5 Pitfalls To Avoid When Account Planning

As you begin to get into the account planning process, be mindful that there are a few areas where enterprise focus can fall short. Here are some of the common pitfalls that can arise and how to avoid them:

Lack of Structure

A lack of centralized account coordination can perpetuate disconnected execution; therefore you want to make sure that you have a strong account structure. Too often the account manager’s role is unclear. While sales should own the account planning process, it doesn’t mean that they won’t need to pull in resources from other departments whether it be marketing or the folks in services and implementation. There should be structure around who is responsible for what.

Poor Selection

Choosing the right accounts for focus is a challenge. Done wrong, it becomes extremely difficult to deliver value. Account planning takes a lot of resources and time, so you want to make sure that you’re betting on the right horses. Utilizing visual tools such as an Account Prioritization Grid can help identify which accounts offer the greatest potential so your teams know where to best focus their time and efforts.

Lack Of Talent

Expecting resources to change focus overnight makes execution unreliable. Don’t simply assume that your team has the skills and knowledge for effective account planning. In addition to giving them training on the overall process, you may want to consider providing your salespeople with some skill development to strengthen their abilities. For example, managing a team…Salespeople are often put into the role of account manager and expected to manage a broad team without being equipped to do so.

Impatience

Expecting full payoff in a short period of time creates unrealistic expectations. Keep in mind that account planning activities may not bear fruit for three years or so. If you’re looking for payoff next quarter, it’s not likely going to happen through account planning.

Unrealistic Expectations

Make sure you are looking at things with a realistic perspective. Just because you have deployed an account planning process does not necessarily mean that you are now “doing” account planning. It requires coaching, technological support, and so on. Like anything in sales, account planning isn’t easy, but the benefits are well worth it.

5 Pitfalls To Avoid When Account Planning