How do you support your accounts with cross-functional teams?

1 Understand your accounts' needs and goals

Before you engage with any cross-functional team, you need to have a clear understanding of your accounts' needs and goals, as well as their challenges and pain points. This will help you align your internal stakeholders with your accounts' expectations and priorities, and communicate the value proposition and benefits of your solutions and services. You can use various tools and methods, such as account plans, customer journey maps, SWOT analysis, and feedback surveys, to gather and analyze information about your accounts and their business outcomes.

2 Identify the right cross-functional team members

Depending on the scope and complexity of your accounts' projects and issues, you may need to involve different cross-functional team members to provide their expertise, input, and support. You should identify the right cross-functional team members based on their roles, responsibilities, and skills, as well as their availability and bandwidth. You should also consider the personality and communication styles of your cross-functional team members, and how they will interact with your accounts and each other.

3 Establish clear roles and expectations

Once you have identified the right cross-functional team members, you need to establish clear roles and expectations for each of them, as well as for yourself and your accounts. You should define the scope, objectives, deliverables, timelines, and budget of the project or issue, and assign tasks and responsibilities accordingly. You should also set the communication channels, frequency, and protocols for the cross-functional team, and ensure that everyone is on the same page and has access to the relevant information and resources.

4 Facilitate collaboration and communication

As the account manager, you are the main point of contact and the bridge between your accounts and your cross-functional team. You need to facilitate collaboration and communication among all the parties involved, and ensure that everyone is aligned and informed throughout the project or issue lifecycle. You should also provide feedback, recognition, and support to your cross-functional team members, and address any conflicts or challenges that may arise. You should also leverage the best practices and tools for cross-functional collaboration, such as project management software, shared documents, video conferencing, and chat platforms.

5 Monitor progress and performance

Another important aspect of supporting your accounts with cross-functional teams is to monitor the progress and performance of the project or issue, and measure the results and impact. You should track and report on the key metrics and indicators that reflect your accounts' goals and satisfaction, as well as your cross-functional team's efficiency and effectiveness. You should also identify and mitigate any risks or issues that may affect the quality or timeliness of the deliverables or services. You should also solicit and act on feedback from your accounts and your cross-functional team members, and implement improvements and adjustments as needed.

6 Celebrate and share success

Finally, you should celebrate and share the success of your accounts and your cross-functional team, and recognize their contributions and achievements. You should also document and share the lessons learned and best practices from the project or issue, and use them to improve your future cross-functional collaboration and account support. You should also leverage the success stories and testimonials from your accounts and your cross-functional team to showcase your value and credibility, and to generate more referrals and opportunities for account growth and retention.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?