ACCOUNT PERFORMANCE REVIEWS

You’ll never achieve your business goals & targets without regular pragmatic Account Performance Reviews.

Therefore, in addition to any current contractual commitments and aspirations for the account, the frequency of internal account performance reviews will depend on the size, complexity and potential of each client.

It is also very important that the right people are present to contribute on specific areas and take responsibility for all related action points. Again, these will vary according to account size, complexity and potential but will always include the account manager and their line manager.

Sample checks and tips are given below:

Agenda

• Previous Minutes
• Previous Action Plan
• Mission Statement, Strategy & Goals
• Business Performance/Market Position (both organisations)
• Organisational & people changes (both organisations)
• Current Work, Service, People &/or Product Contracts (incl. debtors)
• Balanced Scorecard
• Sales (orders won & lost, new opportunities qualification, other current opportunities & propositions)
• Competitors
• SWOT Analysis
• Contact/Relationship Management
• Missing Information (Account File)
• Satisfaction Survey
• Issues & Complaints (both organisations) – incl. cultural, management, people, budgets/estimates/forecasts, timescales, quality & contractual)
• Hospitality/Entertainment
• Account Manager Responsibilities/Performance
• Critical Success Factors
• Risk Management
• Options & Forward Action Plan
• Close (Any Other Business, date/time of next Review)

Main Inputs

• Account Snapshot Summary
• Account File Details (incl. Client information held, meeting minutes, correspondence, contracts)

• Balanced Scorecard
• SWOT Analysis
• Client Organisation Charts
• Contact Management Plan
• Client Progress Review Minutes
• Satisfaction Survey
• Sales Opportunities/Action Plan
• Sales Propositions/Action Plan
• Marketing Plan
• Hospitality/Entertainment Plan
• Account Manager Performance
• Risk Management Analyses

Questions to Ask (under 8 headings)

• Admin
• Risk Management
• Client
• Client Contact/Relationship
• Issues
• Delivery/Performance
• Sales
• Competitors

After the Review

In addition to updating the account file, various other areas may require careful thought, consideration and rework including SWOT analysis, balanced scorecard, personal performance & objectives, risk management and account action planning.        

Click here for complete list of checks & tips

Best Practice Quote 10 of 13

“without regular pragmatic reviews of Account Performance you cannot achieve your goals and targets”

NEXT BLOG: Satisfaction Surveys

A complete set of account management components can be found at accountmanagementgold.com, all of which aim to significantly improve supplier performance and block the competition.

As an introduction to these components, I’m writing a series of blogs which I hope will be of value and appropriate for the type & size of your client, prospect and target organisations:

• What is Account Management?
• Understanding Your Clients
• Values, Ethos & Image
• Supplier Account Manager
• Relationship Management
• Client Contact Management
• Sales Propositions & Opportunities
• Sales Opportunity Qualification
• Balanced Scorecard
• Risk Management
• Account Performance Reviews (today)
• Satisfaction Surveys
• SWOT Analysis

As these blogs will be geared to anyone engaged in developing new business with clients or prospects, and for ease of context, I’ll regard all readers as account managers as everyone has the same endgame, no offence!

I really hope you, your colleagues & business associates find value in these blogs; please let me know either way. Please also get in touch if you think there might be potential for our businesses to collaborate.

ASPIRE’s MISSION

– to enable suppliers to minimise risk in all that they do with particular focus on developing long-term revenue streams

– to increase productivity/profit/margin, client/people networks, trust/integrity, reputation/market standing & morale/pride

Richard Wright
Managing Director
ASPIRE Account Management
accountmanagementgold.com