“Bag the Elephant” is all about how smart businesspeople can woo and keep those all-important elephants, the big, make-or-break customers. Like its companion, the New York Times bestseller “Be the Elephant”, it is filled with dynamic advice and real-life examples, delivered in an energetic, straight-shooting fashion that gets right to the core of its powerful idea-how to land the account that will put you over the top. Here are six keys to achieving the elephant mindset and understanding the big customer. How to map and use a big company's red tape to your advantage. Why the elephant needs you as much as you need it. Preparing yourself and your pitch. How to negotiate with elephants without losing your profit margins. And how to avoid the five killer mistakes, from mismanaging client expectations to losing sight of the numbers.
For small business owners, entrepreneurs, executives, and salespeople, stalking and landing an elephant can be the most profitable adventure of your life, and Kaplan explains everything you need to know.
Chapter 1: The Third Path
Chapter 2: You've Got to Believe
Part 2: The Secret Life of the Elephant
Chapter 3: The Big-Company Focus
Chapter 4: What to Know About Elephants
Chapter 5: Embracing the Bureaucracy
Part 3: Romancing Your Elephant
Chapter 6: Drawing Up Your Hit List
Chapter 7: Knocking on Doors
Chapter 8: Matching the Prospector to the Prospect
Chapter 9: Face-to-Face with Your Prospect
Chapter 10: Standing Up to Your Elephant
Chapter 11: Recruiting Great Champions
Part 4: Leveraging Your Elephant's Power
Chapter 12: Keeping Your Champions Cheering
Chapter 13: Taking the Inside Track
Chapter 14: Putting Your Elephant to Work
Part 5: Five Killer Mistakes
Chapter 15: Mismanaging Client Expectations
Chapter 16: Fumbling Client Crises
Chapter 17: Operational Explosion
Chapter 18: The Elephant Trap
Chapter 19: Losing Sight of the Numbers
Afterword: Beyond Bag the Elephant!
Bag an Elephant-and Begin the Most Profitable Adventure of Your Life
It's the strategy, it's the nuts and bolts, it's everything smart businesspeople need to win and keep those all-important Elephants‚ the big make-or-break customers that can dramatically increase your revenue, profits, and success. Packed with dynamic advice for all sales professionals, small-business owners, entrepreneurs, and executives:
• How to map and use a big company's red tape to your advantage • Why the Elephant needs you as much as you need it • Six keys for successful big-customer focus • How to negotiate with an Elephant without giving away your profit margins • How to avoid the five killer mistakes, from mismanaging client expectations to losing sight of the numbers
