One Advantage
leap2market integrates the sales and marketing capability of our networks of professionals in different European countries into one advantage, being a reliable partner to the companies entering Europe.
Service Items
We coach and partner with our clients in any phase of their Europe expansion, including
- European strategy development and execution
- Market studies, buying criteria and competitive landscape research
- European customer or partner search and buildup
- Alliance/OEM/ODM/distributor/reseller/agent/wholesaler/retailer/supplier
- Brand development and brand management
- European sales channel management and account management
- Joint ventures, acquisitions or mergers in Europe
- Company formation in Europe
- Location search and survey in Europe
- Interim management for Europe branches
- Sales support, technical support and supply chains for Europe market
Above items can be executed individually, in combination or as an integrated programme.
Example: leap2market Executive and Sales Training
Module #1: European Account Management Training Course
Outline of Contents
Day 1
1. Doing business in Europe
- The EU versus the various local markets in Europe
- Commonalities and the differences among the national business cultures
- The importance of local relationships, the importance of people, do you have the right resources to be successful in Europe?
- How Europeans view the suppliers from different countries
- Go-to-market strategies
- Critical success factors for a successful execution
2. Preparation for strategy and execution plans
- Accurate market intelligence
- Who are your end customers?
- What are they buying, what is the “total product”?
- What is the competition, what is the pricing?
- What are the volumes, market sizes?
- What is the distribution pattern? Who are the important players in the distribution chain?
- What suppliers are they currently favoring?
- What are the key selection criteria of end users and of the different parties in the distribution chain?
- How can you stand out of the supplier crowd, and what is your compelling value proposition?
- Identify the gaps between your current (“as is”) capabilities and your required (“to be”) capabilities
- Your strategy and execution plan need to provide an answer to how these gaps are bridged
3. Management of key European client accounts – general
- What is a key account to you?
- How are key accounts normally managed in Europe, and what are the expectations of European clients?
- Account management
- Project management
- Service management
- Value based sales and responsiveness
- Politics
- Some distinctive European procurement decision patterns
- Formality
- Teamwork with specific roles and responsibilities
- Prequalification, RFI´s, RFP’s, selection, contract negotiation
- How do you create initial client interest and confidence?
- Know the client business, organization and their key business drivers
- Know the industry a bit better than they do
- Have a compelling value proposition + evidence to support it
- Show your professionalism and that you are a partner they are comfortable to do long term business with
3A. Case exercise
- An optional item for the evening of day 1, to apply some of the key day 1 material in the practical framework of the trainees. This can be centered on item 2 above (strategy and execution plan for Europe) or on item 3 (e.g. discussing some specific client account case, and how to deal with it).
Day 2
4. Specific sales processes and techniques
- Collect client information
- Assess the opportunity
- Set the competitive strategy
- Identify the key players - politics
- Define the relationship strategy – power map
- Opportunity plan
- Testing and improving your opportunity plan
- Sales process management
- The importance of a common company framework for planning and coordinating the work in key client accounts, especially when you are targeting an overseas territory
- The importance of good planning and patience when you are operating in Europe
5. Apply the lessons learned – breakout sessions (including presentations and discussion)
6. Conclusion
- Summary
- Questions related to the course
- Feedback about the course