Build the account plan around a shared decision.

A useful account plan begins with the client’s business priorities.

What are they trying to change? What is getting in the way? Which decisions could a partnership help them make? Those questions give commercial discussions a clear starting point. They also expose assumptions that can remain hidden beneath an attractive proposal.

Consider a hypothetical advertiser exploring a new channel. The immediate request might be a campaign recommendation. The underlying decision could concern reaching a different audience, testing a new market or finding more efficient growth. Each objective calls for different evidence, stakeholders and measures of success.

An account plan should make those connections visible. Set out the priority, proposed contribution, evidence needed, responsibilities and next decision. Be clear about which outcomes the partner can influence and which depend on the client or other teams.

Senior relationships become more useful when they help resolve these questions. A productive conversation might settle a measurement requirement, unlock a decision-maker or clarify who owns an unresolved dependency.

Review progress against the commitments both sides made. Investment matters, alongside adoption, delivery, learning and the quality of decisions.