As more and more organizations struggle with cost cutting, restructuring and other internal issues to return to profitability, here’s a simple way marketers can deliver marketing ROI, grow profitable customer relationships and keep within your budgets: Create executive relationships with your strategic customers.   Right now, many companies are becoming internally focused and losing site of what really drives business – customers!  While many budgets are being cut and compromised, there is one cost effective way to earn more business from your best and strategic customers – engage your executives with them.   This will drive revenue and loyalty with your key accounts, and in B2B complex sales environments, you’ll find that you can uncover significant opportunities to increase the sales pipeline and close deals faster.   For instance, organize a meeting with your top customer and one of your top product executives.  Spend time up front with your executive and your customers’ executive to identify key topics and discussions that are relevant to both.  A few examples are: How is the economy impacting operations?  What are your short-term strategies?  How are you building customer loyalty?   The next step would be to get the executives together in a face-to-face meeting, and be sure to spend time discussing how your organizations can work together to help them solve their problems.  Your product executive will get excited because they have a chance to interact and learn more about what’s going on in the market.  As new sales opportunities are identified, your sales team will get excited about selling more to the key strategic account.  And your customer will feel like your company listens and works to partner with their organization, ultimately building greater customer loyalty and the desire to do business with your company.  In the end, you’ll be a hero.