What do you do if your account management strategy needs to adapt to changing client needs?

1 Assess the change

The first step is to understand the nature and scope of the change that your client is facing. Is it a temporary shift due to external factors, such as market conditions, regulations, or competitors? Or is it a permanent transformation that affects their vision, mission, or strategy? How does the change impact their objectives, challenges, and opportunities? How does it affect their expectations from you as their account manager? To answer these questions, you need to communicate effectively with your client, listen to their feedback, and ask relevant and probing questions. You also need to gather and analyze data, such as metrics, reports, surveys, or testimonials, that can help you measure the current performance and satisfaction of your account.

2 Adjust your plan

The second step is to revise your account management plan based on the insights you gained from the assessment. Your plan should reflect the new needs and goals of your client, and outline how you will deliver value, solve problems, and create opportunities for them. You may need to modify your scope of work, budget, timeline, deliverables, or communication frequency and channels. You may also need to leverage new tools, resources, or partners to support your account. Whatever changes you make, you need to communicate them clearly and transparently to your client, and get their approval and buy-in before implementing them.

3 Monitor and evaluate

The third step is to monitor and evaluate the results of your adjusted plan, and make sure that it is working effectively for your client. You need to track and report on the key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure the success of your account, such as retention, revenue, satisfaction, loyalty, or referrals. You also need to collect and act on the feedback that you receive from your client, such as comments, suggestions, complaints, or praises. You need to identify and celebrate the wins, as well as address and resolve the issues, that arise from your account management strategy. You need to keep your client informed and engaged throughout the process, and show them that you care about their outcomes and experience.

4 Learn and improve

The fourth step is to learn and improve from your experience of adapting to the changing needs of your client. You need to reflect on what worked well and what didn't, and what you can do better next time. You need to document and share your learnings and best practices with your team, your manager, and your client. You need to apply your learnings and improvements to your current and future accounts, and continuously look for ways to enhance your skills, knowledge, and processes as an account manager. You need to embrace change as an opportunity to grow and innovate, rather than a threat to avoid or resist.

5 Be proactive

The fifth step is to be proactive and anticipate the potential changes that your client may face in the future, and prepare yourself and your account accordingly. You need to stay updated and informed about the trends, developments, and challenges that affect your client's industry, market, and customers. You need to conduct regular and strategic reviews of your account, and identify the gaps, risks, and opportunities that may emerge. You need to propose and implement solutions, improvements, or innovations that can help your client achieve their goals and stay ahead of the competition. You need to demonstrate your value and expertise as an account manager, and position yourself as a trusted advisor and partner for your client.