The Logistics of Logistics Winning Strategic Accounts with Michael Neme
Michael Neme and Joe Lynch discuss winning strategic accounts, understanding buyer behavior and aligning sales efforts to the customer's buying behaviors. In the podcast interview, Mike shares his approach to strategic account sales, which has enabled him to consistently win enterprise logistics accounts.
About Michael NemeMichael Neme is a rising young Supply Chain Consultant with GlobalTranz, who has proven over the last 7-years of his career that in an industry that is such a commodity, it pays to be different. Mike started his career with Worldwide Express back in 2014 where from the beginning he realized providing solutions to increase an organization's profitability and enhance efficiencies was more impactful vs trying to win a few loads or be added to a rate list.
About GlobaltranzGlobalTranz is a technology-driven freight brokerage company specializing in LTL, full truckload, expedited, and managed transportation solutions. GlobalTranz is leading the market in innovative logistics technology that optimizes the efficiency of freight movement and matches shipper demand and carrier capacity in near real-time. Leveraging its extensive freight agent network, GlobalTranz has emerged as a fast-growing market leader with a customer base of over 25,000 shippers. GlobalTranz was recently recognized as the 8th largest Brokerage Company in Transport Topics' Top Freight Brokerage Firms of 2019.
Key Takeaways - Winning Strategic Accounts- Strategic accounts, sometimes called enterprise accounts, refer to an organization's most important customers. In the logistics and transportation business, strategic accounts typically mean a given shipper has contracted all of their shipments to the 3PL. The account executive develops a strategic plan to maximize sales opportunities while protecting loyalty by ensuring the highest levels of customer satisfaction.
- To win strategic accounts:
- Recognize that the sales cycle is longer for strategic accounts. While a transactional business can be booked in days or weeks, strategic accounts may take 3 to 6 months.
- Given the longer sales cycle, the company leadership must be supportive of the additional time required to win strategic accounts.
- The company must be organized to support strategic accounts, which may mean the cradle to grave sales model is not appropriate. People, resources, and technology must be aligned to support the strategic account model.
- Technology investment and integration is typically a requirement for strategic accounts.
- Companies and salespeople who want to win strategic accounts must understand how their prospective customers make their buying decisions.
- Successful strategic account salespeople have a different mindset. Mike describes his attitude towards accounts as "all or nothing," meaning that he won't pursue accounts unless they agree to send all their business to him.