Customers have plenty of suppliers to choose from; only the best will be recognized as strategic suppliers, and only the very best will be regarded in that way over a long period of time. Achieving such a position may sound great, but don’t imagine it doesn’t come at a cost. The cost can be in time, energy, investment in continual improvement and renewal, and of course, just plain money. It will be for you to decide whether the rewards are justification enough. I did hear one KA manager say to their customer, on being appointed as the customer’s number one supplier: ‘Well, that’s very good to hear, but I guess that this is where it starts to get expensive…’
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