Traditionally, account management was always a chore, endured because it was expected by management rather than something that actually helped get more business. Those multi-page reports full of out-of-date information made it look as if account managers were doing their jobs but rarely prompted any serious strategic thinking or creative new business development.

It’s all too easy to make it complicated but if that happens the results are likely to be, at best, disappointing. Keeping a tight focus on the few things that really matter will support an honest assessment of the relationship, identify who you need to have the conversations with and who you need to make friends with.

We believe that it’s the quality of thinking that matters, that’s much more likely to be gained by getting the team round a table than by sending the account manager into solitary confinement. Bringing together the different personalities and viewpoints of sales, support and the delivery team usually gets thinking out of the rut even though it can be a handful to keep on track.

The best new business opportunities are not immediately obvious and it takes some “out of the box” thinking to prompt them. The broader the experience and perspective of the group, the more likely this is to happen.

We love to facilitate account reviews like this, as long as there’s a clear structure the challenge introduced by having diverse views and opinions brings out the best thinking and often initiates completely different, more effective strategies.

If you’d like a copy of the roadmap that we use for account reviews, click on the link, (the Account Poster) if you’d like to discuss the best way to get the most value from it, talk with us, we’d like that. 

"In these parts a man’s life may hinge on the smallest piece of information."
Clint Eastwood: Fistful of dollars