We know that Strategic Account Management is a team sport, yet marketing is often missing at the Strategic Account table. Account Marketing or Account-Based Marketing plays a critical role in th... read more

We know that Strategic Account Management is a team sport, yet marketing is often missing at the Strategic Account table. Account Marketing or Account-Based Marketing plays a critical role in the customer engagement strategy — especially in the execution of account plan tactics, and it has the opportunity to play a specific lead role in many of the engagement steps to accelerate relevance and mutual goals achievement. Join Catherine Lapouge Group Sales and Marketing Performance Director at Thales, and Dominique Côté, owner & founder of Cosawi and SAMA board member, to hear how Thales integrated account marketing from the starting point of their strategic account management journey and its impact on their growth and roadmap evolution. Hear how this business transformation that created acceleration and cohesion of their customer-centric approach. read less

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... read more

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. read less

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 th... read more

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: 1. How to position price based on your audience. Different buyer types have different decision criteria and the way you position the price matters. 2. Why customers focus on price instead of the value they receive, and the tactics you can use to shift the conversation back to value. 3. When and how to communicate price increases. read less

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 pos... read more

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 read less

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 D... read more

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! read less

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 cus... read more

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. read less

Description: 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 nev... read more

Description: 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. Key topics for the Q&A: · Why does Bain care about account planning? (Answer: It drives results.) · What does Bain recommend that account managers do differently? (Answer: focus on account plays vs. opportunities) · What are the components of the Bain account plan? (I'll share our sample account plan.) · The plan is cool, but how do you make it a living document and keep you team aligned and on track? (Attend the session to find out.) read less

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 ... read more

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. read less

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 –... read more

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. read less

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 relat... read more

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. read less

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 p... read more

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. read less

Price will be always part of the discussion, especially in today’s economy. However, there are sales, marketing, pricing and negotiation strategies and programs than can help drive the discussion t... read more

Price will be always part of the discussion, especially in today’s economy. However, there are sales, marketing, pricing and negotiation strategies and programs than can help drive the discussion to Value First Then Price. Companies that are able to do this are 36 percent more profitable than ones that take a “make it up in volume approach.” And companies that buy based on best-measured value are 35 percent more profitable. We need to remind and demonstrate to our key accounts that both buyer and seller can be better off focusing on Value not Price. This webinar will focus on practical and implementable methods, tools and processes to get paid for value. read less

We are seeing a revolution in how customers and other stakeholders engage with firms – basically a re-shuffle of value chains. Simultaneously, the meaning of “value” is changing: we’re moving from ... read more

We are seeing a revolution in how customers and other stakeholders engage with firms – basically a re-shuffle of value chains. Simultaneously, the meaning of “value” is changing: we’re moving from shareholder value to stakeholder value. This means that SAMs need to look beyond the customer relationship and create alignment in a system where collaborating firms create value. Future SAMs are leaders: facilitators and orchestrators of change. In this session you will learn how to find new opportunities for growth and how to help customers create value that will build strong, lasting account relationships. read less

When it comes to successfully building a strategic relationship between two enterprise-level organizations, the need for alignment is inevitable. While the idea of embarking on a joint strategic pa... read more

When it comes to successfully building a strategic relationship between two enterprise-level organizations, the need for alignment is inevitable. While the idea of embarking on a joint strategic partnership has a very exciting ring to it, the struggle to align – across functions, teams and stakeholders from both organizations – is real and intense. This is especially true in global organizations – and never more so than now, when so many interactions take place remotely. This session will provide insights, lessons learned and real, first-hand examples of how alignment can be (and has been) leveraged into a value driver for long-term business growth. read less

With supply chain challenges all too common, SAMs are struggling to meet their obligations to their strategic customers. We hear from our members every day that most, if not all, of you are facing ... read more

With supply chain challenges all too common, SAMs are struggling to meet their obligations to their strategic customers. We hear from our members every day that most, if not all, of you are facing this extremely difficult situation. This session will explore the following: · What does the future hold for these supply chain challenges? · What kind of conversations should you be having with your strategic accounts? · How can you turn the adversity you are facing into an opportunity? Join this session to learn best practices for handling this dilemma from three of the most experienced practitioners in the SAMA community. read less

In light of everything that’s changed since the start of the pandemic, it’s no wonder that customer journeys and even touch points have become different and continue to evolve. Managing both the cu... read more

In light of everything that’s changed since the start of the pandemic, it’s no wonder that customer journeys and even touch points have become different and continue to evolve. Managing both the customer’s expectations, as well as those of the KAM's own business units, has become an entirely new challenge. Add to that the new environment of managing accounts virtually and training KAMs digitally, and effective key account management can seem challenging. Join this session to learn how Siemens is facing these new circumstances. read less

We can all agree that customer centricity and customer focus are key to being differentiated and relevant and are the cornerstones of effective strategic account management. We understand that it i... read more

We can all agree that customer centricity and customer focus are key to being differentiated and relevant and are the cornerstones of effective strategic account management. We understand that it is not how we sell, but rather how customers buy. We know the value of understanding the customers, their organizations, their vision and what they are trying to achieve to enable a co-created future. Our marketing groups are too often based upon products, campaigns or offerings – an inside-out way of working conflicting with the outside-in mindset that is at the core of how we ask SAMs to engage to enable higher-order partnerships The next generation of effective account based marketing is solely focused on the customer journey from point of inspiration, to point of sale and beyond and how we as a team connect with the customer throughout. It is time to break our corporate silos and bring marketing to the table. You will learn: WHAT: What is account based marketing compared to brand, product and enterprise marketing? WHO: What is the Marketing role in the strategic account management journey and account team? WHY: Why is customer-led, team-enabled important? You will get some tools and a framework to accelerate your ABM capability and team integration. HOW: How do you develop an action plan? You will leave with an action plan that you can customize to instill internal discussion and evolve your marketing journey, role and impact in this customer-centric approach. read less

Strategic account managers (SAMs) need to leverage substantial resources and support from their organizations to succeed in growing their business with strategic accounts. This growth often depends... read more

Strategic account managers (SAMs) need to leverage substantial resources and support from their organizations to succeed in growing their business with strategic accounts. This growth often depends on their ability to manage simultaneously commercial, relational and political agendas across the supplier and the customer organizations. The challenge is that SAMs often perceive a tension in handling competing demands, amongst others, the internal vs. the external dimensions of their role. This session will outline the paradoxes SAMs face, and will provide an approach to manage these constructively in the pursuit of value creation and sustainable relationship building with strategic accounts. read less

There is a difference between being integrated into a customer’s world as an integrated cross-functional account team and being unified with a customer as one cohesive/cooperative team. Facts and e... read more

There is a difference between being integrated into a customer’s world as an integrated cross-functional account team and being unified with a customer as one cohesive/cooperative team. Facts and experiences have proven that it has become increasingly more important for strategic accounts and strategic suppliers to establish an even more mutually beneficial relationship. Most, if not all improvement processes, methods and practice innovations are primarily instituted by a one-sided approach through strategic supplier trainings. These trainings are focused on what the strategic supplier needs to do to facilitate a higher-wider-deeper and more mutually beneficial relationship, a one-sided effort to a more complex two-party relationship challenge. It is now recognized that in this next era of relationship management a more willing, transparent and involved (engaged) customer may be the most critical part of the equation. This webinar will share the metrics (data) and science that when analyzed and applied can guide recommended two-party relationship-building practices. Success for all will ultimately depend on the enlistment of a customer’s leadership, supply chain and procurement teams to re-consider how they define and engage with their strategic suppliers. Answering the question of what each party needs to do. Key learnings of this session include: •Top three metrics and supporting science that drive relationship-building/unifying actions •A unification relationship model between strategic accounts and strategic suppliers •Methods and practices that will break down traditional buy/sell paradigms •The need for greater transparency – what does this imply and require? •Importance and role/involvement of each party’s leadership team read less

How are leading companies driving significant value co-creation through the implementation of account planning and management best practices across their organizations? This symposium will focus on... read more

How are leading companies driving significant value co-creation through the implementation of account planning and management best practices across their organizations? This symposium will focus on the characteristics of the most successful implementations of strategic, key and global account management within the SAMA community of practice. Attendees will walk away with answers to the following questions: • What do the most effective SAMs do that distinguishes them from others, both with their customers and with their account teams? • What do the most effective SAM managers and program heads do to coach and develop high levels of SAM performance? • What is the impact of great strategic account management on the organizations that implement and sustain high-performing SAM programs? • What is the value of great SAM and high-performing account managers and teams to their customers? • What can you do to take your SAM program and account managers to the next level of effectiveness? Specific areas of emphasis will include how value co-discovery, co-creation and realization can drive customer loyalty and competitive advantage, as well as the importance of engaging cross-functional teams in the SAM process for greater alignment and relationship expansion with customer stakeholders. read less