Key Account Management
Overview
A small number of key accounts often generate most of the revenue. This course shows how to identify key accounts, understand their business deeply, build account plans, manage multi-level relationships and grow value for both sides over the long term.
Who should attend
Key account managers, sales managers, business development staff and senior sales executives.
Training methodology
Interactive presentations, practical exercises, case studies, group discussions, role-plays where relevant, and a personal action plan that participants apply in their own work.
Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Select and segment key accounts using clear criteria
- Analyse the customer's business and buying process
- Build a key account plan with objectives and actions
- Manage relationships across the customer organisation
- Negotiate and grow account value sustainably
Course outline
Day 1Key Account Strategy
- What makes an account key
- Selecting and classifying accounts
- Stages of the key account relationship
- The key account manager's role
- Internal alignment
- Review of your accounts
Day 2Understanding the Customer
- Customer business analysis
- Buying centres and decision makers
- Customer value drivers
- Account profitability
- Competitive position in the account
- Exercise: map a buying centre
Day 3Account Planning
- Account plan structure
- Objectives and opportunities
- Value propositions for the account
- Action plans and resources
- Reviewing the plan with the customer
- Workshop: build an account plan
Day 4Relationships and Influence
- Multi-level relationship mapping
- Building trust
- Influencing senior stakeholders
- Handling conflict and service failures
- Team selling
- Role-play: senior customer meeting
Day 5Growing Account Value
- Value-based negotiation
- Cross-selling and upselling
- Contract renewals
- Measuring account performance
- Using CRM effectively
- Action plan
