How can you effectively track your team's progress in developing their account management skills?

1 Set clear goals and expectations

Before you can track your team's progress, you need to define what success looks like for account management. What are the specific skills, behaviors, and outcomes that you want your team to achieve? How do they align with your business objectives and client needs? How will you measure and evaluate them? Communicate these goals and expectations to your team clearly and frequently, and make sure they understand and agree with them.

2 Use a skills assessment tool

A skills assessment tool is a valuable resource for tracking your team's progress in account management. It can help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of each team member, as well as the gaps and opportunities for improvement. You can use a standardized tool, such as the Account Management Skills Assessment (AMSA), or create your own based on your goals and expectations. A skills assessment tool should cover the key aspects of account management, such as communication, relationship building, problem solving, strategic thinking, and negotiation.

3 Provide regular feedback and coaching

Feedback and coaching are essential for helping your team develop their account management skills. They can help your team members recognize their achievements, address their challenges, and learn from their mistakes. You should provide feedback and coaching to your team regularly, both formally and informally, and in a constructive and supportive manner. You should also encourage your team members to give feedback to each other and to seek feedback from their clients.

4 Implement a learning plan

A learning plan is a document that outlines the specific actions and resources that your team members will use to develop their account management skills. It should be based on the results of the skills assessment tool and the feedback and coaching sessions. A learning plan should include the following elements: the skill or competency to be developed, the current level and the desired level, the learning objectives and outcomes, the learning activities and methods, the time frame and deadlines, and the evaluation criteria and methods.

5 Review and celebrate progress

The final step in tracking your team's progress in account management is to review and celebrate their achievements. You should review the learning plan periodically and check if your team members are meeting their objectives and outcomes. You should also collect and analyze data from various sources, such as client feedback, retention rates, revenue growth, and satisfaction scores, to measure the impact of your team's account management skills on your business performance. You should celebrate your team's progress by acknowledging their efforts, rewarding their results, and sharing their success stories.

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?