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Gordian Business

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Insights into current business issues relating to Negotiation, Persuading for Results and Strategic Account Management.

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November 19, 2018

Share Account Management Results Internally!

November 19, 2018/ Stephen Kozicki
Share Account Management Results Internally!

We’ve worked with global companies embedding account management frameworks and these companies continue to be successful. What drives that success?

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November 19, 2018/ Stephen Kozicki/ Comment
Account Management, SAM, Stephen Kozicki
Change, Account Management, AM, Key Account Management, KAM, Strategic Account Management, SAM, Account Plans, B2B, Executive Sponsorship
October 08, 2018

Managing your most strategic customers requires faster and smarter decisions

October 08, 2018/ Stephen Kozicki
Managing your most strategic customers requires faster and smarter decisions

You live in changing times, and your decisions with your strategic accounts need to be faster, smarter and relevant to key decision makers.

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October 08, 2018/ Stephen Kozicki/ Comment
Account Management, SAM, Stephen Kozicki
AM, Account Management, KAM, Key Account Management, SAM, Strategic Account Management, Artificial Intelligence, Ai, Human Intelligence, Hi, Augmented Decisions, Ad, Account Plans
September 03, 2018

Do your KPIs prevent value creation?

September 03, 2018/ Stephen Kozicki
Do your KPIs prevent value creation?

Competition in the B2B world has never been fiercer. With more companies fighting over every contract, the sales teams are now laser-focused on the next sale and holding on to each customer, whatever it takes. How organisations measure their employees, and what behaviours they reward add to the laser-focus on short-term gains.

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September 03, 2018/ Stephen Kozicki/ Comment
Account Management, SAM, Stephen Kozicki
KPIs, Value, Competition, Sustainable, Short-term, Long-term, B2B, Strategic Relationships
August 20, 2018

What will losing a major customer cost?

August 20, 2018/ Gary Peacock
What will losing a major customer cost?

In July, CEO Sigma Healthcare Mark Hooper announced losing a contract worth $1.7 Billion and in the next financial year earnings would half to $50 Million. Sigma distribute products to 400 stores for My Chemist and Chemist Warehouse and could not negotiate a new contract with their biggest customer.

What does this mean for Sigma?

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August 20, 2018/ Gary Peacock/ Comment
Account Management, Gary Peacock, SAM
Cost, Revenue, Account Management, AM, Key Account Management, KAM, Strategic Account Management, SAM, Growth, Risk
July 04, 2018

Customers you can't afford to lose: How will their Procurement department manage you?

July 04, 2018/ Gary Peacock
Customers you can't afford to lose: How will their Procurement department manage you?

Customers you can't afford to lose are those customers who supply a good portion of your revenue or profit. Or they can be customers who are growing faster than the rest of the marketplace. The thought of losing one of these customers scares you so much that you might feel tightness in your stomach.

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July 04, 2018/ Gary Peacock/ Comment
Account Management, Gary Peacock, SAM
Procurement, Customers, Suppliers, Value, Account Management, AM, Key Account Management, KAM, Strategic Account Management, SAM
May 21, 2018

Strategic is Beyond the Present!

May 21, 2018/ Stephen Kozicki
Strategic is Beyond the Present!

With the SAMA annual conference in Florida fast approaching this is a good time to share an insight from our book Managing B2B customers you can’t afford to lose about managing rewards and insights within strategic account management (SAM).

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May 21, 2018/ Stephen Kozicki/ Comment
Account Management, SAM, Stephen Kozicki
AM, Account Management, KAM, Key Account Management, SAM, Strategic Account Management, Insights, Competitive Edge
May 14, 2018

How not to improve your business results

May 14, 2018/ Gary Peacock
How not to improve your business results

Saving costs is good, improving productivity is good, increasing sales is good, executing strategy is good, more growth is good and more profit is good.  Well, experience shows it’s easy to make savings on a spreadsheet, it’s a little harder to announce the changes, and it’s tough to deliver the improvement in profit.

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May 14, 2018/ Gary Peacock/ Comment
Account Management, Gary Peacock, SAM
Business Results, Reduce Costs, Eliminate, Profits, Productivity, Efficiency
May 07, 2018

5 Reasons Companies don't Quantify their Value

May 07, 2018/ Stephen Kozicki
5 Reasons Companies don't Quantify their Value

Todd Snelgrove now Founding Partner at Experts in Value, was previously the Global Vice President of Value for SKF. During his 20 plus years in the industry, he has identified five reasons why companies do not take the time and effort to quantify their value and equip their sales teams or account managers with the tools and techniques they need to discuss value with customers.

This extract is taken from The Creative Negotiator by Stephen Kozicki.

Why can’t you quantify and prove value?

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May 07, 2018/ Stephen Kozicki/ Comment
Account Management, Negotiation, Stephen Kozicki, SAM
Value, Pricing, Executive Sponsorship, Products, Services, Customers, Dollars, Training
April 30, 2018

Four Strategic Insights from Value-Based Healthcare

April 30, 2018/ Gary Peacock
Four Strategic Insights from Value-Based Healthcare

What insights did I get from attending last week’s Medical Technology Association of Australia’s (MTAA) summit on Value-Based Health Care?

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April 30, 2018/ Gary Peacock/ Comment
Change, Gary Peacock, Account Management, SAM
Strategy, Value, Healthcare, Change
April 16, 2018

Joint Customer Planning Creates Real Value

April 16, 2018/ Stephen Kozicki
Joint Customer Planning Creates Real Value

With the MTAA Value Summit quickly approaching and World Book Day next week, I thought I would share an extract from my successful book with Gary Peacock: Managing B2B customers you can’t afford to lose. This extract concentrates on creating value through joint partnerships.

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April 16, 2018/ Stephen Kozicki/ Comment
Account Management, SAM, Stephen Kozicki
Value, Account Management, AM, Key Account Management, KAM, Strategic Account Management, SAM, Strategic Relationships, Long-term, World Book Day, Joint Value, Suppliers, Customers
March 29, 2018

Focus on Growth_Now! [Part 2]

March 29, 2018/ The Gordian Team
Focus on Growth_Now! [Part 2]

Companies are spending more time on how to compete in competitive markets using value. Four factors give best companies a competitive edge that drives growth:

  1. Intimately manage your top 10 – 20 key clients.
  2. Identify and manage your exceptional & strategic suppliers.
  3. Focus on your unique value proposition for your market – your competitive edge.
  4. Align throughout the company around the top 3 factors, always— allocating resources, developing talent & managing operating costs— for growth.

In an earlier blog, we explained the first two factors that drive growth. In this blog, we will expand on factors 3 and 4.

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March 29, 2018/ The Gordian Team/ Comment
Strategy, Stephen Kozicki, SAM, Gary Peacock
Growth, Change, Price Pressure, Results, Account Management, AM, Key Account Management, KAM, Strategic Account Management, SAM, Value Proposition, Value, Financial Smarts, Competitive Edge, Alignment, Cross-Functional, Strategy
February 26, 2018

Focus on Growth - Now!

February 26, 2018/ The Gordian Team
Focus on Growth - Now!

By Stephen Kozicki & Gary Peacock

Over the past three years, the world has changed dramatically, and forever from digital disruption, Brexit and Trump. Your industry and your top clients are feeling the stress as their markets change, fast.  These fast changes mean that your business needs to be more agile in response to the market.  For companies unprepared for these changes this means lower revenue and lower profits.

Our blogs are usually short and punchy to grab your attention. This blog is a little longer than usual because delivering growth is just too important and too urgent to reduce the ideas down to a page, so we have split it into two parts.

To Grow – Act Now!

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February 26, 2018/ The Gordian Team/ Comment
Account Management, Gary Peacock, SAM, Stephen Kozicki, Strategy
Growth, Change, Price Pressure, Results, Account Management, AM, Key Account Management, KAM, Strategic Account Management, SAM, Value Proposition, Value, Financial Smarts, Competitive Edge, Alignment, Cross-Functional, Strategy
December 01, 2017

What should you include in your account plan and why?

December 01, 2017/ Stephen Kozicki
What should you include in your account plan and why?

Let's deal with the 'why' first. Everyone is talking about the era of big data. The account plan is about insights, not data, and it is about how to manage a top account in a very competitive marketplace. A key to the account plan is to use it as a living document to drive value with key stakeholders and not just ticking a box for the 'call' ratios on this account. 

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December 01, 2017/ Stephen Kozicki/ Comment
Account Management, SAM, Stephen Kozicki
Account Plan, Account Management, AM, Key Account Management, KAM, Strategic Account Management, SAM
October 20, 2017

Are your Account Managers capable of Strategic Account Management (SAM)?

October 20, 2017/ Gary Peacock
Are your Account Managers capable of Strategic Account Management (SAM)?

It is surprisingly difficult to predict how your account team will adapt to a more strategic way of managing their accounts, and the more influential role they will play in the company. Until your SAM program is underway, you won't know who will make the transition.

Read More
October 20, 2017/ Gary Peacock/ 2 Comments
Gary Peacock, Account Management, SAM
AM, Account Management, KAM, Key Account Management, SAM, Strategic Account Management, Account Managers, Key Account Managers, Strategic Account Managers, Capabilities, Long-term, Sales
September 15, 2017

How do smart people make decisions? [Limit your time and act]

September 15, 2017/ Gary Peacock
How do smart people make decisions? [Limit your time and act]

Imagine you have a meeting with seven senior managers. The task of the meeting is to choose four customers to manage differently for the next 24 months. How long will it take to decide which four customers? Are you talking hours, or maybe days?

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September 15, 2017/ Gary Peacock/ Comment
Account Management, Business Problems, Gary Peacock, SAM
Decision Making, Time, Process, Focus, Action, Rapid Results, AM, Account Management, KAM, Key Account Management, SAM, Strategic Account Management
August 11, 2017

How Structure Affects Strategic Account Management

August 11, 2017/ Gary Peacock
How Structure Affects Strategic Account Management

Many companies work in silos, geographically or by business units. Implementing a company-wide initiative like Strategic Account Management (SAM) poses many challenges, particularly around the main resource - staff.

So, for leaders of companies with these siloed structures getting the whole company aligned around strategic customers, and committing time, money and people can be a major challenge.

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August 11, 2017/ Gary Peacock/ Comment
Account Management, Gary Peacock, SAM
AM, Account Management, KAM, Key Account Management, SAM, Strategic Account Management, Silos, Resources
July 07, 2017

Reduce Price Pressure: Focus on Value

July 07, 2017/ Gary Peacock
Reduce Price Pressure: Focus on Value

Companies are increasingly finding that their traditional value proposition is falling short. The strength of their brand has less value in the buying process, and competition is intensifying from well-resource established players and emerging niche players. Pressure to reduce prices is now the norm. So, margins are deteriorating and profits are shrinking.

How can you stop this?

Read More
July 07, 2017/ Gary Peacock/ Comment
Account Management, Gary Peacock, SAM
Price Pressure, Value, Value Proposition, Account Management, AM, Key Account Management, KAM, Strategic Account Management, SAM, Growth, Competition
June 16, 2017

SAM isn't selling [Strategic Account Management]

June 16, 2017/ Gary Peacock
SAM isn't selling [Strategic Account Management]

Most global B2B companies have realised they need to manage their major customers - who represent most of their future revenue and profit - differently to the rest of their customers. Why? Well if you want to create opportunities to grow with your major customers, and earn the right to keep doing business with them, you need to offer much more than the average supplier. How can you do this?

Read More
June 16, 2017/ Gary Peacock/ Comment
Account Management, Gary Peacock, SAM
SAM, Strategic Account Management, KAM, Key Account Management, AM, Account Management, Relat, Sales, Selling
June 02, 2017

Do your account managers have the capabilities for planning strategically?

June 02, 2017/ Gary Peacock
Do your account managers have the capabilities for planning strategically?

Managing accounts strategically is different to managing accounts operationally. Some of the differences are highlighted in this blog.

Read More
June 02, 2017/ Gary Peacock/ Comment
Account Management, Gary Peacock, SAM
Sales, SAM, Strategic Account Management, Strategic Account Managers, AM, Account Management, Account Managers, KAM, Key Account Management, Key Account Managers, Capabilities, Influencing, Financial Acumen, Negotiation, Strategic Planning, Strategy
May 19, 2017

What is the critical skill for your Account Managers?

May 19, 2017/ Gary Peacock
What is the critical skill for your Account Managers?

You can find lists of competencies for account managers, for example from the Strategic Account Management Association (SAMA). Many of these list the technical knowledge needed. However the most critical skill an account manager needs is persistence.

Read More
May 19, 2017/ Gary Peacock/ 1 Comment
Account Management, Gary Peacock, SAM
Account Managers, Persistence, Resilience, Mental Toughness, AM, Account Management, KAM, Key Account Management, SAM, Strategic Account Management
  • Next
  • Home/
  • About us/
    • Overview
    • Our Team
    • Focus, Vision and Values
    • The Story of the Gordian Knot
    • Global Action
  • Clients/
  • Keynotes/
  • Our Services/
    • The Process
    • Research and Surveys
    • Executive Interviews
    • Recent Business Coaching and Consulting Engagements
    • Events
    • Workshops
  • Resources/
    • Products
    • Tools
    • Articles
    • Global Articles
    • Recommended Providers
  • Products/
  • Blog/
  • Contact Us/

Gordian Business

Gordian Business is a specialist consulting firm that works with our selected clients to find creative solutions and pursue opportunities for them to execute their strategies to achieve breakthrough results. Gordian is a research-centred international business development company focusing on Australia, China and the Asian region.

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