---
name: account-plan
description: Use when pursuing, defending, expanding, or recovering a client account or project opportunity. Use when applying the Account Plan consulting method and when a user asks for Account Plan, method execution, structured diagnosis, or action planning.
license: Apache-2.0
---

# Account Plan

Use this skill to run `Account Plan` as a practical consulting method, not as a generic framework explanation.

## Method Notes

- Map decision rights, relationship strength, competitor position, proof gaps, and next ask.
- Do not treat a friendly contact as the account plan.

## Required Inputs

Collect or infer these inputs before execution:

- account background
- opportunity
- stakeholders
- competitors
- relationship evidence

If an input is missing, do not block automatically. Mark it as `missing`, state the assumption used, and add a validation action.

## When Not To Use

Do not use without a named account, a defined business need, relevant stakeholders, a value hypothesis, and a next customer decision. It is not a generic market or campaign plan.

## Adjacent Methods

- `stakeholder-power-map`: diagnose power, stance, and hidden vetoes around one decision.
- `deal-strategy-map`: plan the buying path and next commercial commitment for one opportunity.

## Step-by-Step Execution

| Step | Required input | How to execute | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set account objective | Account, opportunity, target outcome, timeline. | State win/expand/defend/recover objective and commercial stakes. | Account objective. |
| Map account structure | Stakeholders, decision rights, budget, users, influencers. | Map formal and informal buying network. | Account stakeholder map. |
| Diagnose value and proof | Client business problem, current supplier, competitor, proof assets. | Clarify why change is valuable and what proof is missing. | Value/proof diagnosis. |
| Identify risks and paths | Stakeholder map, competitor position, relationship gaps. | Find blockers, sponsor path, political risks, and fallback routes. | Account risk/path map. |
| Build 30-day plan | Risks, paths, meeting opportunities, owner capacity. | Define next asks, messages, meetings, proof, and validation signals. | 30-day account plan. |

## Output Template

```markdown
### 1. Account Objective And Evidence
Account objective:
Decision deadline:
Confirmed facts:
Assumptions to test:

### 2. Stakeholders And Buying Path
| Stakeholder | Role / power | Current stance | Evidence / confidence | Needed movement | Next ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |

### 3. Value, Competition, And Risk
| Buyer need | Proposed value | Proof | Competitor / alternative | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|  |  |  |  |  |

### 4. 30-Day Action Plan
| Action | Owner | Timing | Expected commitment / signal | Fallback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|  |  |  |  |  |

### Evidence And Next Decision
- Confirmed facts:
- Assumptions:
- Missing evidence:
- Next action, owner, and timing:
- Expected signal and decision threshold:
```

## Quality Gate

- Produce the method-specific outputs for Account Objective And Evidence, Stakeholders And Buying Path, Value, Competition, And Risk; do not substitute a generic framework summary.
- Tie every material score, causal claim, or stakeholder judgment to evidence or label it as an assumption.
- Include at least one disconfirming check, sensitivity, alternative explanation, or failure condition appropriate to the method.
- Convert the result into a named action or decision with an owner or stakeholder, timing, and observable signal.
- State missing inputs and the smallest validation action instead of inventing precision.
- Keep wording professional and plain enough that a smart non-specialist can use the output directly.