Template

Account planning session template

For one important customer: who matters there, what they are trying to achieve this year, where you could help more, and the next three moves — written down so the whole team plays the same game.

60 minutesFor The account manager, their manager, and anyone from success, support or product who works with the customerAgenda room

Change the agenda first

The agenda, with a time for each part

Where the account stands10 min
- What do they buy, how much do they use it, and how happy are they?
What they are trying to achieve12 min
- What are their goals this year, in their own words?
Who matters, and what each cares about15 min
- Who decides, who influences, and who would argue against us?
Where we could help more13 min
- Which of their goals could we help with that we do not today?
The next three moves10 min
- What do we do next, who does it, and by when?

How the notes read afterwards

A made-up example, so you can see the shape. In a real call each line carries the words that were said and who said them.

Stands. 120 seats, renewal in June; usage strong in finance, weak in operations.

Their goal. Close their books in 5 days instead of 9.

People. The CFO decides; the controller is our champion; IT worries about data access.

Moves. Workshop with operations (Ana, by the 15th); security review pack to IT (Tom); executive check-in with the CFO in March (Lea).

Running it well

Start from their goals, not your quota. An account plan built around what you want to sell reads like one to the customer.
Map people, not just titles: who decides, who signs, who uses it every day, who has been burned before.
Keep it to three next moves with dates. A forty-point plan does not survive the first busy week.

Ways to change it

Quarterly refreshThirty minutes to update the same plan.

Small accountsGroup similar customers and plan for the group.

When to skip it. For small accounts that run themselves; save it for customers where one deal changes your year.

Questions

What is an account plan?

A written plan for growing and keeping an important customer: their goals, the people involved, where you can help, risks, and the next actions with owners.

What should an account plan include?

The account's current state, the customer's goals, a map of the people and their interests, opportunities, risks and the next steps.

How often should account plans be updated?

Usually each quarter, and after any big change at the customer.

What happens in the room

Everybody joins from the link, with no account. The agenda sits beside the call and each item fills in with what was said about it, under the name of the person who said it.

More templates

Deal reviewOne salesperson walks their manager and a few peers through a single important deal, and the group tests whether it is as real as it looks and what would move it forward.Win-loss reviewLook back at deals you recently won and lost — ideally with the buyers' own words — to learn what really decided them, and change what you sell or how you sell it.Forecast callEach salesperson or team says which deals will close this period and how sure they are, so the business has a number it can plan around.Territory planningDecide who sells to whom next year: split accounts and regions fairly, match them to people's strengths, and set what each territory should bring in.Partner introduction callA first call with a possible partner — a reseller, an agency, another product — to see whether you serve the same customers and could each help the other win.Contract negotiation callWorking through the open terms of a contract with the other side: what each needs, what each can give, and what goes back to lawyers — so the deal closes without surprises.Proposal walkthroughInstead of emailing a proposal and waiting, walk the buyer through it live: check it matches what they asked for, answer questions, and agree the next step.Upsell conversationWith a customer who is doing well: review what they have achieved, spot where more would help them, and offer it only if it fits — a conversation, not a pitch.

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