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Monday 25 March 2013

Insights on embedding successful Key Client Management


Part 5 of 6

In this section, the focus is on the development of workable key client plans that can be managed on an on-going basis.  An effective client plan can be an extremely powerful tool in the hands of an organisation that is committed to becoming truly client focused.

Success factors in key client planning

The key client plan should be designed to match the needs of the client team and should suit the client that it has been written to serve.  It may be as simple as a single piece of paper, or far more complicated, spanning financial, organisational, project and contact information.  It may be written by one person, or coordinated by a single person from the contributions of people across the company.  But to make sure that it is workable, it should start from the premise that the plan should contain the minimum information needed to focus on the client and add value to their business through the benefits offered by your company’s services.

Project Management and Key Client Management

The construction industry makes good use of Project Management disciplines in their everyday work.  These skills work extremely well as a way of keeping control of client management plans.

Using tools to develop a list of actions

There are a number of tools (developed by The Pace Partnership),that you can use to help identify the actions that should for a part of your key client plan.  They focus on helping you to identify the state of your relationship with the client: how many people you know in the client organisation, how well you know them and how to protect those relationships against your competitors.  In other words assessing both quality and quantity of the relationship.

Although it is highly desirable to keep your Key Client Management Plan short and simple, there is some information which should be collected to make sure that you know enough about your client’s business to be able to develop the sort of relationship where it is unthinkable for him to go to anyone else. 


Summary:
  • Your key client plan should be as brief as possible make sure that it is workable for you.
  • The simplest key client plan includes the strategy or aims and objectives for the client.



See Part 1 here
See Part 2 here
See Part 3 here
See Part 4 here

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