This is one of the three key questions that all sales managers should be asking their people: What’s your plan to manage the account relationships for the long haul? Do we truly understand what we mean to them, what value they get from doing business for us, and what it takes to manage them so they keep buying from us. (Note that last one was buying from us, not us selling to them. There is a big difference!
That’s because one sale to a customer is rarely enough. Ultimately, our goal is for long-term, Win/Win relationships. These don’t happen casually and without a lot of thought. The following two programs do just that. They lay out a strategy and a concrete plan for managing relationships for the long term. LAMP is for your direct accounts, and Channel Partner Management is for your channel partners.
Large Account Management Process (LAMP) uncovers how to best manage and grow strategic accounts by bringing the entire relationship into view. This process provides organizations a road map for identifying strategic customer relationships that have growth potential. The outcome is a one- to three-year plan to strengthen the account relationship through team selling and customer collaboration.
Large Account Management ProcessSM (LAMP®) Miller Heiman prgram for strategic planning for protecting and growing key accounts
Organizations learn to determine account revenue potential and how it impacts their selling strategy. The process highlights how managing a customer’s perception of the business relationship, and mutually identifying the appropriate level of collaboration, can significantly minimize price sensitivity and competitive threats.
LAMP® helps sales organizations objectivelydetermine this perception and define goals to keep their position as trusted advisors.
Channel Partner ManagementSM – The Miller Heiman program for aligning and optimizing results from channel partners
Channel Partner Management facilitates strategy alignment for organizations that go to market through an indirect channel. Organizations implement a process to define goals, mimimize vulnerabilities, and establish commitments. This program offers a method for prioritizing channel partners based upon the potential of the partnership and for aligning objectives for enhanced performance.
Channel Partner Management focuses on satisfying mutual business objectives, beginning with an understanding of each party’s key area of focus and unique strengths. The program helps companies validate and commit to the programs that accomplish desired objectives and optimize both parties’ investment in the partnership.