developing and retaining your client data art case studies and account management best practice

September 8th 2016

"Developing and retaining your client :

DataArt case studies and Account

Management best practice"

Contents

• Introduction to DataArt

• Introduction to Janie Fox, Account Director, DataArt

• Account management 101

• Case studies

• Lessons I have learnt

• Key points

• Thankyou – Questions?

Technology consulting firm that designs

and builds software systems to help

clients achieve their business goals

2000 +Consultants &

Engineers

1600+

Successfully

Completed Projects

<7%

Staff Turnover

8+ millionBillable Hours

95%Return Clients

19 Years

in Operation

Transparent Reliable Privately Held Profitable

The Company

Introduction – Janie Fox

• Travel Industry

• Over 20 years Sales and Marketing ; Publishing, B2B, Awards, Conferences, Networking Events

• Team Brintex/UBM/Centaur

• DataArt

What is account management?

Quite often when the deal has been closed, we do not put in the same amount of effort to keep the

business as we did to win it.

Account management

• Focus

• Customer oriented co-ordination

• Account Management is a Process

• Professional services being delivered by teams

What it is not!

• Sales or selling

• Engagement management

• Delivery management

• Project or programme management

• Schmoozing

Your role

Turn it from being a transactional opportunity into a partnering relationship, developing a long and

lasting relationship

What’s your answer to the following…..

• Do you have a business plan if so how achievable is it?

• Is your market segmented ? If so how and what part do you target?

• How often do you talk to your account, who else talks to your account within

your organisation? Do you know what they know?

• Do you know the key players in your account/market?

Knowledge is key

Know your stakeholders...

Asset management

Your accounts consists of both internal and external assets.

Internal assets your team and CRM systems

External assets are your customers

External Assets + Internal Assets = your Account

As an account manager, your job is to manage your assets

Account

Manager

External assets

Internal Assets

Lessons I have learnt...

Stop, COLLABORATE and listen...

... take a step back and understand what drives them

External assets

• Knowledge, its critical that you prioritise

• Learn which accounts are most important to your overall business.

• Understand the market sector

• Dedicated - work on key account business both existing customers and prospects

• Become proficient at prioritising and learning about your external assets

*Mack Hanan– Key Account Setting: new Strategies for Maximising Profit

Internal assets

• Your internal assets can help you turn your best customers into permanent external assets

• Act as a facilitator, working with your team

• Depending on the size of the account, and your corporate structure, your account planning team can vary in

size.

• Remember without making good use of your internal assets, you cannot expect to properly manage your

external assets

Account / customer lifecycle

Every account has a lifecycle. Where are your key accounts?

• Acquisition

• Retention

• Extension

• Selection

Account players

• “The Gate Keeper”: Filters potential vendors and allows in only those offering something the account may

want. Generally influence access, but not purchasing decision

• “The Influencer”: These will normally be the technical architects, users and technical team. They have high

credibility and can persuade decision makers

• “The Decision Maker”: They have the power to buy your product

• “The Anti – Sponsor”: These are players who want you or your product out of the company

Warning signs

Identify the warning signs that may impact your account

Warning signs:

• Lack of access to external assets

• Lack of movement

• Time constraints

• You are not considered an external manager

• Gut Feel

• SWOT analysis

Do…..

• Identify partners

• Focus on customers whose business problems are susceptible to significant cost reduction by application

of your expertise

• Information

• Provide creative solutions

Do…..

• Identify partners

• Focus on specific customers

• Gather and share information

• Provide creative solutions

• Bond emotionally developing brand

• Build trust

• Be honest

• “How can we help” not “what can I sell you”

• Seek to add value

• Be educators, not sellers

Build Trust...

If you say you are going to do something...

... make sure you DO IT

Do…..

• Get customers to participate in events

• Set up Customer Advisory Council

• Reward customers

• Partner with key accounts

• Develop 3-5 year business plans

• Send reports/news letters on industry specific topics

“Case Studies"

Skyscanner

The Beginning:

White Label - re-design and re-build, fixed scope - fixed price, delivered on time and budget

The Journey

• Regular call and Skype connection

• Checking in - on-site visits

• Strategy days/sessions

• Pushing for introductions

• Move to next squad

• PR

• Testimonials

• Speakers

• Stay in touch when project finishes

• Get Introductions

• Close the next deal

Skyscanner

“Thanks to our partnership with DataArt we’ve been able to

achieve our goal of making our white label product easy to use”

Filip Filipov, Head of B2B

Miki Travel

Challenge

• Integration with more suppliers

• Upgrade core legacy system

Solution

• Multiple XML API supplier integrations

• Migration to a new CRS

• CRS QA Automation

Functionality

• Over 30+ travel systems integrated, Amadeus,

Viator, Wirecard, Siteminder, leading hotel chains

• Sped up booking journey, accelerated booking

process

• Highly increased testing speed due to QA

process Automation

Business Benefit

• Enriched product offerings by adding more

inventory

Miki Travel

“We have a valued and trusted partnership with DataArt. This is why they

deliver not only on our smaller standalone projects, but they also work

closely with our internal teams to accelerate the critical replacement of our

core legacy systems“

Renee Tsielpi

Head of IT for ebusiness

Miki Travel

Are you listening?

You have two ears and one mouth...

... use them in that order

“Lessons I have learnt"


It’s about more than being nice to one another...

... it makes life easier and promotes further opportunities


Remember that you are the expert at what you do...

... but that they are the expert in what they do


Be honest...

... lose your integrity and you lose the relationship

Key points

There are a myriad of theories about how to sell and manage accounts. This presentation touched on

some proven key concepts in account management and hopefully it will help you in the future

Key points to remember:

• Be selective: Target customers with the highest growth potential

• Be aware of the underlying psychological process to know what your

customer may be thinking

• Promote Teamwork: Work with your team, share ideas

• Gather Data: Create comprehensive databases on your customers,

pertaining to what you sell them and industry trends

• Study: understand your market/industry sector, understand your

customer, competition and your own organisation !

Ultimately...

Remember that...

... ultimately your clients pay your wages

@JanieSFox

Thank you for your attention

Any questions?

https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/janie-fox/36/729/38b