Customer Relationships

The Account Manager maintains the customer company record before building an opportunity around it. The account holds its commercial status, segment and eligibility note, together with a recognizable code and contact details. Enterprise, Mid-Market, SMB and Public Sector describe the available account segments.

Contacts identify the people involved in the relationship. Their title, contact details and influence information help the Account Manager understand who to approach. A contact can be identified as a Decision Maker, Influencer, Gatekeeper or End User without replacing the need to confirm that person’s current role in the customer conversation.

• Maintain the account context. Record the account code, location and annual potential alongside its segment. Keep the eligibility note understandable when the account is a Prospect or On Credit Hold so the next owner knows what needs attention.
• Identify the right contact. Link the person to the intended account and organization. Keep contact details current and distinguish the primary opportunity contact from other people who may influence the same relationship.
• Carry context into the deal. Select the account and contact when preparing an opportunity. The Retention Specialist can then use the same relationship context when planning a later customer conversation around an order reference.

Agree how the team assigns account segments and who maintains commercial status. The active flag and account status are separate values, so define how they are used when an account becomes inactive or needs a credit-related review. Do not rely on a familiar company name when the account code identifies a different customer record.

Decide what the influence description should tell another Account Manager and which contact changes require follow-up. Use the customer’s chosen communication process for actual outreach. If account or contact records arrive from a storefront or another customer system, agree the mapping and maintenance responsibility before setting up that connection.

Use a pilot customer company that purchases through an online account. The Account Manager records its segment and eligibility note, then adds a buying contact and another person who influences the purchase. Prepare an opportunity with the intended primary contact and confirm that both people remain associated with the correct account.

Change the account to On Credit Hold during the rehearsal. Ask the next Account Manager to explain the eligibility note before progressing the opportunity under the team’s commercial procedure. Then prepare a retention follow-up linked to the same customer relationship. The Retention Specialist should be able to identify the account and planned conversation without treating the account’s annual potential as a completed purchase.

• Accounts by Segment — Customer companies with their commercial status, segment and eligibility context.
• Contact Roles — Contacts with an assigned buying role, shown with their account and contact details.
• My Opportunities — Deals assigned to the signed-in Account Manager with their next steps.

Continue with account to proposal and use retention review and contact when the customer relationship needs a planned follow-up.