After reading your article it has given me information that I can work on. Key account management can drive more value than traditional sales for a few reasons: Sounds good, right? The skills, competencies and behaviors that enable the strategic account manager to successfully develop and sustain mutually profitable, long-term strategic customer relationships. They must be comfortable addressing C-suite executives as well as coordinating operations managers and sales reps. As noted earlier, key account management is a strategic program that encompasses the entire organization—not just sales. When done well, key account management can be an even more profitable investment than new sales. Because these customers represent such a significant portion of your business, it makes sense that you should invest in their long-term satisfaction and success with your company. Elias Savinides also believes that Account Managers should have the “ability to transfer that passion to the person you’re talking to”. While the breakdown may differ from company to company, the principle holds true. Hello Jenny! 1. And while all of the skills listed above are indeed strong identifiers of an effective operations manager, there's a lot more to being a good operations manager than this. Key account management is a powerful organizational strategy and can have big dividends for those companies willing to invest in the right managers and infrastructure. Here, we take a look in detail at those competencies and their implications for training and development. Barry Phillips shares his experience of formal training “I believe in the take the best and leave the rest philosophy on professional training programs. “If you can’t ask the right questions, you cannot listen very well and will not be able to respond to the needs of the customer. The top 5 account manager skills required are: Communication – talking on the phone, meeting new people, managing team members, writing reports and presenting to large groups are all aspects of the job, this is not a job for a shrinking violet. Everything you do should support those goals. The group were divided on whether formal training had a place in the development of account management skills. In addition, this person understands the competition, as well as their strengths, weakness, and vulnerabilities. Barry Phillips adds. [video interview], Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone, benefits of having good organisational skills, why putting yourself in your client’s shoes is so important, Account Management Skills Linkedin discussion, What you need to know about the evolution of branding, with Bill Wallsgrove. This expertise allows them to identify the best opportunities for growth and service to the client. One major distinction between traditional AMs and KAMs is the level of strategy involved in managing each account. Key account managers work with a company’s biggest (i.e., most important) customers to build long-term, strategic partnerships. Thanks for the positive feedback Mohammad, much appreciated! If a client or colleague asks your account manager to provide important information, you don't want them digging through a pile of paperwork to find it. By far the most mentioned skill. At the top of the list is communication. Below the competencies, you can find links to an excerpt from the SAMA book, “Customer Value Co-Creation,” as well as to relevant blog posts, podcasts and more for a deeper dive into the skills that make a great strategic account manager. They combine interpersonal and goal oriented skills, and in my opinion, these traits are truly important in any client-facing position. Hey Ramy, what kind of templates are you looking for specifically? Marcus Cauchi, London’s top Sandler sales trainer reiterates this point in this video where he talks about why your credibility comes from the questions you ask and not the information you give. What can you add to the list? The CAM role absolutely requires excellent […] As Joe Scannura says “it’s the number one skill I have found necessary for doing my job day to day. As the liaison for the customer and the rest of the company, the KAM has to excel at communicating in person, over the phone, via email, and across teams. This is where understanding the business also comes in handy. Because KAMs touch so many parts of the business, they should be confident and command respect from both their clients and co-workers. Let’s look at some key skills, traits, and competencies that are expected of a good manager. Accounting isn’t just about crunching numbers and producing reports. With many thanks to the contributions of Taskforce members from Alcatel BP This is one reason why your top salesperson may not be the best fit for key account management. A good account manager is knowledgeable and understands the goals and priorities of the company. Therefore, KAMs have a greater responsibility to manage both the customer and the customer’s interactions with other employees and departments to ensure a greater lifetime value for their customers. So here are the top 10 most cited account manager skills in order of importance: But as Greg Lowe points out “Most Account Managers don’t listen long enough to get a complete grasp of the situation before starting to spew their solutions. Marianne cites DISC as one of her most useful training programmes to better understand and communicate with her clients. Hey Gerard, apologies for the late response. 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