Is trust in KAM obsolete

This article is part of Scott Waugh’s MA research (full text also available on this page), exploring the Challenger Selling approach, which asserts that customers can endorse wholesale business change without the need for a pre-established relationship, or trust. It might be possible, but generally customers were looking for credibility, commitment and consistency and a host of other attributes which they struggle to assess without a relationship. In identifying what customers looked for in a key account manager, Scott uncovered requirements that shift the focus from selling ability to credibility, team leadership, reach in the organisation, boundary-spanning and more.