From my 25+ years of working with Key Accounts in fast-paced B2B industries, Iโve learned a fundamental truth: receiving RFPs from your clients and winning deals are merely surface-level indicators.
They donโt tell you if your business is genuinely secure.
In todayโs complex B2B environment, competition is relentless, decision-making is more demanding, and even your most “loyal” clients expect continuous value.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ? ๐๐๐๐๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฏ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ด๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ.
Many KAMs operate in reactive mode, responding to RFPs, managing transactions, and believing that a signed contract equals a strong relationship.
But thatโs far from the truth.
So how do you know if your Key Account strategy is truly working?
๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐:
6๏ธโฃ ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ด๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ?
Is it actually being followed, or are senior executives of both parties only getting involved when the account is at risk?
7๏ธโฃย ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐?
Can you confidently hold an executive-level conversation about their industry, strategy, challenges, and where we add value?
8๏ธโฃ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐?
When was the last time we facilitated a strategic workshop with them? Are we focusing on feature-based pitches or are we actively demonstrating value aligned with their goals?
9๏ธโฃ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟโ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐โ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด?
Are we shaping the relationship and influencing decisions, or merely responding to procurement-driven RFPs?
And last
๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฟ?
Are we engaging with key stakeholders at a peer-to-peer level, or are we stuck in a transactional role?
When it comes to strategic investments, large companies want to establish relationships. Always ask yourself how the Key account see your company.
๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐โ๐ถ๐โ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ๐.
Letโs talk about how to elevate your Key Account strategy and turn transactional relationships into strategic partnerships.
