Account development
Accounts grow when weak signals are heard in time.
Often the closest growth is found in the customers you already have. Few customers will tell you themselves what else they would buy or why they have gone quiet. We listen to your current and former customers and build a model with you that ensures the whole company manages accounts consistently.
- You will know what your current customers would buy more of and what makes them stay.
- You will see which accounts can grow into strategic partnerships and who is responsible for them.
Recognise the situation?
Customers are still buying, but a little less.
In the monthly review, you notice that a familiar customer has bought less than last year. There have been no complaints, and nothing has been said. The account manager has been tied up with deliveries. It has been a while since the last meeting. Often the reason only becomes clear when the customer is asked.
of sales directors emphasised growth from current customers in 2025.
Source: Gartner 2025, survey of 243 sales directors- Everyone manages accounts in their own way. Performance depends on the individual.
- Account plans are in the job description, but the daily rush takes over.
- All customers receive the same amount of attention, even though their potential differs.
- Large customers only buy a small fraction of their needs from you.
- The CRM system is in place, but it is not utilised for account management.
Tyytyväinen asiakas voi silti ostaa vähemmän. Kasvu alkaa siitä, mitä asiakas kertoo omista tavoitteistaan.
What is account development?
Your best account shows how others should be managed.
Account development means systematically growing existing customer relationships into more profitable and longer-lasting ones. Customers are classified and segmented. Each segment is assigned a service level and a responsible person. Progress is tracked using agreed metrics. The goal is for the relationship to evolve from supplier to solutions provider and strategic partner. The work is based on what customers themselves say about their needs, not just on sales figures.
Many start with account managers. We start with customers. Training develops the account managers’ skills, and the CRM system defines what gets recorded. Both are needed. But first, it’s worth knowing where the account manager’s time is best spent. The customers themselves will tell you. Based on that, we build a model for your best customer relationship that works across the whole company.
An account management model is not a CRM system definition. The model tells you who to give time to, who is responsible, and what is done. The CRM system is a tool for the model. It records the information the model needs. Through its views, account managers and management see how accounts are progressing.
Management and account managers share where accounts are now
We review the customer base, key accounts, and the current way of managing them. We document what already works in your best account.
Customers tell us what they need
We interview your current and former customers. They tell us what they value, what they buy elsewhere, and what would make them buy more from you.
The model is built together
In workshops, we agree on customer classification, segmentation, service levels, responsibilities, and an annual clock. Account managers from every unit are involved, not just management.
The model is implemented one account at a time
Implementation starts with a few accounts. We brief management and account managers so that the model is rolled out both top-down and bottom-up. Metrics and CRM views keep the model in use. We stay involved until the model works even during a busy month.
Most often, we start with interviews of current customers. You will find out where accounts can grow and why some are going quiet. After that, you decide which accounts to focus on first.
Account development services
The service is chosen based on what you want from your accounts.
The starting point matters. If large customers are buying less, we usually start by examining the growth potential of existing customers while also reaching out to customers who have gone quiet. If customers have already left, a churn analysis reveals why. When execution depends on the individual, a shared account management model is needed. And when a handful of customers account for a lot of revenue, it’s best to start with key account plans.
Growth potential of current customers
Your current customers tell us what they buy elsewhere now, what they need next, and what they are willing to pay for. You get a customer-specific picture of where an account can grow.
- Interviews with your most important current customers
- Customer needs now and over the next year
- Upselling and cross-selling opportunities by customer
- Prioritised actions with responsible persons
- Typically 8–15 interviews
- The number depends on whether the focus is on current, former, or new customers
Churn analysis
Former and quiet customers tell us why they left or reduced their purchases and what would have made them stay. The answers also reveal early warning signs that help identify the next potential leaver.
- Identifying former and quiet customers from customer data
- Interviews with former and quiet customers
- Reasons for leaving and early warning signs
- Actions to reduce churn and customers worth re-contacting
- Typically 8–15 interviews
- For B2B and B2C customers
- In addition to former customers, current or new customers can be interviewed
Account management model
Customers are first classified based on what they generate now and what potential they hold. Then they are segmented. A service level is agreed for each segment: how much attention it receives, who is responsible, and how contact is maintained throughout the year. The model is built on top of what already works for you.
- Customer classification
- Segmentation
- Service levels for each segment
- Responsible persons and roles of account teams
- Annual clock: monthly meetings and contacts
- Metrics and CRM utilisation: data and views the model needs
- Typically 1–3 months
- Duration depends on accounts, business model, product and service portfolio, and industry
- Workshops starting from half a day
- Implementation through a few accounts
Key account plans
A responsible person, a goal, and a one-page annual plan are agreed for each key account. The plan outlines what the customer aims for, where you can help them more, and who should be met at the customer's end.
- Selection and criteria for key accounts
- Customer's own goals and decision-makers
- A one-page annual plan for each key account
- Regular reviews with the customer
- Plans are made together with those responsible for your key accounts
- Tailored according to the number of key accounts
Customer experience monitoring
Customer feedback is collected regularly through interviews so that any fading interest is noticed in time and successes are identified. The survey shows the level, the interview explains the reason.
- Monitored customers and metrics
- Regular customer interviews
- Early warning signs of fading interest
- Review for management and account managers
- Continuous service
- Number and frequency of interviews agreed based on your customer base
These services work independently or together. Interviews naturally lead into the model. The work is always carried out using your own customer accounts.
What our customers say
Customer feedback led to action right away.
An NPS of 100 shows that our customers recommend us. Numbers don’t tell you why, so we let the customer tell you themselves.
NPS 100 · Our customers recommend usTrustmary customer survey 2026
+28%Average sales growth among our clientsSource: Voitto’s project analysis 2023-2026
+15Average NPS growth among our clients, pointsSource: Voitto’s project analysis 2023-2026
"The customer interviews conducted by Voitto Group provided us with concrete and actionable data. We were able to react immediately: we offered additional services to our current customers and re-contacted selected companies with a now more clearly targeted message."
Juha OravalaD-Fence Oy
You can try it yourself
Three customers who used to buy more.
Monthly reports usually reveal three customers who bought more last year than this year. You can still call them this week. Don't sell anything — just ask how they're doing and what they need next. If one of them has already bought the same thing elsewhere, that tells you more than any report.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are we asked about accounts?
Where should account development begin?
Usually with what your current customers tell you. When you know where accounts can grow and why some are going quiet, you will know whether to invest in upselling, reducing churn, or an account management model.
What is an account management model?
An account management model is a common way of managing accounts. it involves agreeing on customer classification, segmentation, service levels, responsible persons, an annual clock, and metrics. The model tells you how much attention each customer group receives and who is responsible for it.
What is the difference between account development and customer experience?
Customer experience tells you how the cooperation feels to the customer. Account development uses that information: which customers to invest in, what to offer them next, and who is responsible for it.
Is it better to refine the current way or build a new one?
Rarely does everything need to start from scratch. The model is built on top of what already works for you, such as selected key accounts and the CRM system. In our experience, mere fine-tuning is usually not enough, as practices easily revert to the old way. That is why we also agree on how the new way will be maintained.
Is a new CRM system needed?
Usually not. The model works in your current CRM system. We agree on what information is recorded and which views account managers and management use. This makes the system useful in daily work and prevents the same things from being recorded in multiple places. Integrating the model into the CRM system can be part of the work. Usually, it is worth it. The scope and views are agreed upon together with you or your system provider.
How long does it take to build an account management model?
Typically 1–3 months. The duration depends on the number of accounts, business model, product and service portfolio, and industry.
How much of our people's time does the work take?
For account managers, the work typically takes about a day throughout the project, and for unit heads, 1.5–3 days. The amount depends on how much you want to be involved yourselves. We use your existing material whenever possible.
What does customer churn mean?
Customer churn refers to customers who stop buying or move their purchases elsewhere. With B2B customers, churn often starts quietly: the customer does not announce they are leaving but buys less.
How are the reasons for customer churn investigated?
By interviewing former and quiet customers. It's easier for people to speak frankly to an outsider than to their own salesperson. The answers reveal the reasons for leaving and early warning signs that help identify the next potential leaver in time.
How do our customers react to the interview?
In our experience, your customers find the interview meaningful. They appreciate being asked. The conversation also commits them to cooperation with you.
How quickly are results visible?
The first actions can often be launched immediately after the interviews. D-Fence launched three actions right away. The findings were in use in sales and customer service within six weeks.
Who does the work?
The founders do the work themselves. In a larger project, several of us are involved. Your contact person will be the same person from start to finish. In a larger organisation, we also brief your own leaders to roll out the model to units. The approach is tailored to your company.
Authors
Who you'll meet when you get in touch.
Tomi Tapper
eMBA · Aiemmin toimitusjohtaja, Kiva
Taustaa: Dustin Group, Fox Racing, Arwidson
+358 400 797 300
tomi.tapper@voittogroup.com
Mikko Fransila
BSc · Aiemmin johtaja, PwC
Taustaa: Deloitte, EY, Nokia
+358 50 567 6088
mikko.fransila@voittogroup.com
Markku Larkio
MSc · Aiemmin toimitusjohtaja, Chilitaito
Taustaa: Lidl, Microsoft, FootBalance
+358 50 409 4142
markku.larkio@voittogroup.com
Contact us
What is currently on your agenda regarding accounts?
A few sentences in your own words is enough. We’ll respond within one business day and tell you directly if we can help and where we would start. If the matter can be handled without us, we’ll tell you that too.
Would you rather talk?
A 45-minute conversation with one of us can also be booked directly from the calendar.
45 min · Teams or Google Meet · No sales pitch
Or by email: hello@voittogroup.com