It is vital that the propositions have a very powerful resonance for the customer. As one chief executive we know used to say to his key account managers: ‘Where’s the spark?’
Identifying value-based projects
The hardest part of a KAM relationship is getting it started. Telling a customer that they are important to your business is tantamount to inviting them to ask for a discount. What is needed is a practical approach that interests the customer into collaborative working. One way to do this is for the key account manager to identify a value-based opportunity for the customer, and then propose a project to assess it. The word ‘assess’ is important here because it intentionally reduces the required customer commitment to that needed to agree ...
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