Outlines

• What Is A Key Account? A key account is one of your most important customers - with whom it is crucial to develop and maintain an added value relationship.
• To identify which customers are key, decide if the customer/account:

1. Is a consistently high revenue producer
2. Is offering opportunities to increase sales
3. Is looking for a loyal business partner/adviser
4. Is a strategically important industry or market opinion leader Why Is a Key Account Important? A key account customer offers long-term potential:

•  A constant (and growing) stream of high quality revenue
•  Reduced sales costs (it is cheaper to grow your business with existing customers than deploy a sales force to find and secure new ones)
• Targeted planning for the future (having a dependable source of sales will enable you to plan investments for your business)
• Improved knowledge of your marketplace (developed via in-depth knowledge of your key account’s needs) why is a Key Account Different? Key account customers differ from your other customers in many ways:
• Your competitors are constantly trying to win them from you
• Multiple decision-makers and many staff influence the buying decision
• An anti-sponsor may exist in the key account - someone who may subtly try to sabotage your sales efforts or relationship
• It is especially important to understand your key account’s business
• Strong relationships need to be developed across numerous levels between your two companies What Will You Master during the Key Account Management Workshop?

How to become a business partner to your key accounts through your focusing on the importance of customer perception, your understanding of the significance of the customer perception ladder, and your climbing of this ladder to become a true business partner with your key account

• How to discover the opportunities which will develop more business through your learning about the marketplace, your discovering new information, your meeting influential people, your locating opportunities, and then your focusing on opportunities that can be found from looking at your key accounts’ business objectives, their competitors and sales figures
• How to achieve effective, efficient, added-value key account management through your developing of key accounts development plans where you plan your strategy with your key account, record all important objectives and actions regarding the development of your business with the account, provide a ready reference for all colleagues involved, and where you get the long-term view on how your business is going to evolve and how to reach targets
• How to increase your influence with the decision maker in your key accounts through your knowing the messages you want to communicate, your finding out who’s who in the decision making process, your understanding the internal politics in your customer’s organization, your finding your way around the key account company by drawing organizational maps, initiating mirror relationships, utilizing leverage opportunities, your networking in the key account and so becoming familiar with the whole organization, and your developing and implementing contact plans
• How to develop a marketing communication program in order to build widespread awareness of your product/service throughout the key account, convey information about the evolution of your offer, and strengthen your strategic business relationship
• How to discover opportunities and develop your key account development plan in order to grow business with your key account through perfect face-to-face communication, solutions selling, convincing proposals, winning presentations, and effective negotiation
• How to handle your Key Accounts in a professional and proactive manner through your focusing on your key accounts’ profiles, your reviewing your account development plans, your managing your account meetings, and your following up on your accounts

Who Should Attend

A Key Account Manager is anyone who wants to keep and develop business with important customers. Key Account Managers are people like: management consultants, accountants, merchant bankers, head hunters, advertising and PR executives, stockbrokers, retailers and manufacturers, travel agents, engineers, publishers, trainers, car salesmen, conference organizers, hospitality suppliers, architects, computer programmers, independent tradesmen, insurance brokers, fund raisers, media specialists, health service providers, etc.

Duration

5 Days