Grow the accounts you already have.
Your best new revenue is sitting in accounts that already trust you. This toolkit gives you the worksheets and templates to decide where to spend your time, plan each key account, find room to grow, protect renewals, and run customer meetings that buyers want to attend.
For account managers who own a book of customers
The toolkit at a glance
| # | Worksheet | Use it to… | Format | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W1 | Book of Business Tiering | Decide which accounts get most of your time | Sheet | 60 min, quarterly |
| W2 | One-Page Account Plan | Hold the whole plan for a key account on one page | PDF / Doc | 45 min per account |
| W3 | Customer Priorities Map | Tie what you sell to what the customer is trying to do | 30 min | |
| W4 | Stakeholder Map | See who matters, where you stand, and who you are missing | PDF / Sheet | 30 min |
| W5 | Whitespace Map | Find what the customer could buy but doesn't | Sheet | 45 min |
| W6 | Expansion Opportunity Check | Test whether a growth idea is real before you chase it | 15 min per idea | |
| W7 | Account Health Scorecard | Spot risk before the renewal conversation | Sheet | 20 min per account |
| W8 | Renewal Countdown Plan | Run every renewal from 180 days out | PDF / Sheet | 30 min to set up |
| W9 | Business Review Planner | Prepare and run a review the customer values | Doc | 60 min |
| W10 | Meeting Prep Sheet | Walk into every customer meeting prepared | 10 min | |
| W11 | Value Delivered Log | Keep a running record of outcomes you can prove | Sheet | 5 min a week |
Not every account deserves the same week.
Most account managers spread their time by who emails them most. The accounts that shout get attention, and the ones with the most room to grow get a quarterly check-in. Tiering your book fixes that. It takes an hour a quarter, and it decides where the other five hundred hours go.
Two questions decide the tier
- How much more could this account buy? Potential, not current spend.
- How likely are they to buy it from you? Health of the relationship and the fit.
A large account with nothing left to buy is a retention job. A mid-sized account with three divisions you have never met may be the best growth in your book.
The four tiers
| Tier | Profile | Your time | Planning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Grow | High potential, healthy relationship. | Around half your selling time across a handful of accounts. | Full account plan (W2 to W6), business review every quarter. |
| 2 · Develop | High potential, relationship still thin. | Around a quarter. | Stakeholder map (W4) and one expansion idea at a time. |
| 3 · Protect | Lower potential, large current spend. | Around a fifth. | Health scorecard (W7) monthly, renewal plan (W8). |
| 4 · Maintain | Lower potential, smaller spend. | The rest. | Health check each quarter. Scaled outreach and digital touchpoints. |
Worksheet W1 · Tier calculator
Score one account, see its tier. Run it for every account in the book; the top-25% spend check needs the whole book in view, so tick it when the account sits in that band.
W1 · TOOL
Tier calculator
Score one account on potential and health, and see which tier it falls in. Run it for each account in your book, then move any account a single tier with a written reason.
Total score
9 of 12
Tier
Tier 1 · Grow
Result · Tier 1 · Grow
Full account plan (W2 to W6) and a business review every quarter. Current spend: $420.00K.
W1Book of Business TieringOpen worksheet +
Purpose. Score every account on potential and health, and assign a tier.
When: start of each quarter, and when an account changes materially · Time: about 60 minutes for 20 to 40 accounts
Fields, in order
- 01Account
- 02Current annual spend
- 03Renewal date
- 04Estimated additional potential
- 05Potential score (1–5)
- 06Health score (1–5)
- 07Strategic value (0–2)
- 08Total (2–12)
- 09Tier (1–4)
- 10Notes
Override: you may move an account one tier with a written reason in Notes. Check yourself: add up planned hours by tier. If Tier 4 takes more than Tier 1, the tiers are right and the calendar is wrong. Full sheet in the downloads below.
One page, kept current, beats twenty pages nobody reads.
An account plan exists to answer three questions: what is the customer trying to achieve, who decides, and what are you going to do about it this quarter. If your plan cannot answer those on one page, it is a research file, not a plan.
What a good account plan does
- Starts with the customer's goals, not your products.
- Names people, not departments.
- Commits to a small number of dated actions, each with an owner.
- Gets reviewed with your manager every month and shared with your internal team.
- Has at least one part you could show the customer without embarrassment.
W2One-Page Account PlanOpen worksheet +
Purpose. The single page that holds the plan for a Tier 1 or Tier 2 account.
When: build at the start of the year; update monthly; rebuild after a major change · Time: 45 minutes the first time, 10 to update
Fields, in order
- 01Snapshot: account, tier, account team, spend, contract end, products, health and trend
- 02Their world: top three priorities in their words, what changed in six months, how they are measured
- 03Where we stand: up to three outcomes with numbers, up to three risks with owners, relationship coverage
- 04Where we can grow: top two opportunities with owner, value and target date
- 05The plan this quarter: three to five dated actions, at least one relationship-building
- 06What we need from our own company
- 07One sentence: "If this account goes well this year, the customer will be able to say: ____"
W3Customer Priorities MapOpen worksheet +
Purpose. Connect what the customer is trying to achieve with what you can help with, before you propose anything.
When: before writing an account plan and before every business review · Time: about 30 minutes
Fields, in order
- 01Their priority (in their words)
- 02Source
- 03Who owns it
- 04How they measure it
- 05Where we could help
- 06Evidence we can help
W4Stakeholder MapOpen worksheet +
Purpose. See who influences decisions in the account, how they feel about you, and where you have no coverage.
When: quarterly for Tier 1 and 2 accounts, and whenever a senior person joins or leaves · Time: about 30 minutes
Fields, in order
- 01Name and title
- 02Role in decisions (Decides, Approves budget, Influences, Uses, Blocks)
- 03Their priority
- 04Stance (−2 to +2, or ?)
- 05Access (0 to 3)
- 06Last meaningful contact
- 07Our relationship owner
- 08Next step
- Coverage gap: anyone who decides or approves budget with access 0 or 1.
- Hidden risk: anyone with stance “?” in a deciding role. Unknown usually means skeptical.
- Single thread: aim for at least two supportive people in each deciding group.
- Stale: any decision-maker with no meaningful contact in 90 days.
Growth starts with their problems, not your price list.
Expansion that sticks comes from solving a problem the customer already knows they have, in a part of the business you have not reached yet. Map the whitespace first, then test each idea before you spend the customer's time on it.
Three ways accounts grow
| Type | What it means | How hard |
|---|---|---|
| Deeper | More users, more volume, or more use of what they already own. | Usually fastest and easiest to win. |
| Wider | The same solution in another division, region or team. | Depends on a reference from inside the account. |
| New | A different product or service that solves a different problem. | Takes longest and needs a fresh business case. |
W5Whitespace MapOpen worksheet +
Purpose. Show, in one grid, what each part of the customer's business uses today and where the gaps are.
When: once a year per Tier 1 and 2 account, and before any growth planning session · Time: about 45 minutes
Fields, in order
- 01Rows: divisions, regions or teams
- 02Columns: your products or services
- 03Each cell: ● using · ◐ under-used · ○ fit · — no fit · ✕ competitor (note end date) · ? unknown
- 04Right column: owner contact
- 05Right column: estimated annual value of open cells
Worksheet W6 · Expansion opportunity check
Eight questions. Yes scores 2, Partly 1, No 0, out of 16. Questions 1 and 2 must both be at least Partly for anything above Park.
W6 · TOOL
Expansion opportunity check
Test a growth idea against the evidence before it goes into your forecast or takes the customer's time. Answer each question honestly, based on what you know, not what you hope.
01Problem: Has someone in the customer named the problem this solves, in their own words?
02Owner: Do you know who owns that problem and have you spoken to them?
03Cost: Can they say what the problem costs them, roughly?
04Timing: Is there a reason to act in the next two quarters (an event, a deadline, a budget cycle)?
05Proof: Do you have a result from this account or a similar one that shows you can solve it?
06Budget: Is there a known budget, or a clear route to one?
07Path: Do you know how they buy something of this size (approvals, procurement, legal)?
08Fit: Will the people who use it today speak well of you to the new team?
Score
10 of 16
Status
Develop
Result · Develop
Keep it in the plan. Work the No answers first; do not forecast it yet.
Renewals are won all year and lost in the last month.
By the time a customer tells you they are reviewing alternatives, the decision is usually half made. Risk shows up months earlier: falling usage, a departed sponsor, slow replies, or support tickets nobody followed up. Score health every month, and start every renewal well before the contract asks you to.
Worksheet W7 · Account health scorecard
Eight signals, each rated 0, 1 or 2 and weighted. Health = weighted total ÷ 30 × 100. Set any override and the status is At risk regardless of score.
W7 · TOOL
Account health scorecard
Turn early warning signs into one score. Rate each signal 0 (at risk), 1 (watch) or 2 (healthy). Weights are built in. Trend matters more than the number: track it month to month.
Usage ×3
Flat, or 60–90% of what they bought
Sponsor ×3
Executive sponsor engaged in the last 90 days
Value proven ×2
Outcome claimed but not agreed
Relationship breadth ×2
One
Support experience ×2
No open priority issues; tickets resolved on time
Responsiveness ×1
Replies within days; meetings happen as planned
Commercial ×1
Pays on time; no pricing dispute
Change in their business ×1
Reorganization or new leader, impact unclear
Overrides: any one forces At risk
Health score
73 of 100
Status
Watch
Result · Watch
Name the weakest signal and fix it this month. Tell your manager. Weakest: Usage and Value proven.
Worksheet W8 · Renewal countdown
Enter the contract end date. Each milestone calculates from it.
W8 · TOOL
Renewal countdown
Enter the contract end date. Every milestone date calculates from it, so the countdown starts 180 days out and runs to signature.
- 180 daysOct 2, 2026Score health (W7). Confirm contract terms, notice period and who signs. Note competitor activity.
- 150 daysNov 1, 2026Value review with the day-to-day owner: outcomes delivered (W11), usage, open issues.
- 120 daysDec 1, 2026Executive conversation with the decision maker: results, their priorities, scope changes.
- 100 daysDec 21, 2026Fix everything on the open-issues list, or agree a dated plan with the customer.
- 90 daysDec 31, 2026Share renewal proposal: scope, price, term. Expansion as a separate option, not bundled.
- 75 daysJan 15, 2027Confirm approval steps: legal, procurement, security, budget sign-off. Get dates.
- 60 daysJan 30, 2027Resolve commercial questions. Agree final terms in principle.
- 45 daysFeb 14, 2027Paperwork in the customer's process.
- 30 daysMar 1, 2027Signature target. Anything later than this is a risk, not a plan.
- EndMar 31, 2027Contract end date.
Result · Rule
If a milestone slips by more than two weeks, move the renewal to Watch on your forecast and tell your manager that week.
Early warning signs
- The person who bought you leaves, and nobody introduces you to their replacement.
- Usage drops for two months in a row.
- Your contact starts asking detailed questions about contract terms or data export.
- Meetings are shortened, delegated down, or moved more than twice.
- Procurement contacts you before the business owner does.
- A new executive arrives from a company that used a competitor.
- They stop asking for new features. Customers who have stopped asking have often stopped investing.
Run meetings they would pay to attend.
Customers judge you by the meetings you run. A business review that recites your roadmap is a cost to them. One that shows results, compares notes on their priorities and brings an idea they had not considered is a reason to keep you. The same goes for every check-in, email and introduction.
W9Business Review PlannerOpen worksheet +
Purpose. Plan, run and follow up a quarterly or twice-yearly business review.
When: start planning four weeks before the meeting · Time: about 60 minutes to prepare, plus time to gather results
Fields, in order
- 01Meeting goal: what should the customer decide, agree or do afterwards
- 02Their attendees, with what each cares about (from W4)
- 03Our attendees: smaller than theirs
- 04Pre-meeting call with your champion
- 05Agenda sent for input
| Minutes | Section | Content |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5 | Their priorities | Confirm what matters to them this year. Ask what has changed. |
| 5–20 | Results | Outcomes delivered against what they wanted, with their numbers (W11). |
| 20–30 | What's not working | Open issues and what you are doing about them. Raise these before they do. |
| 30–45 | Looking ahead | Their plans for the next two quarters. One idea from you, tied to a priority. |
| 45–55 | Decisions and next steps | What you agree to do, owners and dates. |
| 55–60 | Feedback | "What should we do more of, and less of?" |
After the meeting, within 48 hours: send the recap (template E3), log actions in the account plan (W2), update the stakeholder map (W4), and hold an internal debrief.
W10Meeting Prep SheetOpen worksheet +
Purpose. Ten minutes of preparation for any customer meeting that matters.
When: before every meeting that matters · Time: 10 minutes
Fields, in order
- 01Who is in the room, and what each person cares about
- 02What happened since we last met
- 03The one outcome I want
- 04Three questions I will ask
- 05What they might raise that I should be ready for
- 06What I will offer or bring that is useful, even if they buy nothing
- 07Next step to ask for, with a date
- 08After: what I learned, next step agreed, anything for the plan or the map
W11Value Delivered LogOpen worksheet +
Purpose. Keep a running, dated record of outcomes the customer has achieved with you. It feeds business reviews, renewals, references and expansion cases.
When: whenever a result is achieved or reported; review monthly · Time: about 5 minutes a week
Fields, in order
- 01Date
- 02Area or division
- 03Outcome, in one sentence
- 04Metric (before → after)
- 05Source (who measured it)
- 06Agreed by customer? (yes/no, and who)
- 07Linked customer priority (from W3)
- 08Usable for (review, renewal, reference, case study)
Email templates
Each template is short on purpose. Replace everything in [brackets]. Delete any line you cannot make specific.
E1 · Introduction to a new executive
Subject: [Company] and [Your company]: a quick introduction Hi [Name], Congratulations on the new role. I look after [Company]'s relationship with [Your company]. Your team uses us for [what they use it for], and over the last [period] they have [one specific result, with a number]. I'd like 20 minutes to hear your priorities for [area] and to share what we've seen work, so we can make sure we're supporting the right things. Would [two specific times] work? [Your name]
E2 · Meeting follow-up
Subject: Next steps from [meeting topic], [date] Hi [Name], Thanks for the time today. What I heard: - [Their priority or concern, in their words] - [Second point] What we agreed: - [Action]: [owner], by [date] - [Action]: [owner], by [date] I'll check in on [date]. Tell me if I've missed anything. [Your name]
E3 · Business review recap
Subject: [Company] business review: summary and actions Hi [Names], Thank you for a useful session. A short summary: Results so far: [Outcome 1 with number] · [Outcome 2 with number] Open issues: [Issue]: [what we're doing, by when] Your priorities for the next two quarters: [Priority 1] · [Priority 2] Agreed actions: [Action, owner, date] · [Action, owner, date] We'll review progress on [date]. [Your name]
E4 · Renewal kickoff (180 to 150 days out)
Subject: Planning ahead for [Company]'s renewal in [month] Hi [Name], Your agreement with us runs to [date]. I'd like to start early so there are no surprises on either side. Before we talk about the contract, I'd like to review what's working, what isn't, and what you'll need next year. Could we find 30 minutes in the next two weeks? I'll bring a summary of results and usage to date. [Your name]
E5 · Re-engaging a quiet account
Subject: [Specific, useful thing] for [Company] Hi [Name], I noticed [specific observation: usage change, their news, a new feature that solves a problem they raised]. [One sentence on why it matters to them.] If it's useful, I can [specific, low-effort offer: send a two-page summary, set up a 15-minute walkthrough for your team]. If priorities have changed, I'd value knowing that too. [Your name]
E6 · Asking for an introduction to another division
Subject: A quick favour: introduction to [Name/team]? Hi [Name], The results your team has had with [solution], especially [specific outcome], have been strong. I understand [other division] is working on [related problem]. Would you be comfortable introducing me to [Name]? I'd keep it short and share what worked for your team. Happy to draft a note you can forward if that's easier. [Your name]
E7 · Asking your own executive to sponsor an account
Subject: Executive sponsor request: [Company], [value] Hi [Name], I'd like your help as executive sponsor for [Company] this year. Why it matters: [Current spend], renewal [date], growth potential [value] in [divisions]. The ask: One call with [their executive, title] by [date], and a check-in once a quarter. Their priorities: [Priority 1] · [Priority 2] What I'll prepare: A one-page brief before each conversation. Could we take 15 minutes this week to go through it? [Your name]
A cadence for a book of accounts.
Worksheets only help if they are part of the week. This rhythm assumes a book of 20 to 40 accounts with a handful in Tier 1. Adjust the numbers, keep the habits.
| When | What | Worksheets |
|---|---|---|
| Every week | Move one action forward for each Tier 1 plan. Log outcomes. Prep every customer meeting. | W2 · W10 · W11 |
| Every two weeks | Check every renewal inside 180 days against its countdown. | W8 |
| Every month | Score health for Tier 1 to 3. Review account plans with your manager. Update stakeholder maps. | W7 · W2 · W4 |
| Every quarter | Re-tier the book. Refresh priorities and whitespace for Tier 1 and 2. Run Tier 1 business reviews. Check each open expansion idea. | W1 · W3 · W5 · W9 · W6 |
| Every year | Rebuild account plans from scratch for Tier 1 and 2. Ask three customers what you should do differently. | W2 |
Five habits that separate the best account managers
- They know the customer’s numbers. Not just what the customer spends with them, but what the customer is measured on.
- They raise problems first. The customer hears about an issue from them before it reaches anyone else.
- They multi-thread early. They meet the second and third person before they need them.
- They bring something every time. An idea, a benchmark, an introduction. Nobody wants a “just checking in” meeting.
- They write it down. Outcomes, commitments, contacts. Memory does not survive a reorganization; a log does.
Download the worksheets
The spreadsheet worksheets are ready now. They include the scoring, tier and countdown formulas.
AM-Toolkit-Sheets.xlsx
One workbook, one tab per sheet worksheet: W1 tiering, W4 stakeholders, W5 whitespace, W7 health, W8 renewals, W11 value log.
Excel · formulas built in
Printable PDF and Word worksheets are not available yet. The worksheet cards above list every field, so you can set them up in your own tools.
© 2026 W. C. Bowman · craftplaybook.com · Free to use with your accounts and your team. Example companies are fictional.