Customer Strategy as part of the TMS approach to Strategic Sales Consultancy

To help salespeople give their different customers the type of relationship they both need and expect, TMS makes use of the Customer Relationship Matrix, a methodology that identifies customers on two basic dimensions:

• Firstly, what is the strategic or cost impact of the purchase decision from the customer's point of view? 

• Secondly, how complex or unique is the proposition from the seller's point of view?

This evaluation the helps us to identify 4 types of different relationships with their own requirements: 



Type 1 customers require a Transactional Relationship to acquire the proposition at minimum cost. 



Type 2 customers require a Negotiated Relationship as the proposition has a high value or cost implication. 



Type 3 customers require a Consultative Relationship, as the proposition requires a high degree of customer differentiation.



Type 4 customers require a Collaborative Relationship to align themselves with the selling organisation for strategic advantage.

Such relationships specify whether traditional selling or more sophisticated strategic sales techniques, including Key Account Management, are required. We can then help our clients develop the appropriate techniques in order to quickly put them into action.

To find out more about our approach to Strategic Sales Consultancy and developing a Customer Strategy, please call us on 0845 201 1618 or email us here.