I need my key account team seeing our progress on our growth strategy.

I need my key account team seeing our progress on our growth strategy.

A growth strategy stays alive when the team can see its progress. A regular check shows where the account stands, what the team set out to accomplish this quarter, and how the work gets done each month.

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

1. Can everyone on your account team see where you stand in the account today?
2. Does the team know what you want to accomplish in the account this quarter?
3. Is there a monthly plan that shows how the team will execute the quarterly strategy?
4. Does the team get real-time updates and feedback from the customer?
5. Is each team member encouraged to bring ideas for reaching the quarter's objectives?

Two or more no's, and your team may be working on a strategy it can't see the progress of.

Out of 80+ global suppliers in our service category, we became #1 in just two years and won Supplier of the Year. We started with three people on the account team and grew to over 50 supporting the customer from all departments, functions and regions.

We gave them an operating system that showed them the work we needed to accomplish together. The system showed everyone our progress (where we stand in the account), our strategy (what we want to accomplish each quarter) and our monthly plan (how we would execute).

This system created a lot of visibility into the strategic objectives they could help plan and execute on. They were encouraged to bring ideas on how we would accomplish them. This gave every action they took real meaning and purpose because it was tied to a greater cause.

We made sure our communication included real-time updates and feedback from the customer. We regularly shared customer success stories and new opportunities for growth and improvement.

With a good system, everyone is using a common language and is singing from the same sheet of music.

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.

Could everyone on your account team tell you where the account stands this quarter?

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.