Understanding what drives an organisation’s decision making should be a key part of the Account Manager’s role. Being able to articulate the strength of engagement (or lack of it), with a plan in how to manage the different relationship dynamics will significantly increase the Account Managers chances of success.
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A very effective tool for doing this is Stakeholder Mapping. The slide below lays out a typical stakeholder map showing in dynamic form where the risks are and where the strengths are in terms of the client’s decision making population.
At the next account review meeting why not complete a stakeholder map?
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Remember it’s the direction of travel that is just as important as the actual position. If there is no positive movement you are not increasing your relationship equity – the key ingredient in the recipe of successful business partnerships.