Implementation Best Practices: Growing the Relationship after the Win

GOAL: Identify best practices in 3 main areas for implementation and ongoing account management. Certain tasks contribute to all 3 areas:

  1. Building Relationships
  2. Education
  3. Finding a Champion
  1. Building Relationships

During Program Rollout

  1. Schedule implementation meeting with client to customizeplan and set milestones
  2. Establish a Service Level Agreement and commit to meeting certain benchmarks, to be reviewed during periodic Relationship Reviews
  3. Establish main points of contact
  4. Owner hires/assigns knowledgeable support personnel
  5. Determine authorized contacts within client organization
  6. Schedule product selection meetings to propose “good, better, best” product choices:

a.Options at different price points for promotional items (i.e. samples of “good, better, best” bags)

b.Options for printed pieces (i.e. paper stock, finishing and binding) based on quality/budget requirements

Ongoing

  1. Schedule Relationship Reviews for program improvement
  2. Plan mini tradeshows and Lunch-n-Learns with select multi-line vendors at client location
  3. Attend client tradeshows and internal events
  4. Coordinate internal marketing to client branch offices, etc.
  5. Be a consultant: Review how client buys and make recommendations to reduce costs/improve efficiencies (i.e. can you group purchases across their divisions for bulk buys; can you eliminate some forms from their program?)
  6. Seek internal referrals
  1. Education

During Program Rollout

A.Coordinate with PLPs

  1. Complete Service Level Agreementwith PLP outlining program terms
  2. Negotiate pricing escalation terms
  3. Document warehousing and distribution policies/service levels
  4. Document inventory transfer process
  5. Establish procedures for periodic meetings to review new product/service releases
  6. Conduct warehouse walkthrough
  7. Coordinate with eCommerce Department if program requires company store

B.Complete eCommerce ‘Build Pak’

  1. Determine customer needs to integrate ordering and inventory systems
  2. Set up required revenue and proceeds transfer systems
  3. Provide current procurement systems information
  4. Define company store features to be incorporated
  5. Define user and group profile needs
  6. Establish user IDs where required
  7. Upload product specs into appropriate systems
  8. Determine reporting requirements based on client needs
  9. Develop plan for training users

C.Train support staff

D.Determine and communicate legal uses of Proforma and client name

E.Finalize Marketing and PR plans (i.e. how is client going to announce the partnership to employees? Will there be a public announcement or news release? Will you have any input on the content of those messages?)

Ongoing

  1. Coordinate internal marketing to client branch offices, etc.
  2. Go to to receive proactive updates on customer
  3. Attend client tradeshows and internal events
  4. Hold Lunch and Learns and mini trade shows at client location
  5. Schedule Relationship Reviews
  1. Finding a Champion

During Program Rollout

  1. Schedule weekly implementation meetings to customize rollout and set milestones
  2. Develop relationships with established main points of contact

Ongoing

  1. Schedule Relationship Reviewsfor continuous improvement
  2. Attend informal events with key client contacts (i.e. lunch, golf)
  3. Hold mini tradeshows and Lunch and Learns at client location
  4. Be an advocate – fix small errors before becoming large problems; make your contact look good to their boss

Points to Remember…

  1. Have your attorney review any contract or agreement before you sign it
  1. If sharing the account with one or multiple Owners, make sure everyone isconsistent in managing the program
  1. Schedule internal team meetings as well as client meetings
  1. Establish short, mid and long-term goals for program, to be discussed during Relationship Reviews
  1. Establish special order procedure for quoting and providing status updates
  1. Issue written policies and procedures for sales credit, revenue credit, write-offs

Ongoing

  1. Determine if client wants to establish email list for updates on product closeouts and special offers
  1. At each Relationship Review, set specific goals for next quarter to be reviewed at next Business Review

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