The Future of KAM
SEPTEMBER 26, 2022 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CENTRAL TIME (US AND CANADA)
As key account management adapts to a fast paced digital environment, how do you foresee its future?
As businesses become more global and complex, the role of strategic account management is evolving. Strategic account managers are now expected to not only maintain and grow key relationships but also to proactively manage risk and identify new opportunities. In the current business landscape, key account management (KAM) is more important than ever before. As companies strive to increase market share and grow their customer base, they are turning to digital KAM to help them achieve these goals.
Join the discussion about trends, skills, tools and strategies in the key account management landscape, and what to expect going forward.
The panelists will discuss what the future of strategic account management looks like, what will be the new set of skills required while discussing some of the insights revealed in the Future of KAM CSO study conducted by DemandFarm.
Some of the key topics we will cover in the webinar include:
- What has changed in KAM post-COVID?
- What are the top contributors to a successful KAM program
- What are some of the key skills required for effective KAM in the future?
- How will digital KAM change the selling experience, going forward?
- What are the kinds of tools important for KAM today and tomorrow?
Speakers: Abhijit Gangoli, CEO, DemandFarm; Harvey Dunham, Managing Director, SAMA; Andrew Hazard Sr., Director GTM Enablement, Contentful; Richard Dunn, Senior Director, Global Account Management, DHL
Timing Is Everything! Global Service Account Management's Role Early in the Product Life Cycle
OCTOBER 12, 2022 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM CENTRAL TIME (US AND CANADA)
Coherent Inc. is a global provider of lasers and laser-based technology serving demanding commercial markets like automotive and semiconductor manufacturing. These markets are heavily skewed to post-sale activity with respect to customer satisfaction and company revenue. To meet this need, we created the global service account manager (GSAM) role that, while similar to a traditional GAM role, requires a special understanding of manufacturing, service, logistics and quality.
The Global Service Account Management’s role and engagement early in the product or market life cycle is critical. In this webinar, we will discuss our experience introducing the GSAM role into the automotive manufacturing market.
In addition, we’ll cover:
- Why timing matters
- How to establish relationships, create partnerships and align expectations
- How to tailor your solution’s value across the customer organization
- How to identify key stakeholders (internal and customer) and prioritize activities
- How to leverage enterprise capabilities to differentiate yourself from competitors
Speakers: Robert C. Willard, Sr. Manager Global Service Accounts, Coherent, Inc.; Chris Miller, Sr. Manager, Global Service Markets and Accounts, Coherent, Inc.
Corporate Members can register by logging in and selecting "Webinar Registration" from the profile page. Individual Members can register by emailing membership@strategicaccounts.org
How to Price Fairly for Your Customers and Your Bottom Line
NOVEMBER 10, 2022 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM CENTRAL TIME (US AND CANADA)
Inflation and pricing pressures from customers are two of the top five global challenges having a negative impact on SAMs today (as reported from SAMA’s 2022 annual conference in May). We expect these challenges to endure, as market volatility looks unpredictable for the next several years. The ability to create trust with customers while positioning price more effectively will be essential to a SAM’s success.
In this webinar you will learn:
- How to position price based on your audience. Different buyer types have different decision criteria and the way you position the price matters.
- Why customers focus on price instead of the value they receive, and the tactics you can use to shift the conversation back to value.
- When and how to communicate price increases.
Speakers: Patrick McCullough, Senior Director, Holden Advisors; Tracy Dent, Marketing Lead, Holden Advisors
Creating Competitive Immunity by Deep Customer Discovery
NOVEMBER 17, 2022 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM CENTRAL TIME (US AND CANADA)
One thing we have learned the past couple of years – if as a SAM you weren’t deeply ingrained with your customers in terms of knowledge and relationships, you went backward during the Covid era. If you weren’t prepared, you found your customer’s business and organization changing drastically at the exact time when your access to people and insight was limited. If you weren’t constantly learning about and co-creating with your customers, your competitors were quick to jump in. Another thing we learned – there is almost nothing more important in the role of a SAM than truly understanding your customer’s business and needs, developing a network of supporters, and identifying and gaining access to real senior level decision makers with a customer-focused message.
Although these skills can seem “basic”, understanding your customer’s business and leveraging that deep understanding with senior level decision makers are incredibly challenging and critical skills.
This webinar has been designed for new and experienced SAMs who are working with dynamic customers where the stakes are high, and the payoffs are huge.
Speaker: Dan Kosch, Co-CEO, IMPAX Corporation
Corporate Members can register by logging in and selecting "Webinar Registration" from the profile page. Individual Members can register by emailing membership@strategicaccounts.org
Recent Webinars
Leveraging Thought Leadership, Insights, and Event Management to Deepen Customer Relationships
SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CENTRAL TIME (US AND CANADA)
In a world that is moving increasingly towards commoditization, how do you, as a SAM, stand out and how do you get your company to stand out in the sea of competitors? Join SAMA board member, Ron Davis as he and a panel of SAMs from Zurich Insurance discuss how to deepen your customer relationships.
Key takeaways will include:
- Engaging with Customer Advisory Boards can inspire new ideas and improved propositions
- Partnering on thought leadership and innovation with outside organizations
- Finding creative ways to involve Executive Sponsors and other executives
- And more!
Speakers: Amanda Christensen, Senior VP, Global Relationship Leader, Zurich Insurance; Charlotte Peters, Deal Manager Team Leader, Zurich Insurance; Cornelius Froescher, Director, Global Customer & Distribution Management, Zurich Corporate Life & Pensions, Zurich Insurance; and Ron Davis, Executive VP, Global Head of Customer Management, Zurich Insurance
Corporate Members can register by logging in and selecting "Webinar Registration" from the profile page. Individual Members can register by emailing membership@strategicaccounts.org
Using a Coach Approach With Your Customer to Deepen the Relationship
AUGUST 18, 2022 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CENTRAL TIME (US AND CANADA)
The uncertainty we all face in the years to come requires us to reset and reinvent how we engage with each other. This is especially true for the relationship between the SAM and his or her key customers. In this webinar, we will draw from the profession of executive coaching to share immediately applicable practices and questions that will enable you to truly differentiate yourself in the eyes of your customers. You will learn how to give power to the relationship between you and your client; how to establish a verbal contract to give energy to the value they seek; and how to use thought-provoking questions developed by the most seasoned executive coaches to engage, enlighten and empower your clients to excel. The outcome will be a deeper level of trust and endurance that will enable the alliance to thrive in the face of adversity.
Speaker: Shakeel Bharmal, Senior Vice President, The Summit Group
Ready, Set, Go! Putting More Action, Into Your Strategic Account Planning
JULY 12 , 2022 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CENTRAL TIME (US AND CANADA)
Let’s be honest: Most account plans don’t actually drive the value we had hoped for them to drive. Most of the time, they are a time-consuming exercise on "what we’ve done," with never enough about "what we’re going to do.” Join Greg Callahan of Bain & Company and Coro Account Planning, as he shares how he helps clients drive 20%-40% increase in booking through better account planning.
Speaker: Gregory Callahan, Partner, Bain & Company
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging: Creating a Competitive Advantage for SAM Organizations
JUNE 29, 2022 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM CENTRAL TIME (US AND CANADA)
Join Joseph Machicote (Chief Diversity Officer, Premier Inc.) and SAMA Customer Advisory Board members Jerid S. Lydic (Pfizer) and Jane McGinty (Nilfisk) for a panel discussion and question and answer session moderated by David Barnes Jr.,M.Ed CPC, Managing Partner, Diversity Inclusion Equity Group, regarding how the emergence DEI&B strategies in organization are impacting the role of SAM’s.
Discussion topics:
- Debunking DEI&B myths and why it is top of mind for CEO’s
- DEI&B impact on SAM’s daily interaction with customers
- Organizations DEI&B strategies emerging impact on the SAM’s sales process, account penetration, increasing differentiation, and customer loyalty
Speakers: David Barnes Jr.,M.Ed CPC, Managing Partner, Diversity Inclusion Equity Group; Joseph Machicote, Chief Diversity Officer, Premier Inc.; Jane McGinty, Global Strategic Accounts Director, Nilfisk; Jerid Lydic, MBA, CMR, Americas Lead, Global KAM Center of Excellence, Pfizer
Transforming Account Management for Value Creation: Research Insights from an Expert-Panel Study
APRIL 5, 2022 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CENTRAL TIME (US AND CANADA)
Given today’s hybrid, digitized and saturated market environment, the role of the strategic account manager is in urgent need of repositioning. To find out what that might look like, we invited 62 experts from sales, marketing, procurement, academia and consulting to provide their views on nine hypotheses of what account managers can do to stay relevant as value creators.
Should account managers, for example, focus exclusively on high-level value dimensions? Or should they give equal weight to value creation and the prevention of value destruction?
This webinar will deliver key insights from this expert-panel study, helping attendees to either validate or reframe their sales transformation efforts.
Speaker: Dr. Axel Thoma, Lecturer, University of St. Gallen and Advisor, Value Creation Lab
Customer-Centric Supply Chains: Innovation Beyond Potential
MARCH 29, 2022 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CENTRAL TIME (US AND CANADA)
Welcome to the era of logistics! The major megatrends of our time – globalization, digitization, e-commerce and sustainability – simultaneous provide challenges and opportunities. Today, consumer – and, as a consequence, business – demand is based on a multi-dimensional set of requirements where cost and quality are no longer the sole decision criteria.
In this environment, supply chains are becoming major drivers of profitable growth, fueling long-term and sustainable business success, while providing competitive advantages and delivering the customer experience – literally. Hence, logistics and supply chain management is transforming into a strategic asset and value driver for businesses.
The webinar will outline DHL's view on supply chains of the future, including the most relevant trends, the DHL approach on customer-centric innovation and specific examples of logistics innovation.
Speaker: Dr. Klaus Dohrmann, Vice President Innovation Europe & Trend Research, DHL Customer Solutions
Selling Internally: Managing Internal Stakeholders to Successfully Advance Creative Customer Solutions
March 9, 2022 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM CENTRAL TIME (US AND CANADA)
Most SAMs readily acknowledge that selling internally is a greater challenge than selling to customers. In this webinar, we will explore the keys to successfully managing internal stakeholder relationships. You'll learn the different types of internal stakeholders and the expectations of each. We'll also explore the differences between internal and external stakeholder management. You'll walk away with practical tips for effectively gaining internal support for your ideas and accelerating the required approvals.
Speaker: Adrian Davis, President, Whetstone Inc.
Building Account Plans Using Account-Based Marketing
January 25, 2022 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CENTRAL TIME (US AND CANADA)
Account-based marketing is finding its way into the account planning process. Thanks to this connection, account managers now have a powerful new partner to help them build more effective account plans. For marketers, the connection is helping them to implement their strategic ABM work with the customer. In this session, we will review early examples of how this work is being done in practice.
Speaker: Jerry Alderman, CEO, Valkre