Provide Appropriate Account Management and Service (a Guide)

💰 Account Size vs. Account Management Approach

1. Small Accounts ($500 – $2,000/mo)

• Profile: Trades, solo shops, small local service businesses. Usually one decision-maker (owner).

• What they care about: Phone ringing, jobs booked, ROI. Not “marketing theory.”

• Recommended AM Activities:

  • Monthly: Simple performance update (dashboard/report + short call, screen shot of noteworthy dashboard results, text or voice memo).

  • Biannual in-person/Zoom strategy review (30–45 mins).

  • Quarterly only if seasonal (e.g., HVAC, landscaping).

  • Keep it lean → too much meeting feels like wasted money.

• Goal: Retention by proving lead value without burdening them with over-communication. Provide upsell opportunities if budget will allow. 

2. Lower-Mid Accounts ($2,000 – $5,000/mo)

• Profile: Growing trades companies, regional service firms, small e-commerce. May have a marketing coordinator.

• What they care about: Growth trajectory, scalability, efficiency, beating competitors.

• Recommended AM Activities:

  • Monthly: Report + scheduled 15–30 min call to interpret results and plan tweaks.

  • Quarterly: Formal strategy review (can be virtual).

  • Annual: Face-to-face roadmap planning.

• Goal: Show proactivity, not just reporting. Introduce upsell opportunities and strategy enhancements.

3. Mid-Market Accounts ($5,000 – $15,000/mo)

• Profile: Larger regional players, multi-location service businesses, well-funded SMBs. Often have a marketing manager who reports to leadership.

• What they care about: ROI attribution, campaign testing, competitor positioning, budget justification.

• Recommended AM Activities:

  • Monthly: Detailed report + 30-60 min call with both tactical and strategic review.

  • Quarterly: Face-to-face (or video if remote) QBR with a deck (KPIs, wins, competitor insights, next 90 days).

  • Annual: Deep-dive roadmap session with multi-channel planning.

• Goal: Build trust, align with internal stakeholders, position yourself as strategic partner. Provide both long- and short-term strategic upsell opportunities. 

4. Enterprise Accounts ($15,000+/mo)

• Profile: National brands, franchises, or very large regional service providers. Multiple stakeholders.

• What they care about: Attribution modeling, advanced analytics, channel diversification, innovation.

• Recommended AM Activities:

  • Weekly/biweekly check-ins with day-to-day contact.

  • Monthly executive summary deck with recommendations.

  • Quarterly in-person QBR (mandatory).

  • Annual strategic planning workshop with leadership.

• Goal: Be seen as part of their marketing leadership, not just a vendor. Participate in setting goals, both long-term and short-term with planned marketing budget expectations for those goals. 

📊 Data Points That Support This

• HubSpot Agency Growth Report (2023): SMB clients on <$2K retain longer with lighter but consistent reporting cadence; mid-to-large accounts retain longer with structured quarterly reviews.

• BrightLocal SMB Survey (2022): 62% of trades clients want “lead volume clarity” over meetings; 47% of larger SMBs ($5K+/mo) rated strategic planning sessions as highly valuable.

• TSIA / Gainsight: Enterprise and mid-market clients with QBRs see 20–30% higher retention and upsell rates.

✅ Rule of thumb:

• <$2K/mo → Keep it simple (biannual in-person + monthly reporting).

• $2K–$5K/mo → Add quarterly strategic check-ins.

• $5K–$15K/mo → Full quarterly QBRs (face-to-face or Zoom).

• $15K+/mo → Layered account management with weekly touchpoints + quarterly executive reviews.

Client Service Matrix

Spend Tier vs. Account Management Cadence

< $2K/mo – Small Trades, Solo Shops

• Monthly: Simple performance report

• Biannual: Strategy review (face-to-face or Zoom)

• Quarterly: Only if seasonal (e.g. HVAC, landscaping)

$2K–$5K/mo – Growing SMBs

• Monthly: Report + 15–30 min call

• Quarterly: Strategy review (virtual or in-person)

• Annual: Roadmap session

$5K–$15K/mo – Mid-Market

• Monthly: Report + 30–60 min strategy/tactical call

• Quarterly: Face-to-face QBR with deck

• Annual: Deep-dive roadmap + multi-channel planning

$15K+/mo – Enterprise

• Weekly/Biweekly: Check-ins with marketing lead

• Monthly: Executive summary deck

• Quarterly: In-person QBR with multiple stakeholders

• Annual: Strategic planning workshop