All customers are important, but not all are equally important
Sales training is rarely the problem
Most organizations invest significant time and budget in developing their sales teams. The workshops are engaging. The tools are relevant. The feedback is positive. Yet six months later, very little has changed in daily behaviour. Why?
According to our expert, Henrik Frohm, MD of Mercuri International Sweden, the missing link is rarely knowledge. It is implementation.
“Training creates awareness. Transformation happens when new behaviours are consistently applied in real customer situations.”
One of the clearest examples of this shift from theory to practice is customer segmentation.
When activity is high but growth is flat
Henrik shares an example from the manufacturing industry. An account manager with more than 50 customers believed that all business was good business. He spent nearly equal time on small customers and large accounts. His calendar was full. Activity levels were high. But growth was stagnant.
When a structured segmentation analysis was conducted, the picture changed. One medium-sized customer was purchasing four times more from competitors than from him. His Share of Wallet (SoW) was only 20 percent, despite realistic potential to reach at least 40 percent. That single account represented a growth opportunity of €1M. The breakthrough did not come from new theory. It came from disciplined execution.
By:
- Setting aside focused time for high-potential customers
- Understanding their long-term development needs
- Presenting solutions with clear business impact
He managed to significantly grow the account within a year. At the same time, he reduced time spent on customers who did not contribute meaningfully to profitability. As Henrik explains, “It was not about working more. It was about working with greater precision.”
Henrik’s top 3 tips
Drawing from experience across multiple industries, Henrik, highlights three principles that separate short-term training from lasting transformation.
- Prioritize the right customers – the ones with the greatest revenue potential and best strategic fit
- Create growth through targeted efforts toward the customers where there’s ample room to increase market share (SoW)
- Defend competitiveness by differentiating the offering and focus on value rather than price
Future-proofing sales through customer segmentation
Sales organizations that succeed long term treat segmentation as the starting point of change.
They:
- Integrate segmentation and prioritisation into everyday routines
- Hold managers accountable for reinforcing behaviour
- Continuously reassess customer portfolios
When you show your customers that you understand their needs and contribute to their success, you become more than a supplier. You become a strategic partner.
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