How do you update and review your sales account planning templates regularly and consistently?

1 Set a review schedule

The first step is to establish a clear and realistic schedule for updating and reviewing your sales account planning templates. Depending on the size and complexity of your accounts, you may need to do this monthly, quarterly, or annually. You should also align your review cycle with your customer's planning cycle, so you can stay in sync with their changing needs and expectations. Make sure you communicate your review schedule to your account team and your customer, and set reminders and deadlines to keep everyone on track.

2 Gather relevant data

The next step is to collect and analyze the data that will inform your updates and reviews. This may include data from your CRM, sales reports, customer feedback, market research, competitive intelligence, and other sources. You should use data to measure your performance against your account objectives, identify gaps and opportunities, and evaluate your account health and potential. You should also use data to validate your assumptions and hypotheses, and to support your recommendations and proposals.

3 Update your template sections

The third step is to update the different sections of your sales account planning template based on your data and insights. You should review and revise your account profile, SWOT analysis, value proposition, account objectives, action plan, and success metrics. You should also document any changes in your account team, customer contacts, decision makers, influencers, and stakeholders. You should highlight your achievements and challenges, and prioritize your next steps and initiatives.

4 Review your template with stakeholders

The fourth step is to review your updated sales account planning template with your internal and external stakeholders. You should share your template with your account team, sales manager, and other relevant colleagues, and solicit their feedback and input. You should also present your template to your customer, and align your goals and strategies with theirs. You should use this opportunity to demonstrate your value, build trust, and uncover new or latent needs.

5 Implement your action plan

The fifth step is to execute your action plan based on your updated sales account planning template. You should assign roles and responsibilities to your account team, and set clear timelines and milestones for your tasks and activities. You should also monitor and track your progress and performance, and report on your results and outcomes. You should use your success metrics to evaluate your impact and ROI, and to adjust your plan as needed.

6 Learn and improve

The sixth step is to learn from your experience and improve your sales account planning process. You should conduct a post-mortem analysis of your account plan, and identify what worked well and what didn't. You should also solicit feedback from your account team and your customer, and incorporate their suggestions and insights. You should use your learnings to refine your template, optimize your data sources, enhance your skills, and increase your effectiveness.

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?