Strong sales and account management leaders can pave the way to innovative, customer-centric workflows and organizational changes. But as you're reorganizing how your team operates, tracking your KPIs and metrics, and even investigating internal sales processes, it's just as important to take a moment and evaluate your department's tools as it is to assess your goals.
If your key account management team is relying on outdated training and old rules of thumb, they can't work efficiently within new business paradigms of revenue and customer-centricity. A lack of training can even make employees feel undervalued, which is a costly problem during the Great Resignation. All with out-of-date account management ideas, outdated technologies can get in the way.
One of the best ways to put your new ideas and objectives as an AM leader is to have a tech stack that aligns with those processes and enables success. CRM.io puts investing in account management as a key priority for any business, as, "Account management is critical for any company looking to succeed in the business. It is a process that provides a systemized and structured form of handling customer relationships." To provide that system and structure, your AMs need their own systems and structures. Keep reading to learn what elements your AMs need most so you can address them during your first 100 days.
What Does Your Account Management Team Need to Be Successful?
Both old and new account managers benefit from enhanced training and more resources. Whether your team is mostly remote or mostly back in the office, a centralized database of company- and product-specific details, standard operating procedures, FAQs, and account management planning templates is essential. Focus on developing and providing resources for these key needs:
An Understanding of Your Processes, Customers, and Company Mission
Every company is different. You don't want your salespeople or account managers to use cookie-cutter sales and communication tactics. Instead, you want to make your business distinct through outreach messages and conversations that showcase your company mission.
Your AMs are often a client's first point of contact and most frequent point of contact with your business, so provide them with a thorough understanding of what makes your company a great fit for clients. Some must-have understandings include:
- The sales process: AMs need to be able to help prospective customers understand where they are in the buying process and what happens next.
- Additional processes: AMs also need to provide concrete answers regarding shipping, returns, help tickets, installation, service levels, and any other processes that your products and services entail.
- Buyer personas and ideal customers: Your AMs need to know the different types of customers your products can serve so they can personalize interactions and suggestions properly. This knowledge also helps AMs understand what marketing strategies and expectations clients were exposed to.
- Company policies (internal and external), the mission statement, and employee handbooks: An AM who understands your company's vision is one that can embody it and help customers feel connected to the mission. Similarly, employees that are engaged, feel valued, and don't have work-related stress are better brand advocators.
An Understanding of How the Customers and Your Solutions Fit Together
Salespeople may sell products, but account managers sell clients on solutions and how your organization can provide vital services every day. AMs need to have recurring training regarding your organization's products and services, different use cases for how they support customers, and any upgrades or new releases. This helps AM present more robust, tailored solutions to clients so they can boost revenue while providing a customer-centric experience.
Discover everything you need to know in your first 100 days as an Account Management Leader.
What Skills Should Your Account Management Team Have?
Knowledge-based training about your organization, your target market, and your products is just the start. As an account management leader, you should also invest in the skills of your AM team by providing skills-based training and operational tools that allow them to grow. Some key skills your AMs need are:
- Good communication: Your AM is the ambassador between your clients and your company.
- The ability to recognize their own faults: Self-awareness is essential for growth. As a manager, you need to create an environment where AMs can admit mistakes and ask for help without being penalized.
- Advanced approaches: As AMs gain experience, they'll develop the ability to take more personalized, strategic approaches with clients. Ensure that your KAM software supports personalized workflows.
AMs need these skills so they can both retain and grow your company's key account. Through skills-based training, they can learn more about how to start relationships, how to proactively search for growth opportunities that are customer-centric instead of sales-focused, and have an in-depth understanding of their clients' needs and future plans.
Kapta and Your Account Management Team
Equipping your team with a mix of company-specific knowledge and evolving skill sets for key account management are two essential and intertwined steps for making your first 100 days as an account management leader a success. At Kapta, we offer key account management training that helps both AMs and KAMs develop the essential skills and strategic lenses for creating strong customer relationships, anticipating growth opportunities, and creating robust account overviews. We're here to help you and your KAM team succeed.
KAM Training
Our training program is personalized to fit your company. First, we provide a comprehensive assessment of your KAM team's needs. Then, we provide two days of immersive training so your account managers can learn more about best practices, how to create and maintain account strategies, and how to use software to streamline the process.
Ongoing KAM Support and Software
In addition to periodic training sessions to keep the momentum and expertise growing, Kapta is ready to help provide any support you may need. Our Kapta software is designed to help you and your team manage key accounts so you can build strategies, grow revenue, and stay on top of communications. Our program allows your team to use our software to the fullest without ongoing training hours or interruptions.
Better processes and resources are the secret to long-term success with any key account management initiative. No matter what sector you serve or the experience levels of your KAM team, our training and platform are built to help them develop and succeed.
Request a demo today to see how our training and platform can fit your leadership plans.
