How Much Service Do Key Accounts Deserve?
One of the sales managers using our SoundADvice radio e-marketing system emailed this question recently;
John just received another cancellation this week. He is a powerful closer but his eagerness to move on to the next sale limits the service he gives his clients. He says he is trying to ramp up as many sales as possible to earn more income and doesn’t have time to service key accounts more. What do you recommend we do to limit those cancellations?
My Reply
First, don’t dampen John’s enthusiasm for new business….most of the sales managers I work with wish their senior reps would prospect more!
But you are absolutely right…it’s difficult to find new business, and therefore imperative that we retain, renew and grow that business when we find it.
One thing you might try is having all of your account executives place a value on their time and then ask them to ensure that their key accounts get the time they deserve.
Have John estimate what his time is worth based upon what he wants to earn next year, and the number of hours he plans to work. If he needs to earn $100,000 and is going to work 260 days a year at eight hours a day and his commission rate is 10%, his time is worth nearly $50 an hour.
If a key account is billing $50,000, at a 10% commission rate, John is earning $5,000 on that account. At $50 an hour, that account is entitled to a minimum of two hours of John’s time every week ($50 an hour X 2 hours a week = $100 a week X 50 weeks = $5,000 earned income).
At two hours a week, John earns his required hourly rate PLUS with that amount of strategic service and valid business contacts, the client will GROW, rather than cancel!
Those two hours a week might not all be face to face. In my book; 101 Ways to Get Luckier (in Ad Sales), we outline 20 different service tactics your account executives can use to keep key accounts happy and growing.
You might also remind John that 80% of his income will be derived from 20% of his accounts and that those key accounts are critical to his success.
Hope this helps.
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