Blog
Steering the customer experience
By Diana Woodburn | July 26, 2021 | AKAM News Bulletin
Steering the customer experience It’s in your own interest Working as Key Account Managers means that you are constantly moving your scope from the bigger picture, to the smaller. You need to manage the long-term strategy as well as tactical and operational challenges in order to keep a smooth partnership with your customers. Many people […] Read More
KAM in the pharmaceutical industry
By Diana Woodburn | June 7, 2021 | AKAM News Bulletin KAM of the Year
KAM is misunderstood and misapplied in big Pharma Is the pharmaceutical sector different from others? There are broadly speaking two different approaches adopted in the Pharmaceutical industry, and whilst they have the same customers and operate in the same market place the business models are fundamentally different. The big names you are likely to know, […] Read More
Key Account Manager of the Year 2020
By Diana Woodburn | May 11, 2021 | AKAM News Bulletin KAM of the Year
The judges said Maggie Free showed exceptional focus, resilience and tenacity as a key account manager. She started with a relationship that had soured after her organisation suffered a serious setback with a strategically important customer. Key accounts have long memories and Maggie had a big job to re-build trust with the customer, a major […] Read More
Webinar How to gain a Diploma in Key Account Management
By Diana Woodburn | January 7, 2021 | AKAM News Webinar
You are a skilled Key Account Manager with solid experience behind you and yet you haven’t had any objective way to demonstrate your competency to your current or potential employers. Until now! Demonstrating the value of the Diploma, John Bailey, Director, International Key Accounts at Hiab AB Sweden said, “Hiab fully supports AKAM’s professionally recognised […] Read More
Webinars from the Association for Key Account Managers
By Diana Woodburn | December 8, 2020 | AKAM News Webinar
Have you seen AKAM’s selection of recorded webinars for Key Account Managers? As a member of the Association for Key Account Management, you have exclusive access to the ‘member resources’ section of the website. AKAM’s ‘member resources’ is a Key Account Managers archive of informative and educational resources. In the member portal, you will find […] Read More
Virtual Meetings: how to promote effective business relationships with key customers
By Diana Woodburn | November 12, 2020 | AKAM News Webinar
Introducing the next members-only, AKAM webinar Virtual Meetings: how to promote effective business relationships with key customers With Cristina Mariani Alinea Training & Consulting Friday 27th November 12:15-1:00 p.m. CET/11:15-12:00 p.m. GMT Over the last few months, everyone has been thrown into meeting customers via Zoom etc. Most of us would rather be seeing customers face-to-face but, […] Read More
What’s key in searching for the perfect Key Account Manager?
By Diana Woodburn | October 20, 2020 | AKAM News Webinar
This webinar is open to all. What’s key in searching for the perfect Key Account Manager? Friday 6th November 2020 12:15-1:00 p.m. CET/11:15-12:00 p.m. BST Hosted by: The Association for Key Account Management It’s more important than ever for us to know what businesses want in a key account manager. Gintare’s session at our meeting […] Read More
AKAMs October Bulletin 📘
By Diana Woodburn | October 18, 2020 | AKAM News Bulletin
I imagine we had all hoped to be in a better situation with the virus by now than we were at the beginning of the summer but, sadly, it’s far from over. As supply chains are fractured and restrictions continue we still have to meet the challenge of this ‘new normal’. There’s more to learn […] Read More
Sharing customer knowledge – a total organisational approach 💻
By Diana Woodburn | September 30, 2020 | AKAM News Webinar
Sharing Customer Knowledge – a total organisational approach promises to be a snappy, thought-provoking webinar with EMCOR UK’s KAM exponents Steve Dolan and Jeremy Campbell. How do you get a Facilities Management biased business to focus on customers and customer value when the main thrust of the business is on providing services? How do you get […] Read More
Insight into KAM culture and authority
By Diana Woodburn | September 18, 2020 | Paper
Sarah Petrelli’s Masters thesis (USI, Lugano) explores some of the less well-defined areas of KAM, which are, nevertheless, critical to key account managers’ success. This report on 20 interviews with working key account managers finds revealing differences in culture and levels of authority given to kams between organisations, according to the maturity of the KAM […] Read More
Enhancing KAM through collaboration 💻
By Diana Woodburn | September 3, 2020 | AKAM News Webinar
Truly exploiting the benefits of Key Account Management has to be based on changing the dynamics of the relationships with clients to a more holistic engagement. Collaborative approaches broaden the capability of organisations to respond to (pull) or propose (push) more complex propositions to meet the demands of the market or specific challenges. All too […] Read More
Will you be Key Account Manager of the Year 2020? 😃
By Diana Woodburn | August 13, 2020 | Tools
Obviously, this is a difficult year – but maybe it’s given you even more chances to shine as a Key Account Manager! In fact, the Award can include your last 3 years’ work anyway. Start thinking about how you have helped your customer and your organisation, and tell AKAM in just 500 words! Any Key […] Read More
Leading in a virtual workspace webinar
By Diana Woodburn | July 24, 2020 | AKAM News
Trust has long been recognised as an important ingredient of effective leadership – its centrality to a range of leadership theories being well documented over the past 50 plus years. However, the nature of leadership has changed dramatically in recent decades, in line with trends in business and organisational structures. Key account managers often need to work […] Read More
Negotiating with key accounts: The Power Grid
By Diana Woodburn | July 14, 2020 | Tools
The Power Grid is a simple and effective way of maintaining focus on ensuring the right strategy and overall approach is used when developing or negotiating with key accounts. Recommended by Alistair Taylor. As an AKAM member, you can find KAM papers and articles; Tools and diagnostics; Expert videos and more. READ MORE… Read More
Strategic key account plans in practice
By Diana Woodburn | July 13, 2020 | Webinar
Watch the recorded webinar and view the presentation slides of AKAMs Strategic Key Account planning webinar. This webinar was hosted by Geoff Quinn of Pfizer Global and Diana Woodburn AKAM Chairman. The quality – even the existence – of strategic key account plans is patchy even in some of the most forward-looking organisations. Why is […] Read More
Comprehensive view of KAM research
By Diana Woodburn | June 30, 2020 | KAM research Paper
Firstly, this illuminating analysis by Internationally renowned Professors Kumar, Sharma and Salo defines the scope of KAM: selection of key or strategic accounts, team structures, coordination with other functions, and a deeper level of relationship within the organization and with the KAM customer’s firm. It also demonstrates how KAM is distinct from traditional sales research, […] Read More
