Client Account Planning:
The Six Critical Questions
You Must Ask
By Andrew Sobel
Client Account Development: Key Questions
This worksheet poses six fundamental questions that you should try to answer for all of the
significant clients in your portfolio. These are meant to complement your account plans and
encourage you to take a client-centric (versus product-centric) view of how to grow and
deepen the relationship. There are many areas this list does not cover—for example, the
competition—and this is by design. This short form focuses on the most essential dimensions
of client relationship development.
The six questions are:
1. Current Assessment: What is your current position with this client, and how would
you describe the central challenge you face in developing and managing the
relationship?
2. Client Agenda: What is the client’s agenda of essential goals and priorities?
3. Your Aspirations: What are your aspirations for this relationship?
4. Major Opportunities: What are the most promising opportunities to deepen and grow
this client, given their goals and priorities?
5. Key Relationships: What senior executive relationships must be developed or
deepened to capture the opportunities in (4)?
6. Resources: What internal resources and people do you need to leverage in order to
capture the best near-term opportunities and reach your ultimate aspirations for the
relationship?
Each of these questions is explained more fully on the next several pages. The last step is to
create an action plan listing key tasks.
©2011 By Andrew Sobel
www.andrewsobel.com
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©2011 By Andrew Sobel
www.andrewsobel.com
Client Name _________________________
1. Current Relationship Assessment
1-a: What is your current position with this client, and how would you describe the
central challenge you face in developing and managing the relationship?
Please position this client in the Client Development Matrix, below. Think about the criteria
that are listed as you decide where to place the client along the X axis (individual role you
play with the client) and the Y axis (the institutional relationship with your firm). Base your
judgment on an overall assessment. Pages 4 and 5 (next) provide more detail on these
definitions should you need them.
1-b: How would you describe the central challenge you face in developing and
managing this client relationship?
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
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©2011 By Andrew Sobel
www.andrewsobel.com
The six levels of client relationships
LEVEL
WHAT A CLIENT MIGHT SAY
1: Contact
We’ve met once or twice.
2: Acquaintance
I’ve known him for a while — we have some things
and people in common.
3. Expert
They have done a few transactions for us. They did
a very good job. In those areas they really know their
stuff.
4. Steady Supplier
They consistently deliver, and are the provider of
choice for this type of work.
5. Trusted Advisor
She’s superb at what she does and has great
business sense. I trust her judgment and use her as
a sounding board for tough issues.
6. Trusted Partner
They are a long-term partner in growing our
business. They always put our interest first, and add
great value. We get the best they can offer, globally.
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©2011 By Andrew Sobel
www.andrewsobel.com
2. Client Agenda
What is the client’s agenda of essential goals and priorities?
Think about two levels of agendas: The overall corporate agenda, and the agenda for your
principal (individual) client in the organization.
Corporate Agenda
What are this company’s 3-5 key strategic goals or priorities?
1. _______________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________
4. _______________________________________________
5. _______________________________________________
Individual Executive Agenda
What are the 3-5 most important priorities for your key executive client at this
company?
NAME & TITLE: __________________________
1. _______________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________
4. _______________________________________________
5. _______________________________________________
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©2011 By Andrew Sobel
www.andrewsobel.com
3. Your Aspirations
What are your aspirations for this relationship*?
Where would you like to take this relationship? What are your aspirations? State these
briefly.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
4. Major Opportunities
What are the most promising opportunities to deepen and grow this client, given their
goals and priorities?
What are the most promising opportunities to deepen and grow this client, given their
goals and priorities?
1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________
4. __________________________________________________________
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©2011 By Andrew Sobel
www.andrewsobel.com
5. Key Relationships
What senior executive relationships must be developed or deepened to capture the
opportunities identified in question 4? List the 3-5 most critical ones below.
Executive Name
Title
Who Should Take
the Lead from your
organization?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. Resources
What internal (or external) resources and people do you need to leverage in order to
capture the best near-term opportunities and reach your aspirations for this
relationship? List the 3-5 most critical people or resources that you must rely on or
collaborate with.
Resource
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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©2011 By Andrew Sobel
www.andrewsobel.com
Action Plan
Who is going to what, when?
Action Step
Who is
Responsible?
When
by?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
7.
8.
9.
10.
