Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

Chasing Down Large Accounts Six tips to help you land larger clients.

By Barry Farber

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Ready to go after bigger business? Here are six ways to get you started and keep you going:

  1. Make sure you're still focusing on the small and midsize accounts as a base. This will give you a safety net in the event that you lose a large account. Having solid small and midsize accounts will also give you the confidence to go big.
  2. Once you have a large account in your sights, figure out who's at the top. Learn as much as you can about his or her company and its goals. How can you help them sell what they sell? Next, go directly to the top--to the CEO or the president. This will give you a clear picture of the organization, its decision makers and its hierarchy. There is nothing more powerful than the CEO walking you into the vice president's office and saying, "Susan, please look into this idea with Barry. It can help us with the new line of children's products."
  3. Become the mayor of the account. I often travel in the field with a select group of top performers from certain companies. They typically have relationships with everyone in the account, from the receptionist to the office manager to the president. Many times, those contacts get promoted or assigned to other locations where they can use your services or recommend you to other individuals inside the company. Never underestimate the power of networking.
  4. Look for problems, challenges and solutions. As I've always said, problems are opportunities. They allow you to focus on providing valuable ideas and solutions and help you stand out from competition that might only be interested in pushing their own product. Look at the company's website, talk to its sales force and take the time to understand why its customers buy. If you can identify a problem, you can provide real-world solutions and new ideas.
  5. Forget about what you sell. Sell what the account sells and learn how they run their business. Who do they sell to? Who's the competition? What's stopping them from growing and succeeding? This kind of sales focus turns you into an asset.
  6. Most important: If it's right, don't stop the fight. Most people give up when they're on the 1-yard line, not realizing how close they are to closing that large account. If you're certain you can add value to the account, then be persistent. If the value isn't there, then it's time to move on.

This is a subscriber-only article. Join Entrepreneur+ today for access

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Business News

Costco Is Now Offering an Additional Exclusive Perk to Members in All 50 States

Members can now access discounted outpatient medical care through a partnership with healthcare startup Sesame.

Business News

8 People Hospitalized on JetBlue Flight Headed to Florida Due to Turbulence

The turbulent conditions occurred near Jamaica on a flight coming from Ecuador.

Starting a Business

'There Is No Success Without Failure': How to Turn a Pitch Meeting Setback Into Success

On the new episode of "Fix My Pitch," business coaches Anthony Sullivan and Tina Frey explain how to reboot yourself when a meeting doesn't go your way.

Marketing

If You're Going to Be a Guest on a Podcast, Don't Make These 4 Mistakes — They Could Cost You Leads.

Many entrepreneurs are using podcast guesting as their go-to marketing strategy. If it hasn't quite worked for you yet, check if you are making any of these four mistakes.

Business Plans

10 Simple Tips to Write a Successful Business Plan

In the new book "Write Your Own Business Plan," business expert Eric Butow takes the anxiety and confusion out of planning and offers an easy-to-follow roadmap to success.

Business News

These Are the Most (And Least) Happy States in the U.S. 2023, According to a New Report

Utah was found to be the happiest state in the country, while West Virginia was the least.