Read the previous article in this series on developing a competitive advantage: Size Matters: What is Your Load Input Number?
What is your competitive advantage? No, really! What is your competitive edge? Sounds like a simple question, and when asked, most distributors, reps and manufacturers answer pretty quickly and predictably. If your goal is to excel in a competitive market, continuous attention to systems, methods, and processes that offer a competitive edge is essential. This series of articles focuses on areas proven to give companies a real competitive edge, yielding measurable results. These methods and processes must be things you and your team can focus on – and control – internally. Excuses related to external factors such as the economy and industry softness need not apply.
The topic in this article is target account management. If I were a betting man, I would bet your company is engaged in some form of target account management or you have at least talked about it. The question is whether your sales team is proactive or reactive with regard to target accounts.