Account Planning

GROUP 10
EVAN ASHY
JOANNA
NATALIA KOLYKHALOVA

HAD A CHANCE TO PLAN ANYTHING FOR ANYBODY

What is Key Account Planning

Why do we have to plan? Who needs this?
Process of planning through best practices
Benefits of KAP
Skills of Key Account Planner (Video)
7 useful tips for Key Account Planning
7 secrets of KAP

The KAP process is about understanding :

the clients
their needs
future business strategy
then leveraging this to promote your business and
client specific propositions or values. (Anderson
Baillie Marketing)

If you dont have a plan for managing your key

accounts you can only react, and when you are
reacting you are not in control.

For the customer, to make visible and explicit added value

For the supplier, to show how the plan corresponds with the corporate vision
For the key account team, to clarify strategies and goals
For the other key account managers, to share the plans and experiences

Handbook of Strategic Account Management. Diana Woodburn, Kevin Wilson

We want to play a little game

Customers that are key accounts should have an

understanding of the value strategy
that is pursued by the supplier
in order to optimize their own position.
(Pardo at al. 2006)

Handbook of Strategic Account Management. Diana Woodburn, Kevin Wilson

The Revegy Blog. 7 Key Account Planning Best Practices. 2013

Prioritizing and selecting segments

Highest potential for
growth in sales and
profits; aggressive
investment approach;
collaboration

Preserve good
relationships and
financing; retention
strategies

(Key account management : the definitive guide by Malcolm McDonald, Diana Woodburn)

High risks involved,

monitoring with
measures such as NPV,
sales volume

Should not
occupy too much of a
companys time

The Revegy Blog. 7 Key Account Planning Best Practices. 2013

 Earnings from the

customer in the past
and future
The costs
- Direct (product,
service, logistics
- Indirect (marketing,
project, relationship)
Investments in the
current financial year
(Handbook of Strategic
Account Management. Diana
Woodburn, Kevin Wilson)

The Revegy Blog. 7 Key Account Planning Best Practices. 2013

Benefits of Key Account Planning

Greater customer satisfaction
Stronger customer relationships
Higher customer retention
Better managed customer interface
Higher barriers to competitor entry

Chartered Accountants Parfrey Murphey

However, key account planning must be

placed firmly in the context of strategic
marketing planning, otherwise it will not be
effective.
(Key account management : the definitive guide by Malcolm McDonald, Diana
Woodburn)

HOW to make Key Account Planning EFFECTIVE ?

(or 7 useful tips for key account planning)
How to prioritize your accounts?
Which accounts have the highest value for establishing loyalty of
the customer and producing the best revenues?

SCORECARDS for ranking, segmenting and

focusing

The Revegy Blog. 7 Tips for Effective Strategic Account Planning. 2013

HOW to make Key Account Planning EFFECTIVE ?

(or 7 useful tips for key account planning)

Strategic account planning stands for a good

communication.
Make sure you understand well.

Seek first to understand. (Steven Covey, 7 Habits of

Highly Effective People)

Understand your customers strategy

Practice visual mapping !

The Revegy Blog. 7 Tips for Effective Strategic Account Planning. 2013

HOW to make Key Account Planning EFFECTIVE ?

(or 7 useful tips for key account planning)

Build a commited team in account planning sessions

followed by including the customer, a coach or a

mentor in it.

Collaborate in order to become a trusted partner even

if it takes a long time

Try to achieve the strategic objectives of both sides

The Revegy Blog. 7 Tips for Effective Strategic Account Planning. 2013

HOW to make Key Account Planning EFFECTIVE ?

(or 7 useful tips for key account planning)
Dont Take the Money and Run
Get credit for the value delivered

Make Strategic Account Planning part of the culture

Ask for and implement improvements in your
process/method
Make those relationships a corporate habit

The Revegy Blog. 7 Tips for Effective Strategic Account Planning. 2013

Traps that can occur in account planning

Oversimplification
Underestimating execution
Over involvement of others
Under qualification

Best Practices. Strategic Account Planning. July, 2014

7 secrets of
Key Account Planning
1. ENVISION
What are you trying to accomplish?
History of the account
Any goals your customer hopes to achieve

Their attitude towards your business

How much are they willing to spend?

Salesforce. 7 Secrets to Account Planning. 2014

7 secrets of
Key Account Planning
2. SCHEDULE
How long will the plan take and how long will it last?
Divide each session into numerous parts with each meeting has a
predetermined goal

Salesforce. 7 Secrets to Account Planning. 2014

7 secrets of
Key Account
Planning
3. DISCOVER
What key points do you need to know about the customer to be
successful?
Gain key company information such as Annual revenue, industry
category, quality contacts

Salesforce. 7 Secrets to Account Planning. 2014

7 secrets of
Key Account Planning
4. ALIGN
Identify Key stakeholders and show how your solution folds into their
strategic plans.
As a plan is formulated, discuss within your group members the plan
that will be executed

Salesforce. 7 Secrets to Account Planning. 2014

7 secrets of
Key Account Planning
5. DEVELOP
As you have more meetings, make the subject matter more concise and to the
plan
This is the phase of going from research to action
Consolidate your CRM to the following categories:
Contracts, quotes, orders, transactions, and various departmental
opportunities

Salesforce. 7 Secrets to Account Planning. 2014

7 secrets of
Key Account Planning
6. ADAPT
As target customer adapts, update the plan to discover
better opportunities
Leverage information systems to create the optimal
network

Salesforce. 7 Secrets to Account Planning. 2014

7 secrets of
Key Account Planning
7. INSPIRE
Portray your vision to the consumer and be interested in a
long-term relationship with them.
Use proactive tools to keep your consumer and client in the
informational loop to help in vision your plan and where it

will take them.

Salesforce. 7 Secrets to Account Planning. 2014

Duties of Key Account Manager

The key account managers role is mostly provision of information of processes, therefore
they need to be aware of them, how each work, and what should be contributed to the
process. The strategic processes include:
Selecting attractiveness criteria and key customers
Managing the customer portfolio
Considering implications of customer strategies
Incorporating account plans in business planning
Allocating/prioritizing resources
Assessing and managing risk to the company
Sponsoring key customers
Coordinating across boundaries
Enabling organizational learning.