Can we show my key account what changed because of us, with a before and an after?

Can we show my key account what changed because of us, with a before and an after?

A result needs a starting point. Once the work begins, the "before" is gone, so the baseline has to be captured first and agreed with the customer.

Five questions to see if your team can do this job today:

1. Did your team record the customer's numbers before your work started?
2. Did the customer agree on which metrics you would measure, before and after?
3. Is the baseline written down where both sides can see it?
4. Does each new project start with its own baseline and expected outcome?
5. Could your KAM show the before and after today, without rebuilding it from memory?

Two or more no's, and "we helped" may be the strongest claim your team can make.

When managing a key account, there could be hundreds of client metrics across the various business units and regions. Think of them as gold mines to explore. Each one is an opportunity to show we can help them in areas that matter most to their success. Each one has a beginning (where they stand today) and a future (where we can help them go).

I once had a client business unit where we knew their metrics, but we did not track them. As a result, we didn't get credit for the impact we had on their business. When it came time to renew, all we had was pricing and our own metrics, not the client's. This cost us significant ground and became an expensive lesson in making sure we always get credit for positively impacting the metrics most important to the client's success. Otherwise, we're just another vendor on the list.

Our system, the Vitality Index, shows your key account teams where they stand today, the work it takes to level up, and how to do it, until they reach a vital partnership that lasts.

What was the "before" at your largest account when your team started?

We built a free, 4-minute Key Account Risk Assessment. It gives you a risk score for your key accounts across team alignment, account planning, account transitions, and visibility. Link in the comments.