4Sight Systems - Sales Solutions by Sales Professionals

SAP Strategic Account Planning

Effective Planning for Strategic and Target Accounts

Course Description

The 4Sight Systems SAP or Strategic Account Planning course will teach you how to apply the strategic selling skills learnt from the SSOR course in the wider context of account planning using the Foresight Planning Framework. Whether you choose the 2-day instructor-led class or the 8-hour virtually-led Webex option, the SAP course will teach you the essential elements of account planning using Phifer Systems methodology.

The flow of the course will take you from a thorough but time-efficient means of evaluating the Market Conditions surrounding the account, through an evaluation of the critical business drivers influencing large individual projects, through the best use of sales and technical resource to cover the known opportunity in the account, and onwards to an analysis of how you should uniquely position your company/solution in line with the strategic direction of the customer.

The course then equips you with the skills to evaluate how well you are politically-aligned in the account, what you need to change to align with the long term direction of the account and to develop an executable plan to drive all future account engagement and governance.

This is achieved through eight self-contained modules, each comprising theoretical training followed by an opportunity for small-group preparation using live account data and peer-group critique in front of the whole class.

Target Audience

Account Managers, Systems Engineers, Sales Management, Systems Engineering Management, Sales Executive Management, Sales Overlay Functions, Customer Advocacy/Services

Prerequisites

4Sight Systems SSOR Strategic Selling and Opportunity Review is an advantage but not essential for teams with previous strategic selling experience.

Course Modules

Scroll down to see more detail on the eight modules and how they relate to the elements of the ForeSight Planning Framework: Intelligence, Perception, Action and Governance.

For more information on Phifer Systems Inc., click the logo below:

For a PDF version of the SAP course description, click here.

SIMPLE but EFFECTIVE methodology is our motto at 4Sight - if it's not simple you won't have time to implement it, and if it's not effective then there's no point in trying!

The improved account revenues experienced by our existing high-profile clients is testimony to the effectiveness of this course and the methodology presented.

Timely and profitable business from either strategic or tactical accounts does not happen by accident; it comes as a result of applying simple but effective, professional, scalable and repeatable account planning methodology.

Don't take our word for it....take a look at what our clients are saying.


Professional Results - By Design.

MODULE DESCRIPTIONS

Market Conditions

Do we understand the Political, Economic, Sociological and Technological factors influencing our account? Learn how to analyse market conditions, the customer's competition, new entrants, the substitution effect and Key Performance Indicators both for the market and within the account. ForeSight Planning Framework skills: Intelligence.

Customer Business Drivers

Can we articulate the most critical business drivers affecting our customer's strategic direction? Learn how to apply the "fishbone model" to issue/root cause analysis, and how to map your companies products and services to the customer's business requirements. ForeSight Planning Framework skills: Intelligence, Perception.

Opportunity Coverage Analysis

Can we be sure that our sales and technical resource is optimally aligned? Learn how to conduct an essential health check of your account engagement by analysing your current resource allocation versus the known opportunity in the account. ForeSight Planning Framework skills: Perception.

Strategic Messaging

Can we clearly articulate our unique capability to take the customer towards their own publicly-stated strategic goals? Learn how to craft unique strategic messages in response to the customer's strategic direction and to apply them to all future engagement of your extended sales team. ForeSight Planning Framework skills: Perception.

Organisation Analysis

Can we be sure that our political alignment in the account will lead to sales success? Learn how to conduct an efficient analysis of your relationship with key players in the account and develop a coverage and call plan to address any perceived weaknesses. ForeSight Planning Framework skills: Perception.

Future State

Have we defined our customers direction in the marketplace, and our companies direction in the account? Learn how to determine the maximum opportunity in an account and what needs to change in our own company to achieve this. ForeSight Planning Framework skills: Action.

Goals and Objectives

Have we clearly defined how we wish to be judged as a sales team in the medium term? Learn how to build a simple but effective action plan defining your 12-24 months goals, 90-day objectives and 30-day tactics. ForeSight Planning Framework skills: Action.

Governance

Can we be sure that we will execute well on our strategic plan? Learn key skills to apply simple best practice methodology for governance to ensure that all team members from the executive downwards are aligned. ForeSight Planning Framework skills: Governance.

Why 4Sight?