How to develop your Key Account Managers into Leaders of Change (Part 2)
It is widely recognised that one of the single most important drivers of profitable and loyal customers is the Key Account Manager (KAM). A quick glance at the target revenues (and profits) that these KAMs are tasked with delivering makes them powerful determinants of the entire company’s performance. But KAMs often complain of feeling isolated and unsupported by their company.
They are vague about their role and responsibilities and too often feel under-trained and unable to cope with the dynamics of the marketplace and the demands placed upon them. In Part 1 we looked at how to properly define the job of a Key Account Manager and someone’s ability to do it well. In this article we will look at different ways of closing the skills gap.
We will highlight good practice and identify the pitfalls that often cause KAMs to underperform and defect. We will continue to use the 10-Step Approach as our guide.
Published in The Journal of Selling and Major Account Management by the Sales Research Trust,
Volume 3, No. 1, 2000
