So how did Accenture achieve such success through their approach (check out the last post for more background)? Let’s dig a little deeper.
A proactive, well-defined, and well-communicated client segmentation strategy gives the organization the guard rails that dictate the organizational behavior in selling and serving clients accordingly. Some key steps in the process:
- Identify 3-5 key segments (Strategic, Emerging, Target, and Legacy would be reasonable labels for each) that also define the key criteria for a client being placed in that segment. Once the segments are identified, you can then assign the specific clients to each segment.
- Next, develop the structure for how you will serve these clients, the resources you will deploy, and the plans and priorities for each. This is all about being proactive, not reactive.
- Finally, ensure that the organization’s behavior, resource allocations, and opportunity pursuits are consistent with the segmentation strategy – it can’t become “shelfware”.
Are you trying to figure out your ideal segmentation strategy? If you would like us to review your segmentation approach and to provide some free coaching, reach out to us!