Client Teams – Team Building & Leadership

Client Relationship or Account Management programs require effective client teams if they are to be truly successful. Team Building should therefore be taken into account when first designing and planning what the Account Management or Client Relationship Management model will look like.

When developing these types of programs a lot of emphasis is put on the Account Manager or CRM and their role without considering that they require the support of the team to make the role work. Teambuilding and team leadership are essential if the initiative is to be successful.

Effective client teams means excellent communication, the sharing of information, collaboration working together on client issues, not working independently and finally commitment from all the client team to making it work. Part of the process of implementing a CRM model is deciding who will make up the client then engaging in team building activities.

To ensure that the Client Relationship Management or Account Management program is successful the CRM/AM has to have the ability to successfully carry out the team building process and then be able to lead the team.

Team building should therefore become an integral part of the program. The CRM/AM should spend time getting to know their team and agreeing how best to work together in order to deliver the high level of client service the initiative is intended to achieve.

A key aspect of client teams is the team meeting. First Creation Consulting has witnessed first hand how unproductive and dysfunctional these team meetings can be.

Poor team meetings include where the CRM/AM dominates the proceedings without providing the opportunity for others to contribute, or where team members are criticised in front of others. This leads to disunity where communication, collaboration and commitment breakdown.

Clients become aware when the team unit is not working and the level of service suffers as a consequence.

Therefore central to any successful Account Management/CRM program is high performing teams.

First Creation Consulting has been working with firms to design and deliver modules on team building.

These modules are designed to develop the CRM’s/AM team building & leading ability, then to facilitate sessions with the client team.