One of the fundamental tasks of a KAM (Key Account Manager) or strategic account manager, corresponds to the coverage and development of account planning. If you have been assigned as KAM’s special accounts, my main recommendation is to implement a method clear planning of the coverage of the account and the development of it strategy. In the short term you must know in detail the account and most importantly, must have an action plan to develop business opportunities with that account. Here are some recommendations to develop this key account planning phase. What is the strategic account planning process? Expressed in a very simple context, I explain it with three words; Knowledge, Vision and commitment (CVC).Let’s look at that I mean with these three words: knowledge. The first phase in the process of planning for accounts, is to achieve a high level of knowledge, at least, of two elements: the main variables of the industry in which your client works and the status of the main operations of your customer.
In the case that I mentioned at the beginning of my experience with clients in the oil sector, I am sure that the company for which he worked is much dedication in training me in the oil industry. I was immersed learning topic the most that could be more than three months and I think we did (to achieve a level in which gave conferences on information technology applied to the petroleum sector). Where we strongly failed was in the knowledge of the status of the operations of each of my key customers. Simply did not know which was the State of each of these companies in their industry, which were their competitive advantages, their main problems of business, etc. Outside of really know overall figures and some very superficial topics in their operations, I didn’t have any knowledge of your business.