One of the paradoxes in most BtoB companies is the short time spent studying what is the main source of their wealth: the activity and performance of their customers.
How has the customer performed in relation to the market and its competitors? What are its forecasts for the coming year and beyond? Acquisitions completed or in progress? Activities sold? A new boss? A new strategic direction?
This information provides the supplier with the opportunity to review its priorities and its commercial effort by orienting it more towards its high-potential customers and by being a source of proposals to support growth.
It also enables them to anticipate customer demand in order to be better prepared for it:
– What response to its priorities: agility, innovation, sustainable development?
– How to maintain the margin with a customer in difficulty: proposal for cost reduction, increase in market share against a price drop…?
– Etc…
As an essential part of the account plan, the client review provides a wealth of information and a competitive advantage if it is carried out in a methodical and systematic way.
