Kapta - Your Customer Engagement Roadmap
  • Product
    • Know your Customer
    • Build Strategic Plans
    • Measure Outcomes
  • Getting Started
    • Services
    • Plans and Pricing
    • Integration
    • Security
    • Who We Help
  • Company
    • About
  • Resources
    • Understanding KAM
      • What is Key Account Management?
      • The CEO Guide to Key Account Management
      • 5 Common Pain Points of Key Account Management
    • KAM To-Go
    • Ebooks
      • The Big Book of KAM
      • Creating Kick-Ass Engagement Plans
      • Conducting Kick-Ass QBRs
      • Whitepaper: The Foundation of Key Account Management
    • Videos
      • Kapta Demo
      • 90-minute Account Plan
      • Building Strategic Action Plans in Kapta
      • 4 Pillars of Building a Strong Account Plan
      • Enhancing Leadership within Key Account Management
    • Blog
  • KAMCon
  • Request a Demo
  • Account Log In
  • Menu
successful key account management

10 Tips for Successful Key Account Management

June 20, 2016/in Key Account Management /by Alex Raymond

Though many may not realize it, key account managers are the unsung heroes of everyday B2B interaction. They don’t get the credit the sales team gets for landing new accounts, but they are responsible for maintaining the relationships that are critical to the ongoing success of a business.

Here are 10 tips for successful key account management in today’s busy business world.

1) Build Relationships That Acknowledge the Whole

When building relationships with clients as a key account manager, you should take a holistic approach, working to understand the ways in which specific relationships, functions, and business needs work together to define the key account relationship as a whole. By having a clear view of the big picture, you can more confidently take action to serve the needs of a client.

2) Be an Effective Liaison

As the key account manager, you are the primary point of contact between your clients and your business. Key account managers need to listen to their clients’ needs and communicate those needs to others in their company, so they can be addressed in a timely and efficient manner, no matter who the key account contact is dealing with. By acting as an effective liaison for your key accounts, you can ensure a smoother and more effective customer experience.

3) Understand Who Your Clients Are

In addition to taking a holistic approach to key account management, it is important to truly understand who your customers are. What is their business all about? What is the current state of their industry? What are their goals, and how can your company help them achieve those goals? The more you know about your key customers, the better you can tailor your service to suit their needs.

4) Be Proactive

Rather than waiting for your clients to bring up issues or ask about certain product or service options, be proactive. Regularly check in with your key accounts to ensure they are satisfied with your product and/or service. Keep them abreast of any changes or updates pertaining to your company and your offerings. By actively communicating with your key accounts you will earn their trust and have a better sense for the health of your accounts.

5) Be Reliable

When you say you will do something, be sure you follow through and do it. This is another important part of building trust between you and your clients. In this same vein, don’t make promises you can’t keep. Maintain realistic goals for yourself that correspond to the goals of your key accounts.

6) Lay out Clear Plans of Action

This means clearly establishing, for yourself and those working for you, a step-by-step approach to achieving each of your key account customers’ goals. This is important because it keeps everyone in your organization functioning on the same page and provides your key accounts with an outlined plan for success.

7) Look to the Future

Stay as far ahead of the game as possible, predicting your clients’ needs and preparing yourself and your assistants to deal with those needs in a timely manner. There are few things more impressive than being able to forecast the needs of your key accounts ahead of time and setting solutions in motion before problems even arise.

8) Provide Individual Service

What works for one client may not work for another. Be sure you are creating a customized plan of action for each client, understanding each client’s individual needs and expectations and adapting your strategies accordingly. This will allow for a closer working relationship between you and your key accounts.

9) Be Collaborative

Your goal, as key account manager, is to establish yourself as a valuable partner to your clients, someone who will work with them to develop strategies for achieving their goals. Take a collaborative approach to your key account relationships by frequently discussing what specifically you are doing for them and carefully listening to their feedback and directions.

10) Build Trust Through Communication

This means communicating when things go wrong, as well as when things go right. Keep the lines of communication open always so that everyone stays on the same page as you move toward established goals.

As a key account manager, you are tasked with supporting and maintaining your company’s most important business relationships, which is no easy feat. By following these helpful tips, you will position yourself as a valuable strategic partner to your key accounts and ensure their ongoing satisfaction and success.

 

 

Curious to see how you can take your Key Account Management skills to the next level? Download this helpful ebook on how to create powerful engagement plans for your key accounts or sign up for a demo of Kapta.

Alex Raymond
Alex Raymond
CEO at Kapta
Alex Raymond is the CEO of Kapta.
Tags: account management behaviors, KAM skills, key account management skills, successful key account management
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Google+
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on Linkedin
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
https://kapta.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Successful-Key-Account-Manager.jpeg 3605 5449 Alex Raymond https://kapta.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/logo340x156-300x138.png Alex Raymond2016-06-20 05:48:222019-10-25 15:54:5810 Tips for Successful Key Account Management
You might also like
Strategic Account Management program 4 Steps to Creating a Successful Key Account Management Program
Key account management skills 5 Essential Skills for Successful Key Account Management
key account manager empathy How Empathy Makes You a Better Key Account Manager
account management skills Critical Skills for Key Account Managers: The Power of Purposeful Listening
key account management skills 6 Signs You're Doing a Good Job as a Key Account Manager
key account manager interview questions 5 Interview Questions to Ask Your Future Key Account Managers

Categories

  • Account Management
  • Account Planning
  • Customer Engagement
  • Customer Success
  • Infographic
  • KAMCon
  • Kapta Product
  • Key Account Management
  • News
  • Quarterly Business Reviews
  • Strategic Account Management
  • Voice of Customer

Tags

Account-based Customer Success account management account management process account management skills account management software account manager skills account planning account plans change management coaching continuous relationship management CRM CSO Insights customer collaboration customer goals customer outcomes customer relationships customer success Jermaine Edwards KAM KAMCon KAM process KAM skills KAM software key account management Key Account Management Best Practice Key Account Management Tools Key Account Managers key accounts proactive account management protect revenue QBR QBRs Quarterly Business Reviews recession relationship mapping revenue growth Strategic Account Management Strategic Account Managers strategic planning SWOT upsell VOC Voice of Customer Warwick Brown

Contact Us

Kapta, Inc.
885 Arapahoe Avenue
Boulder, CO 80302

+1 303 495 6201
[email protected]

Kapta on LinkedIn     Follow Kapta on Twitter

Product

Account Management Software
Client Management Software
Account Planning Software
Voice of Customer Software
CRM for Strategic Accounts

Resources

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Data Processing Addendum
Security Statement
Privacy Shield

How to Improve Account Planning and Win the Loyalty of Your Key Accounts proactive account planning strategic account manager Keep Your Top Clients Engaged With Strategic Key Account Planning
Scroll to top
Paste your AdWords Remarketing code here