Account Management in a Unified Communications Market

Course Overview

Today's technology marketplace calls for realignment of established Sales and Account management approaches if the business drivers which underpin the massive interest in Unified Communications are to deliver true advantage to vendors and customers alike. This course is aimed at providing the skills necessary to benefit from that alignment. Participants will take part in discussions, briefings and exercises aimed at ensuring lively and challenging contributions from all concerned as well as honing their skills in established Sales activities whilst particular emphasis will be placed on the impact of Unified Communications for vendors and customers' buying styles.

Course objectives:

• Analyse the anatomy of a sale in a Unified Communications context
• Consider and apply the knowledge pertinent to positioning U.C. in a business context
• Consider and apply the changing dynamics in current customer organisations and the impact upon procurement decisions
• Develop meaningful dialogue appropriate to a range of key stakeholders around U.C.
• Identify needs particular to the various influencers within the customer community
• Build U.C. propositions for Value at the customer perception level
• Successfully engage in Executive issues for cost justification of U.C. projects
• Consider suitable Strategies for success in a competitive U.C. arena
• Handle objections specific to a U.C. proposal
• Engage in successful Negotiations as part of the U.C. Sales process

Audience

The course is aimed at both experienced and budding Sales persons and Account Managers and will contain content and tools appropriate for the changing shape of the successful sales approach in a Technology arena.

Course Outline

DAY ONE

Introduction

Assessing Your Personal Abilities and Experience Against the Sales Success Formula

• Skills, Knowledge and Activities
• Areas of concern
• Action plans

Qualifying and Intelligence Gathering

• Consideration of Customer and Market demographics in a U.C. context
• Prioritising activities against Needs
• Consideration of deliverable goals
• The 60/30/10 rule

The Challenge of the Org Chart

• Customer groups within an account
• Relationship groups within an Account

Matching Needs to Value

• Consideration of the Business drivers for various influencers
• Match the language to the Need
• Match the deliverable to the Value
• The TUF tool for Unified Communications

Presentation Exercise

• Preparation using input discussed to date
• Presentation to relevant influencers
• Sessions will be recorded for peer group review

DAY TWO

Review of Video Highlights

• Peer review
• Consideration of feedback for personal action plans

The Executive Drivers

• Today's' business dynamics at the C level
• Where U.C. plays into a variety of such dynamics
• How Risk and Compliance create opportunities for U.C.
• Disaster Recovery or Business Continuity?

The Impact of Customer Contact Strategies

• Globalisation and Virtualisation
• The Unified Communications imperatives
• Competition or Cooperation vis-a-vis the Globals?
• How the customers demand for Choice directly affects buying strategies of the Corporates

Trading for Value

• Team exercise
• Review of styles and methods from the exercise
• Winners and Losers?

Negotiation as a Sales Skill

• Selling or Negotiating?
• When does Negotiating start?
• Phases and Practices within a negotiation
• Positions or Needs?

Negotiation Role Play

• Preparation for Role play against a U.C. Case study
• Buying and selling Role play
• Sessions will be recorded for peer group review
• Peer Review
• Consideration of feedback for personal action plans

Summary and Personal Action plans

Follow On Courses

• Intelligent Solution Selling
• Business Communication Skills
• Internal Consulting Skills

Account Management in a Unified Communications Market / 113156275