You're in account management. How do you build strong relationships with clients?

Act as an advocate for your client. Represent their interests within your own organization. Fight for their resources when needed to show you're on their team and demonstrate the valued partnership.

1. A good approach is to know the client's goals, pains and needs more than he himself knows about them. A sincere desire to bring maximum value to the client, supported by real actions, allows you to take the first confident step towards a strong relationship with the client. 2. When researching goals, pain points, and needs, rely on reliable data sources. Be careful when interpreting data and be aware of biases.

1. Determine the channels, format and frequency of your communication. Set rules and norms of communication and be their ambassador. Respect the client’s time and your time, find a middle ground between complete silence and excessive communication noise. 2. Treat your client the way you want to be treated. Be professional, clear, use simple language, avoid complex phrases and jargons. Don't gossip or discuss things behind the client's back. 3. Don't pretend to be something you're not. Promise only what you are actually ready to deliver, please don't promise something you're not sure about; keep your promises. 4. Keep your client informed about the key points of your collaboration.

There are two critical aspects to delivering value in account management: 1. Quantifying the value delivered. Make sure you have a process to document the value your products or services have delivered - even if it's softer benefits or hard to quantify. Before you upsell or cross-sell, it's imperative to be able to demonstrate value already delivered. 2. The second key that's often missed is making sure your client (a) believes the value created, and (b) can tell the story on their own. Seek to create "value evangelists" in your accounts. How many conversations about your company and services happen when you aren't around? A lot! Make sure your champions and stakeholders are equipped with a strong value story!

1. Based on the client's goals, pain points, and needs, continually seek new opportunities to deliver maximum value. Be sincere when helping the client, be an expert, the owner of the process. 2. Please remember that what matters most is not only what value you deliver to the client, but how he perceives it. Please avoid the traps of perception.

1. Create a system of mutual regular feedback; it allows you to build strong relationships with clients, partners, and team members. 2. Determine the channels and optimal frequency to collect feedback without being too pushy. When collecting feedback, do not force the respondent to give answers that are favorable to you; you need honesty and objectivity. Be grateful for feedback, remember that it allows you to improve.

Building trust is a bit obvious, but many don't do this intentionally or proactively. Establish regular "sponsor reviews" to check in with your sponsor on service and value delivery and leverage this as an opportunity to get frank feedback on what's working and what could use improvement. When clients know you are genuinely interested in their best interests, and hearing "hard truths" as needed, they will be more included to trust you. And of course trust leads to loyalty.

1. Trust in business is something that is earned through hard work, honesty, sincerity, reliability and the desire to bring maximum value to the partner; client trust is a wonderful fruit of the account manager’s specific actions. 2. Keep your promises; don't promise what you can't deliver. Don't pretend that you and your team are something you are not. Be honest in your expertise, care about the interests of the client, and not about your own benefit.

1. Client loyalty is based on a high level of trust (trust is described in more detail in the previous paragraph of the article). 2. Loyalty is when in controversial situations the client is a priori on your side; he trusts you as he trusts himself (and often even more than the members of his team), he sees in you a partner, an expert who always cares about the client’s interests even more than the client himself cares about them.

Anticipate Needs and Proactively Provide Solutions: Instead of simply responding to client requests, strive to anticipate their needs and provide proactive solutions. Regularly analyze market trends, industry developments, and client feedback to identify potential challenges or opportunities that your clients may face. By staying ahead of the curve and offering tailored solutions before issues arise, you demonstrate your commitment to understanding and addressing their unique business needs. Proactive engagement not only strengthens the client relationship but also positions you as a trusted advisor and partner in their success.

1. Strong client relationships are a marathon, not a sprint; like steel, they are forged by trust, honesty, dedication, genuine care and time. 2. Treat your client the way you want to be treated (a good approach is to treat even better). Be his advocate and constantly look for opportunities to bring him maximum value. 3. Don't look for easy ways - be prepared to work hard, but the result will meet your expectations. Good luck!