How to Identify Risk When Managing Key Accounts

Managing key accounts is crucial as they are fundamental for driving revenue and play a pivotal role in shaping long-term commercial success. But when those relationships are not actively managed, they can quietly slip into decline. The cost of losing a key account includes immediate revenue loss, reputational damage, disruption to forecasting, and missed opportunities.

At TLSA, we work with sales and account leaders to create strategies that protect and grow key account relationships. That starts with knowing how to identify risk early, clearly, and with a plan to act. Managing key accounts effectively means being proactive, consistent, and insight driven.

What Risk Looks Like in a Key Account

Risk rarely presents itself dramatically. It builds quietly through changes in engagement, internal shifts on the client side, or lapses in service alignment. Common indicators include:

• Reduced responsiveness from the client
• Fewer opportunities for strategic discussion
• Increased focus on price over value
• Key contacts leaving or changing roles
• Delayed decision-making or project pauses
• Decline in order frequency or contract scope

Left unchecked, these signs can signal dissatisfaction or a competitor entering the picture. Managing key accounts requires paying close attention to these early warning signs.

How to Proactively Identify and Manage Risk

Key account risk is manageable if you have the right systems and behaviours in place. Here’s where to focus:

1. Broaden Relationship Depth

Don’t rely on a single point of contact. Create a network within the client’s organisation that spans functions and seniority. Relationship mapping helps highlight gaps and where influence may be lost if someone exits.

Regular check-ins across departments can also reveal broader client sentiment. Procurement, operations, finance, and executive leadership often hold vital insights that may not surface in day-to-day conversations. This broader view is vital when managing key accounts over time.

2. Monitor Strategic Engagement

Are conversations focused on solving long-term problems, or has the dialogue become purely transactional? If the latter, your strategic value may be under threat.

Account managers must consistently demonstrate industry insight, anticipate needs, and offer value beyond the immediate product or service. If clients stop inviting you into strategic discussions, it may signal their trust is fading or they no longer see you as a long-term partner.

3. Track Commercial and Operational Patterns

Unexpected changes in buying patterns, payment delays, or shifts in service usage often signal a deeper change in the client’s business. These patterns may indicate:

• Budget restrictions or internal restructuring
• Competitor trials or RFQs being prepared
• Shifts in leadership priorities

Use CRM data, customer feedback, and sales analytics to detect these changes early. The sooner you spot the shift, the faster you can respond. This is especially important when managing key accounts with complex structures.

4. Conduct Regular Internal Risk Reviews

Formalise risk assessment within your account management processes. Internal reviews create space to:

• Share frontline observations from your team
• Align commercial and service delivery perspectives
• Anticipate future risks based on upcoming client projects or market trends

Use these reviews not just for problem-solving, but for planning and pre-emptive engagement.

5. Implement Account Development Plans

Besides sales forecasts, key accounts require a roadmap. Such plans should include:

• Clarify client objectives and success metrics
• Identify growth opportunities aligned with client priorities
• Map influence and engagement strategies
• Assign internal actions and timelines

The plan should be collaborative and revisited regularly to remain aligned with both parties’ evolving needs. It’s a core part of managing key accounts with strategic intent.

Additional Key Account Risk Indicators Worth Watching

While the obvious signs often get attention, subtle indicators are just as important. Keep a watch on:

• Tone shift in communication: A colder or more formal tone can suggest discontent.
• Lower attendance in meetings: If key stakeholders stop showing up, it could mean priorities are shifting.
• Sudden increase in technical or commercial queries: Sometimes this precedes an internal review or upcoming tender process.

Encourage your team to report on these changes. Often, what feels like a small shift in behaviour is an early sign of greater risk.

Case Study: TLSA Enables Growth in the Software Sector

TLSA partnered with a specialist software developer focusing on Sage X3. The company had grown rapidly, and with that growth came the need for a more mature sales and account management approach.

We worked with their sales team to introduce a structured sales and account development programme. This included training in client engagement, opportunity management, and account planning. The programme also addressed internal process improvements to support more consistent execution and communication.

The outcome was significant. The business reported stronger client relationships, improved forecasting accuracy, and a more confident, commercially aware team. Sales managers developed clearer account strategies, helping the company align internal operations with customer needs and growth targets. Managing key accounts became a more structured, effective process.

When to Use Consultative Selling and When You Might Miss It

While consultative selling should be a foundational approach, it’s particularly vital in certain sales environments:

• Complex sales cycles: When multiple stakeholders are involved, and decisions are made over time.
• High-value solutions: Where the cost of getting it wrong is high, and trust matters.
• Problem-led industries: Where clients may not fully understand the scope of their challenge and need a guide more than a vendor.

Too often, sales teams default to feature-led selling because it’s faster or more familiar. But these are the exact scenarios where consultative selling delivers the most impact—by differentiating your solution through understanding, not volume.

Strengthening Internal Collaboration for Better Consultative Sales

Consultative selling is most effective when it’s supported by internal alignment. Sales teams don’t operate in isolation. Marketing, product development, and customer success all play key roles in delivering tailored, value-driven solutions.

When internal teams collaborate effectively, it leads to:

• Shared insights that deepen customer understanding
• Coordinated messaging that reinforces trust
• Faster response times to customer needs
• Smarter prioritisation of account opportunities

Encourage joint planning between sales and marketing. Involve product and support teams early in the sales process to strengthen discovery and solution design. A cohesive internal approach strengthens external conversations.

Building Long-Term Value Through Consultative Relationships

The true power of consultative selling lies in its ability to create sustained commercial value. When sales professionals shift from pitching to advising, they naturally uncover more cross-selling and upselling opportunities. By understanding the client’s evolving business context, they become part of strategic conversations.

This deeper involvement positions your organisation as indispensable. It leads to:

• Longer contract terms and increased customer lifetime value
• Early visibility into upcoming needs and budget cycles
• Greater openness to innovation and change proposals
• More resilient client relationships during economic uncertainty

Consultative selling, when embedded properly, helps future-proof client relationships. It ensures your team isn’t just responding to demand but actively helping shape it.

The Bigger Picture

Consultative selling is a commercial advantage that strengthens your competitive position and drives long-term business value. When executed properly, it builds competitive resilience, fosters customer loyalty, and opens higher-value opportunities.

But success requires more than enthusiasm. It takes process, coaching, and an intentional shift in how teams measure and define value. These are foundational components in managing key accounts successfully.

TLSA Helps You Strengthen What Matters Most

At TLSA, we help you turn key account management into a strategic asset. Our training and consultancy services are designed to help teams:

• Build deeper, multi-level client relationships
• Identify early signs of risk across accounts
• Structure development plans for long-term growth
• Respond to competitive threats with confidence
• Drive retention and loyalty with clear, measurable behaviours

Our programmes combine insight, structure, and activation, so new skills are applied, embedded, and measured against business outcomes.

Ready to protect and grow your most valuable clients? Talk to TLSA today. Visit TLSA Sales Training to learn more.