How can you develop an account management training program that addresses communication needs?

1 Assess your current situation

Before you start developing your account management training program, you need to assess your current situation and identify the gaps and opportunities for improvement. You can use various methods to gather feedback from your clients, your account managers, and your internal stakeholders. For example, you can conduct surveys, interviews, focus groups, or audits to evaluate the satisfaction, performance, and challenges of your account management function. You can also benchmark your practices against industry standards and best practices to see how you compare.

3 Design your curriculum and content

Once you have your goals and objectives, you can design your curriculum and content for your account management training program. You should consider the different communication skills that your account managers need to master, such as active listening, empathy, rapport building, persuasion, negotiation, conflict resolution, and feedback. You should also tailor your content to the different scenarios and stages of the account management cycle, such as prospecting, qualifying, presenting, closing, onboarding, servicing, upselling, renewing, and resolving issues. You should use a variety of formats and methods to deliver your content, such as e-learning, webinars, workshops, coaching, mentoring, role-playing, case studies, and simulations.

4 Implement your program and monitor progress

After you have your curriculum and content ready, you can implement your account management training program and monitor the progress and results. You should communicate the purpose, benefits, and expectations of your program to your account managers and other stakeholders. You should also provide the necessary resources, support, and incentives to encourage participation and engagement. You should track and measure the outcomes and impact of your program using key performance indicators (KPIs), such as client retention, satisfaction, loyalty, revenue, profitability, referrals, testimonials, and reviews.

5 Evaluate your program and make improvements

Finally, you should evaluate your account management training program and make improvements based on the feedback and data you collect. You should solicit feedback from your clients, your account managers, and your internal stakeholders on the quality, relevance, and effectiveness of your program. You should also analyze the data and compare it with your goals and objectives to see if you achieved them or not. You should identify the strengths and weaknesses of your program and make adjustments accordingly. You should also celebrate the successes and recognize the achievements of your account managers and other contributors.

6 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?