The majority of strategic clients expect their suppliers to provide a financial value proposition for a business solution, and be able to demonstrate how the value contributes to the customer’s performance metrics. The advantage to the supplier of being able to quantify a value-based solution is the opportunity to competitively differentiate the offering, and provide the best total value. The winning entry will explain and demonstrate, by example, a systematic process that has, through disciplined application, led to improved business results with a strategic customer.

One of the more challenging requirements of strategic account management is to engage with a top customer proactively, in order to create specific opportunities for co-discovery, intimacy, trust-building, collaboration, brainstorming, solution development, and more. SAMA Research has revealed as well that purposely engaging the customer in account business planning is an underutilized SAM practice. The winning entry will demonstrate, by example, the use of specific customer engagement strategies which have successfully enhanced and improved relational and performance results for both customer and supplier.

The hype surrounding the promise of AI to increase sales with customers is at an all-time high, but stories of actual business wins are rare. The winning entry will demonstrate, by example, how a strategic account manager acquired relevant data to feed into an AI tool, leading to a significant deal as a result. The entry will demonstrate how the SAM framed and quantified the conclusions of the AI insights into a compelling customer value proposition and assembled the right ecosystem of stakeholders to execute and deliver a solution, creating significant value for both the customer and the supplier firm. Through this example, the winning entry will explain the augmented skills of the SAM that enabled a successful outcome.

New SAM Programs typically take 3-5 years to get off the ground—to become both functional and effective. It’s a journey to implement a change management strategy to become a customer-centric enterprise, whatever the scope of the Program. It affects all parts of an organization from the C-Suite down, and across functions and geographies. The winning entry will demonstrate, though examples, the specific foundational elements and enablers that are transforming their business and their relationships with strategic customers, to produce new levels of growth and profitability.

Mature SAM organizations face many challenges including: maintaining and evolving strong executive leadership and governance, becoming more agile through changing economic and digital disruptions, continuous learning to elevate SAM processes and tools, and accelerating the drive for innovative co-creation with strategic customers. The winning entry will demonstrate, through examples, the strength, resilience and productivity of their SAM organization.