Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is a catch-all for hiring an expert to undertake almost any business process. BPO is often used as a synonym for contact centres, but most B2B companies outsource a much wider range of account management services to experts – payroll, accounts, human resources, and IT are all candidates.

But when it comes to managing your existing clients, is that a step too far? Why would you handover all those precious relationships and allow a BPO to handle your account management processes?

The first thing to remember is that working with a BPO on account management does not mean that you can no longer speak to your own clients, or nurture a closer relationship. What it does mean is that you can focus on these aspects of your B2B relationship and worry less about the day-to-day interactions needed to ensure deliveries are taking place and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are being met.

Outsourcing is often assumed to be a strategy focused on little more than reducing costs, but think about the additional advantages of working with an expert on account management.

• No need to sweat the small stuff!
As mentioned, your primary focus is nurturing your client relationship, not monitoring KPIs – unless there is a problem that needs to be addressed.

• Efficiency
By applying the experience of working across many different clients a BPO can dramatically increase the efficiency and productivity of an account management team. Experience counts.

• Greater Volume
Call volumes can be dramatically improved through improved planning and applying best practice to client contact processes.

• Standard procedures
By designing and documenting the processes involved in account management they can be continually improved and a BPO will apply these improvements across all clients. Systematic and continuous improvement.

• Transparency
Because the account management process is documented and monitored through KPIs and Service Level Agreements (SLAs), there is complete transparency about all actions being taken.

As any sales or account manager knows, the account management process is no longer about winning business, it is focused on ensuring the client is happy and is getting the service they expect. It requires occasional relationship management directly between the two companies in the client and supplier relationship, but the use of a BPO in the middle of this relationship can lead to a much more process-oriented and professional relationship.

Why wouldn’t you want to improve your account management processes and at the same time also create more time to build better customer relationships? This is the opportunity that account management BPO offers.

These are uncertain times for businesses in many industries so client retention is more important than ever. If you want to have the best possible chance of retention and simultaneously improving your opportunity to grow new business then working with a BPO for account management should be on your radar.

Get in touch with ICON directly if you would like further examples or case studies about companies that have dramatically improved their inside sales process thought partnership with a BPO.