Client relationship management is the ensemble of strategies, processes, and systems that help you develop clients for life.
Under each topic, below, read the questions and think about how you would answer them.
Then, if you click each topic heading, you’ll access an abundance of free resources—forms, checklists, articles, and videos—to help you improve your client relationship management.
Relationship Management: The Big Picture
Questions to consider:
- How would your clients like you to manage your relationship with them? Have you asked them?
- Have you given your relationship managers (partners, MDs, account executives) authority and resources commensurate with the responsibilities they bear?
- Are you as focused on creating a supportive organization around your relationship managers as you are on finding and training the “best” individual rainmakers?
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Growing Client Relationships
Questions to consider:
- Do your existing client relationships have the potential to grow further? What’s holding you back?
- Why do believe some of your relationships grow while others stagnate?
- Are your client-facing professionals “agenda setters” who proactively engage their clients with new ideas, points of view, and value-added suggestions? How much sole source business do they procure?
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Client Account Planning
Questions to consider:
- How effective is your current client account planning and development process? How would you rate it on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1=ineffective and 5=best in class?
- Is your account planning a box-checking exercise or a vibrant, participative process with rigorous follow through?
- Which of your client relationships would benefit most from a truly in-depth and reflective account planning effort?
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Developing Relationship Managers
Questions to consider:
- How many of your client-facing professionals are currently able to play the role of trusted advisor to senior economic buyers?
- How many of your client-facing professionals have the potential to act as trusted advisors to senior management?
- How many simply lack the innate talent or predisposition to build the kinds of client relationships you need to grow to implement your strategy?
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