Key Account
Management
SUSPECTS
PROSPECTS
CUSTOMERS
KEY ACCOUNTS
Identified but
not yet
contacted or
visited
Visited but
not yet
buying
Buying
regularly
from you
80% from
20%
Where Are We Headed?
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is a key account?
How do you get your message across to potential key accounts?
How do you become a “partner” not a supplier?
How do you measure the value you create and use it to win new
business?
5. How do you audit a key account’s feelings?
6. How do you become an expert in their world?
7. What is the role of a key account manager?
8. What are the differences between an account manager and a typical
salesperson?
9. How do you exceed expectations at each stage of their experience?
10. How do you manage KAM as a “team sport”?
11. What is the role of the Board in all of this?
12. What should an effective key account plan contain?
WHO IS THIS?
• He was born on 3rd June 1947
• He always enjoyed his sport but
struggled in the early days
• He went to Oregon state university
SUSPECTS
Identified but not
yet contacted or
visited
Which 10 words capture your
company’s bit of magic,
character and uniqueness?
• Your website?
• Proposals?
• Presentations?
• Introductions?
Customers buy at an
emotional level
...but justify at a
rational level
So what do companies sell
at an emotional level?
NIKE
HARLEY
DAVIDSON
REVLON
YOU!
WINNING
FREEDOM
HOPE
?
“We are the only...”
“We are the first to...”
“We are the best at...”
“We are the leaders
in your sector”
“You won’t get it cheaper
anywhere else!”
GOOD
BU
UN
SD
I E
NR
ES
ST
SA
N
D
I
N
G
SUPPLIER
PARTNER
OUTSIDER
FRIEND
POOR
GOOD
RELATIONSHIPS
What Are The Partnership Indicators?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Clear evidence of ROI
They tell you that you are a partner
You understand their future strategy
Good multi-level relationships
Plan in place to develop the relationship
They give you confidential information
There are no nasty surprises
They give you referrals
If you were arrested and
charged with ‘planning to add
value’ would there be enough
evidence to convict you?
PRICELESS
3 AUDITABLE
2 QUANTIFIABLE
IDENTIFIABLE
4
1
Killer Questions:
1. What will this proposal do to our bottom line?
2. For every £1000 we spend what will we get back?
What questions would you ask a
key account to audit their
perceptions and identify
opportunities for the future?
Audit Questions
•Where are we meeting your expectations?
•Where are we exceeding expectations?
•Where are we falling short?
•What unresolved issues are there?
•How do we compare to other suppliers
a) in our industry?
b) all others?
•How would you sum us up in a sentence?
•How many marks out of ten?
•If we were an animal or bird what would we be?
The Future
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
How is your business changing and developing?
What pressures will you face?
What are your main objectives for the future and how will
you achieve them?
How could we help you? How could we add more value?
How will you measure us in the future?
What do you see as being the big issues for our relationship
in the future?
What could we do for you that we are not currently doing?
What would we have to do to score 10 out of 10?
Where would you be happy to see us have more of your
business?
Is there anything else I need to know?
• What makes good customer
service ‘good’?
• What makes bad customer
service ‘bad’?
• What happens?
How do you ensure that you are exceeding the
key account’s expectations at each stage?
Stages
Enquiry
Check-In
Room
Bar & Restaurant
Check-Out
Typical Experience
XX Experience
Stages
Enquiry
Typical Experience
•Polite
•Friendly
•Take details
•Confirm booking
XX Experience
•Use names
•Ask questions
•Special needs?
•Map link
•Details of local events /
attractions
•Book restaurants /
taxis
•We sign confirmation
KEY ACCOUNTS
80% from 20%
What is the process for proactively
“auditing” their perceptions?
If you are an EXPERT
in the client’s world
...you never have to sell again!
“To improve our profitability
by improving theirs!”
Your
Company
Key
Account
• Key account management is
a team sport!
• “My customer” becomes
“Our customer”
Team Diary
“Key account management is a team sport!”
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
1
2
3
4
TEAM
KAMDAY
5
8
9
10
SALES DIR
AVAILABLE
11
12
15
16
TEAM
KAMDAY
17
18
19
22
23
24
25
26
SALES DIR
AVAILABLE
29
CEO K/A
AUDIT
30
CEO
AVAILABLE
31
“None of us is as strong as all of us”
Team Expertise
Team
Food Sector
Keith
Transport &
Logistics
Printing
Professional
Services
*
Sheila
Mike
*
*
*
Pat
*
*
= Current, compelling ROI testimonials
Quarterly
Annual
Review
Strategic
Meeting
Review
Quarterly
Review
Meeting
Quarterly
Review
Meeting
Quarterly
Review
Meeting
The quality of service we give the customer
is influenced by
the quality of service we give each other!
• Imagine that your top key account is
producing 8% of the turnover
• Mike, the “account manager”, wins the
lottery and is leaving today
• He is handing over the account to Sue at 4pm
• What would you expect Mike to hand over
and discuss with Sue?
Intelligence
What is the
SWOT
situation?
Intentions
Implementation
What are the Who is going
plans for the to do what
future?
by when?
Background information
Intelligence
Organisation chart
“The numbers”
What is the
SWOT
situation?
Allies and enemies
Key account audit
Key personnel
Favours log
Supplier split
Strategic bridges
“Allies and Enemies”
HARRY
WILLIAMS
VERY
POSITIVE
ALLY
SUE
JACKSON
POSITIVE
INTERESTED
MINOR
DECISION
INFLUENCER
TOM
CHAUDHARY
MAJOR
DECISION
INFLUENCER
MINOR
DECISION
MAKER
MAJOR
DECISION
MAKER
INDIFFERENT
NEGATIVE
VERY
NEGATIVE
ENEMY
DICK
HALL
Key Personnel
TOM CHAUDHARY
DICK
HALL
HARRY
WILLIAMS
SUE
JACKSON
JOB TITLE
Commercial Manager
FD
CEO
SD
IN JOB SINCE
2010
1995
2009
2007
PA
Jane Wicks
Jane Wicks
Celia Gray
Pat Reynolds
REPORTS TO
Dick
Harry
Chairman Mary Cooper
Harry
NEXT LIKELY
JOB
Production for 2 years
?
Group CEO in 2 years
CEO when Harry
promoted
DIETARY
Does not eat fish
Wheat allergy
Loves pasta + real ale
Veggie + fine wines
CLAIMS TO
FAME
Appeared in Big Brother
Met Margaret Thatcher
Gulf War 1990
Sailed alone across
Atlantic
NO-GO
AREAS
Politics
Labour Party
Drugs – son died 1999
Fox hunting
HOT
BUTTONS
Karting
Liverpool FC
Venice, Rome
Arsenal FC
Sailing, surfing,
canoeing
FAMILY
Married with twin girls
Wife died – three sons
Married to Ann – son at
uni
Partner Tom – no
children
MOTIVATOR
Achievement
Security
Achievement
Influence
KEY DATES
?
?
Birthday 12/05/60
Getting married next
May
Supplier Split
Key Account: Bulldog Automotive, Warwick
Value today: £28,000
Suppliers
Design
Copy
Stat
Forms
Mktg
Pack
Mgt
Other
Total
Us!!!
……..
£7k
£14k
£2k
£5k
……..
……..
£28k
Woodside
Ind’s
£10k
£2k
£4k
£25k
……..
……..
……..
£41k
Print Rush
£5k
£2k
£6k
£4k
£5k
£9k
……..
£31k
KFL
Breedon
£20k
£3k
£3k
……..
£18k
……..
£20k
£64k
Total
£35k
£14k
£27k
£31k
£28k
£9k
£164k
Intentions
What are the
plans for the
future?
To add value to them
To improve your business
To develop relationships
Implementation
12-18 month calendar
Who is going
to do what
by when?
Build around their timings
Start with the end in mind
SUSPECTS
PROSPECTS
CLIENTS
kamguru.com
KEY ACCOUNTS