Is there anything worse than taking over another key account manager's clients only
to find out that you've inherited a big fat mess?
I mean, it's fine for them,
they've moved on, but you're the one who has to clean it up.
So what do you do?
Well, in this video, I'm going to explain exactly how to figure
out where things went wrong, how to fix them and restore your clients trust fast.
So sit tight. I will be right back.
Hi, Heroes. I'm Warwick Brown,
founder at Account Manager Tips, host at the KAM Club and on a mission
to help busy key account managers get results.
Now, if there's one thing I can guarantee, every key account manager, it's this.
You will inherit clients and not all of them are going to be in great shape.
Now, you might take over a client because the former key account manager was
promoted or there was a reshuffle of accounts to distribute the workload.
Now when that's the case. It's kind of good news.
Your predecessor is still in the business,
so you can ask them questions about how certain things came to be and you can hold
them accountable for their mistakes and get some help to clean them up.
But sometimes, though,
you take over clients because the former key account manager has left.
And the bad news is you may find yourself
in the middle of a hornet's nest of problems that they've hidden.
Either way, guess whose job it is to sort them out?
Yeah, you got to say sorry for problems
you didn't cause and repair a relationship that you didn't damage.
It's frustrating, it's stressful, it's challenging.
But don't worry, I've got you covered.
Here are twelve tips to help you fix the problems of the past.
One. Accept responsibility.
No matter what state your accounts are in, it's up to you, the key account manager,
to do what it takes to get things back on track.
Now, if you approach your new role
with honesty and integrity, restoring trust will be a lot easier.
And to restore that trust, you have to take responsibility for what's happened.
Don't continue to cover up any problems.
You're now in charge and anything
that went wrong under your predecessor now falls on you.
Show some humility and recognise that it won't happen again and express confidence
to your client that you're going to fix things.
Reassure everybody that they can trust your judgement moving forward.
Two. Understand the past.
As the expression goes,
those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Find out what tools your predecessor used and how they did things.
Read emails, meeting notes,
business reviews and any other important documents that they left behind.
This will give you a really good idea of what went on before you came along
and will help you avoid making the same mistakes.
Talk with people in your company
who worked with your predecessor on a regular basis.
Ask them if they've got any suggestions
for how you can make sure that they're more comfortable working with you.
And also ask your client if there's
anything you can do to make their job easier moving forward.
Hey, and do this over a call or a Zoom or in person.
Don't send emails.
You'll get way more information because they're much more likely to say, "You
didn't hear it from me," in a conversation than in writing.
Three is to form your own opinion.
Now, whenever you inherit a mess at work,
your first instinct might be to clean it up right away.
But let's face it, your predecessor had some reasons
for doing things their way, and they're probably not all bad.
You don't know the full story yet.
Don't make any decisions until you've had
time to observe and learn from what your predecessor did in their position.
Now, it is rare, but it does happen, but it's rare, that one person is so
completely useless, so completely incompetent,
that they are entirely to blame for the mess that you've inherited.
So you kind of got to ask, why did this happen in the first place?
Why was the relationship strained?
Why did it go undetected? Why weren't solutions in place? Are the issues
the root cause, or are they the symptoms of something much bigger? My advice?
Reserve judgement on the situation till you've got some facts.
Four. Don't bad mouth anyone.
Now, it's easy to blame the previous key
account manager when entering a chaotic situation at work.
In one meeting, while I was presenting the previous quarterly review,
my client said, "What was he thinking?" Now, since "He" is no longer present,
everyone else in the room becomes guilty by association.
And I mean, how do you answer that? I didn't.
Nobody knows better than the people living in it how it came to be.
You should avoid mentioning prior decisions or actions.
And even if you're not a fan
of the previous account manager, you may find they've got a lot of friends,
and that means you could easily make some enemies as you start pointing fingers.
We can't change what happened then, but we can change what we do now is
the best response when tempted to blame predecessors.
Take the high road.
Five. Avoid over servicing.
So you've inherited an unhappy client.
Well your first instinct is probably to win them over at all costs.
Do whatever it takes. Beware.
You could create more problems by over servicing them.
Don't jump through rings of fire to prove that you're worthy.
All that does is turn you into a doormat, and it establishes unhealthy patterns
in your new relationship in which your client has all the power.
Clients want things to work as you promised them.
That's kind of it. No more, no less.
View everything through a customer improvement lens.
Take actions that increase your client's
confidence in the value of your partnership.
And sometimes that's going to mean telling
your clients to do things differently, or even say no.
Build your new client relationships on the foundation of mutual trust and respect.
Keyword mutual.
Six. Don't emotionally distance yourself.
Depending on what kind of mess it is that you've inherited.
Your client may have some feelings.
Anger for hiding problems.
Frustration that they are not resolved yet.
Anxiety about changes.
Stress about the workload required to fix things, and a whole bunch more.
Now I've been introduced to clients
whose first words to me were, "I know it's not your fault, but,"
and then they launch into a tirade of complaints.
Lack of communication is the cause of most problems, so your priority when inheriting
another account manager's mess is just to listen.
Let your clients sound off on their issues
and concerns and how they see your role in resolving them.
Show empathy and recognise
the contribution the organisation has made to how they feel.
Seven. Be transparent.
When you inherit someone else's accounts, you take on their responsibilities.
Transparency is key.
Don't try to hide any mistakes or bad decisions made by your predecessor.
Don't throw them under the bus either.
Explain your next steps,
keep them informed and be honest about where things stand.
Let your client know that if they trust you, it will help get them back on track.
Eight. Change what needs changing.
If you've inherited a mess,
there are inevitable questions about how and why things are done.
We've already talked about that.
Investigate the situation to understand
what happened and how to prevent it reoccurring.
And if you see an opportunity to fix
something, well, don't be shy about making changes.
Your primary goal is to do right by your client.
Try new things.
You can always change course if things aren't working.
Naturally, you should respect policies and procedures and, of course, boundaries.
If anything appears outside of standard
practises, bring it up with colleagues or your boss.
Ask for advice on how to proceed or
alternatives, and then you can make your decisions.
Most important is to be willing to compromise.
You may find that adjusting your own
expectations or helping your client adjust theirs is in everybody's best interests.
Knowing what will and won't be realistic
is absolutely critical to working out solutions.
Number nine, start small.
If you inherit a client relationship
that's damaged, it may take time to repair.
Sweeping radical change may be necessary, of course, but more likely you'll need
to make incremental adjustments to solve problems.
Break up your big tasks into small,
systematic steps and set generous deadlines.
Now, you might be under a lot of pressure from your client or your colleagues or
your boss to get this mess sorted now, but don't over commit.
If you're too ambitious with your promises, you're going to risk under
delivering, and in the process, you're going to lose what little trust
you've built up as the new key account manager.
Speed doesn't matter.
Forward is forward. Okay?
Ten. Ask for help.
When you inherit a mess at work, it can be challenging,
even overwhelming,
as you navigate the situation, especially if you're also new to the company.
There is just so much to learn.
If you're feeling out of depth or stuck,
there is absolutely no shame in admitting it.
I can tell you from experience, it's so much better to ask for help when
your client is at risk than it is to make excuses after they've left.
Have you heard the expression of problem shared is a problem halved?
Well, it is so true.
Colleagues can point you towards resources or offer insights on managing your client.
But also remember,
when your client has issues, you must also inform the people within
your organisation whose responsibility it is to fix them.
Don't be tempted to do the work on their behalf.
Hold them accountable and get their commitment to resolve the complaints.
And while we're on the subject of help, how would you like mine?
Consider joining The KAM Club.
We are building the world's greatest key account management community with all
the tools, training and coaching you need to succeed.
And you can even get some one-on-one time
with me as well to work through anything that you want.
Learn more at amtip.co/kamclub or grab the link from the description box below.
Eleven. Follow through.
Making good on your promises is fundamental for building trust.
Don't promise what you will do, just deliver it.
If someone has your word that you'll get
something done by next week, get it done by next week.
Consistency creates trust because there are no surprises.
Your clients know that you are reliable and what to expect from you.
And finally, number twelve.
Stay positive.
It's so draining to fix a mess you didn't create.
You're in the firing line of all that bad energy and the temptation is to complain
to yourself, "What did I do to deserve this?" Keep an eye on your emotions.
Try not to take things personally.
You didn't create this situation,
so don't blame yourself for things that are out of your control.
There's always something positive you can
do or tell yourself even when faced with challenges like these.
All right Heroes, let's do a quick lap recap of what to do
when you inherit another key account manager's mess.
Accept responsibility.
Understand the past.
Form your own opinion.
Don't bad mouth anyone.
Avoid over servicing.
Don't emotionally distance yourself.
Be transparent.
Change what needs changing.
Start small.
Ask for help.
Follow through on commitments
and stay positive.
So thanks for watching Heroes.
If you enjoyed this video, like,
share and subscribe, it really does help the channel out.
And if you've inherited another key account manager's mess, what did you do?
How did you handle it? Any tips?
I would love to hear from you.
Drop a comment below. If you want to keep watching.
I recommend the Account Manager's Guide
to Dealing with Difficult Clients and until next time, Heroes.
Bye for now.