Traditional, top-down planning has long shaped how organizations set strategy and drive account management. Executives plan from the boardroom, often distributing rigid checklists and static account plans.
While these systems might appear organized, they frequently result in disengaged teams, surface-level customer relationships, and missed opportunities for true growth. Why does this happen? Because these plans overlook what truly drives customer success: authentic connection, team buy-in, and a willingness to adapt.
In a recent webinar with Mason Cosby, I explored how organizations can rethink strategy and account management by moving beyond traditional, top-down planning. Here are some of the top, key takeaways:
The pitfalls of top-down planning
This top-down approach often leads to:
- Missed buy-in: When people can’t contribute ideas, their engagement and execution are often only half-hearted. This creates organizational misalignment.
- Commoditized offerings: Generic solutions miss the subtle, unique needs of each account, hindering true B2B sales strategy.
- Shallow relationships: Account planning becomes about checking boxes, not forming bonds—so deals are easily lost to competitors who make a more personal connection, impacting customer loyalty.
One of the many things we discussed during this conversation was that many account plans just collect dust—they sit in spreadsheets or PowerPoint decks, disconnected from what our teams are actually executing day to day.
Because of this, there becomes a consistent lack of ownership across the organization with minimal innovation, little real customer loyalty, and continued disengagement among both employees and customers.
Collaborative planning and empathy: redefining success for go to market teams
Moving from rigid plans to collaborative planning is a fundamental cultural shift, not just a process change. In truly collaborative environments, everyone has a voice—from sales reps in the field to product developers and even customers themselves. This approach is critical for cross-functional alignment within go to market teams.
“Things that get co-created are actually bought in on. We don’t want to just dictate to people what their jobs should be… When they can co-create through a collaborative tool, they feel invested in its success because they put their name on it.” - Mason Cosby
Leading with empathy
Empathy takes this further by helping us understand personal aspirations, internal pressures, and hidden pain points. Instead of only asking about business objectives, teams dig deeper:
- "What keeps this person up at night?"
- "What are they genuinely excited to achieve in the next year?"
B2B buying is complex, often involving several people across a myriad of departments, each with different goals, priorities, and tolerance for ambiguity. Effective account planning focuses on creating a truly customer-centric buying experience, recognizing the stakes that each participant is putting on the line.
This level of empathy ensures that selling a solution isn’t just about securing a sign-off from finance—it’s about gaining emotional investment and understanding the nuanced circumstances of stakeholders, such as someone who may be cautious about new investments after recently managing layoffs. When strategy and account planning are built on empathy, organizations foster trust, uncover new opportunities, and position themselves as true partners in their clients’ success.
Making strategy and account planning inclusive and dynamic with visual tools
The best account strategies are accessible, relevant, and actionable for everyone—both customers and team members. This means making plans, meeting notes, and decisions understandable and available to all, and inviting feedback from those closest to the real work, not just the leadership. This is where visual collaboration for strategy truly shines.
For example, our account planning workflows are designed as collaborative canvases, not just documentation. When teams co-create white space opportunities, stakeholder maps, value hypotheses, and playbooks together, they can completely change how they show up to QBRs and executive reviews.
Empathy and co-creation
Empathy plays a key role in co-creating solutions. When everyone’s perspective is valued, solutions are more creative, needs are better anticipated, and both short- and long-term challenges are solved more smoothly. Empowered stakeholders—customers and employees alike—are also clearer on their own roles and how their input drives the organization forward, improving overall organizational alignment.
With an inclusive, collaborative approach, you get:
- More genuine engagement and helpful feedback.
- Solutions that adapt to real, evolving needs.
- A more motivated and innovative team, ready for sales enablement.
Scalable growth through ownership, commitment, and empathy
Growth that lasts comes from ownership and commitment—not just buy-in. When people truly feel part of the process, they don’t just complete tasks—they get invested in the outcome and take pride in contributing to something important.
Building a culture of trust
Cultivating this kind of environment requires trust, open feedback, and plenty of listening. Teams who feel safe to ask hard questions and propose unusual ideas can learn and adapt faster. Customers experience the difference and reward you with loyalty.
Organizations that center strategy and planning on collaboration and empathy see:
- More successful implementations and smoother launches.
- Better win rates on both new and renewal business.
- Greater innovation, inspired by a wide range of viewpoints and powered by customer empathy.
The strongest relationships—internally and with customers—are born from genuine partnership, not just transactions.
Embedding collaboration and empathy: practical steps and tools
For real change to last, leadership has to model the behavior: openly value collaboration, recognize empathy, and reward cross-functional teamwork.
Action steps to make change real
Practical steps include:
- Beginning every project with a kickoff that includes multiple teams and direct customer insights.
- Creating a shared digital workspace so plans and ideas remain visible and up to date, enabling visual collaboration for strategy.
- Scheduling recurring feedback sessions where the focus is on learning and improvement, not just reporting progress.
Digital whiteboards, real-time collaboration platforms, and team trainings on active listening and unbiased feedback are essential. Small wins build confidence and show that empathy and collaboration are concrete business drivers—not just buzzwords.
Make collaboration and empathy your strategic foundation
Collaboration and empathy are not just “soft skills”—they’re strategic essentials for organizations ready to move beyond old checklists and hierarchical plans. Genuine engagement, creative solutions, and loyal teams and customers follow naturally when everyone is allowed, and encouraged, to shape the plan together.
Rethink planning as something owned by all. When collaborative, empathetic strategy becomes the foundation for both your internal work and client relationships, your organization sets the stage for real growth and ongoing differentiation.
FAQs: collaborative & empathetic planning in account strategy
Q: How does empathy improve customer relationships?
A: Empathy means truly understanding your customer’s pressures, needs, and long-term goals. This deeper understanding helps deliver solutions customers actually value—leading to stronger trust, more productive conversations, and longer-lasting partnerships. It transforms account management.
Q: What is the biggest barrier to collaboration in planning?
A: Teams often stick to old habits, and leaders sometimes struggle to hand over control. Breaking through this requires leaders to set the tone for open-mindedness, encourage feedback, and highlight early wins so confidence grows with every step towards genuine collaborative planning.
Q: How does collaborative planning drive business growth?
A: When everyone is invested—across teams and customer organizations—you get better ideas, solve problems faster, and create solutions that match real-world challenges. The result is stronger loyalty, lower risk of lost deals, and a foundation for ongoing innovation and growth, fostering truly effective B2B sales strategy.
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