becoming the trusted advisor
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Chris Ashworth, Competitive Advantage
Not Sales Repbut Trusted Advisor
Trusted Advisor
• Ongoing relationship• Customers contact you for advice• Involved with all of a customer’s business• Customer acts as an advocate• Customer introduces you to colleagues• Customer inform you about opportunities
Understand the Customer
• Select the right customers• Research their business• Understand their issues• Be a problem solver• Bring value to their business
Become a Trusted Advisor
Select the right customers
• Sectors with the best opportunities• Top clients, architects, engineers,
contractors & installers• Know the relationships between them• Link into the communication channels
they use
Analyse your target market
Rating Sectors
HighLow
High
LowProduct Features
Market SegmentAttractiveness
Attractive segments with poor match to
product features
Attractive segments that
match with product features
Unattractive segments that
match with product features
Unattractive segments that do not match with product
features
Customer Strategies
HighLow
Maintenance &ConsistencyMinimum effort
Customer Relationship
Adapted from: “Key Account Management”, Cranfield University School of Management, 1996
High
Low
Invest inrelationships
Maintain and develop
relationships
Customer
Attractiveness
KEYCUSTOMERS
Research their business
Understand their issues
The Industry
• 158,844 contractors– 149,067 employing 13 people or less
• 20,000 product suppliers• 30,000 professional services companies• 270,000 industry professionals
Construction Statistics Annual 2013, ONS August 2013
Professional Services Firms
Architects
Civil & Structural Engineers
Building Services Engineers
Quantity Surveyors
Other Surveyors
Managers
Others
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000
11455
6108
4001
1951
2107
1178
1147
49 or less50 or more
Construction Statistics Annual 2009, ONS August 2009
Be a problem solver
Building Information Modelling
http://www.bimtaskgroup.org/
Construction Industry Strategy
• PEOPLE: An industry that is known for its talented and diverse workforce
• SMART Efficient and technologically advanced
• SUSTAINABLE Leading the world in in low-carbon exports
• GROWTH Driving growth across the entire economy
• LEADERSHIP Clear leadership
Source: Industry Strategy: government and industry in partnership July 2013
Bring value to their business
Value
VALUE
BENEFITS
COSTS
=
A seller can charge more than a competitor if they can demonstrate value
ValueFUNCTIONAL BENEFITS
MEETS LEGISLATIONEASY TO USE
DESIGN ADVICEAVAILABLE WHEN REQUIRED
LONG LIFEFLEXIBILITY IN USE
HELP IN SECURING PROJECTSCREDIT TERMS
COST
MONETARY TIME
ENERGY PSYCHIC
EMOTIONAL BENEFITS
WELL KNOWN BRANDCONFIDENCE IN QUALITY
ACCEPTABLE TO CUSTOMERSEASY TO BUY
GOOD FOR MY IMAGEHELPING THE ENVIRONMENT
+
=
Become a Trusted Advisor
Managing Customer Relationships
1. Know your Customer– Their business and what is important– What have they used for past projects– Sectors they work in– Organisations in their project team
2. Know your Contacts– Organisation and Structure– Functions and Responsibility
Managing Customer Relationships
3. Communicate– Listen– Get Feedback– Perception is their Reality– Develop the Positives– Address the Negatives
Managing Customer Relationships
4. Tailor your Pitch– Make it Exclusive (not standard)– Listen to their Needs– Demonstrate how you can help– Follow up– Be prepared for slow progress
Managing Customer Relationships
5. Make the Extra Effort– Work with the customer to innovate– Provide information even when it is not
directly linked to your business– Ask for feedback on completed project
Managing Customer Relationships
6. Stay in touch– Use social media, QR codes, video– Listen and engage in online conversations,
providing solutions to specifiers; listen, be useful and be found
– Use sales tools:• Samples, CAD images, BIM objects
Relationship Life-cyclePre-relationshipStage
Early Stage Development
Stage
Long-term
Stage
Final Stage
Evaluation of potential new suppliers
Conditioned byprior experience
Zero commitment
Initial enquiry
Low experience
High uncertainty
Distanced
Low perceived and actual commitment
Initial investment
High technical involvement
Increasing experience
Declining uncertainty
Reducing distance
Increasing commitment
High investment
Ongoing technical dialogue
High experience
Minimum uncertainty
Close co-operation
Maximum commitment
Return on investment
Change of personnel
High expectations
Uncertainty
Distanced
Low commitment
High investment
Based on Ford, D (1980) The development of buyer-seller relationships in industrial markets Journal of Marketing 14
The Trust Matrix
Lynne Waymon & Anne Barber: Make Your Contacts Count
COMPETENCE
CHARACTER
LOW
LOW
HIGH
HIGH
AdmirableBut Not Able
Able but NotAdmirable
AllyAdvocate
Acquaintance(Unknown)
Positive Characteristics
Character• Reliable• Meet deadlines• Offer solutions• Professional• Go extra mile• Respect for others• Enthusiasm• Genuine
Competence• Technical knowledge• Cited as expert• Teach others• Praise from peers• Contribution to recent
successes
Lynne Waymon & Anne Barber: Make Your Contacts Count
The Effect of CPD
Character• Reliable• Meet deadlines• Offer solutions• Professional• Go extra mile• Respect for others• Enthusiasm• Genuine
Competence• Technical knowledge• Cited as expert• Teach others• Praise from peers• Contribution to recent
successes
Lynne Waymon & Anne Barber: Make Your Contacts Count
An integrated Approach
Preparation is vital• Know the customer• Build relationships• Warm up contacts before sales
engagement
Relationship selling not project selling• Become the Trusted Advisor• Provide value• Long term relationships
Chris Ashworth
Mobile: 07747 626095
Office: 01276 503539
Competitive Advantage Consultancy Limited Growth through customer focus
@CompetitiveA
cadvantagemarketing
companies/competitive-advantage
www.cadvantage.co.uk
www.cadvantage-blog.co.uk
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