able to
champion you
inside
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LEARN
How they
decide
to buy your
product or
services
LEARN
What are their pain
points?
Listen.
Look.
Find places
where you
can offer
solutions.
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Involve everyone in your
organization
Nobody
buys
Promotional
Products
at a big
company!
Buyers at big
companies are
looking to impress
their boss, to
outperform their
coworkers, to be
creative,
innovative and
known for the
results they get.
And it’s your job to
make sure they do
just that!
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Be
different.
Be
relevant.
Or be gone.
How will you stand out from the herd?
What is Your Purple
Cow?
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Hone
Your
Skills
Professional
Development
Be able to demonstrate your
competency and your understanding of
the Big Game’s Game.
Learning about your
prospects
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Have a process and follow it…
Introductory Mailing
First Phone Call
Detailed Mailing
Phone Call #2
Creative
Mailing
Third Phone Call
Telephone Tips for
getting that first
meeting.
•Relax
•Call when
you’re
most likely
to reach them
•Never leave a
voice mail –
they will not
call you back.
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• Always have a
reason – never
call to touch
base.
•Ask for the
meeting.
•Be real and be
realistic.
Six Keys to Big Customer Focus
(from Bag the Elephant by Steve Kaplan)
2. You must make them feel like your
most important client.
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Six Keys to Big Customer Focus
(from Bag the Elephant by Steve Kaplan)
3. Whatever It Takes.
Six Keys to Big
Customer
Focus
(from Bag the Elephant by Steve Kaplan)
5. Breath of Fresh Air
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Six Keys to Big Customer Focus
(from Bag the Elephant by Steve Kaplan)
6. Partnership
Who Does What?
Who can kill your
proposals?
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Look the part. Always Dress at least
as well as your client is dressed.
Play by their rules.
But Avoid Corporate Politics!
Respond immediately.
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Know
when
to
Walk
Away.
Money Tricks of the Big and
Powerful
• They make money on your
money
• Because they can
• Because you let them
• Never give something up without
getting something in return
• Put Value on What you Do
What Big Companies
are Looking for in a
preferred vendor…
• To optimize their cost
savings because of their
volume.
• To avoid
unprofessional, unreliable,
financially risky and
unproven vendors.
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Big
companies
have their
own lingo –
you need to
learn it.
Bureaucracy is
a fact of life in
many big
companies.
Learn the
System. Adopt
and embrace
it.
They
run on
Timing
cycles
related to
Budget,
Strategy,
Goal
Setting,
and
execution.
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Positioning your company to serve the
Giant.
• Have a Giant-friendly website
• Offer custom reports and forms that
validate your value
• Provide
value-added
services such as field
research or surveys
• Provide proposals in
formats that position you alongside their
other professional agencies.
Professionalism
• Be someone
they can be Proud
to Call Their
Partner.
• You reinforce
their Brand Image
• They reinforce
YOURS!
Relationships built at
Big Accounts
tend to move together.
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Develop Champions
Create a flow chart
Thank them
Good people
tend to flock
together.
• Nurture
relationships
• Be a best friend
• Go deep.
Trophy Clients are the result of Hard
Work, Persistence, Faith,
Professionalism, Commitment and
Intention.
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Paul A Kiewiet MAS CIP CPC
269-806-4489
paul@brandkiwi.com
www.create2bgreat.com
Linkedin. Twitter. facebook
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