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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260811T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260811T110000
DTSTAMP:20260326T125927Z
CREATED:20260128T221513Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260326T125927Z
UID:10000193-1786442400-1786446000@strategicaccounts.org
SUMMARY:Webcast: Using AI as Your True Business Partner
DESCRIPTION:You’ve worked hard to develop outstanding customer relationships by being the real personal value proposition for your company’s brand. AI has emerged as a tempting short cut for various aspects of your account management work. This highly interactive breakout session based on MIT AI certification research will help you take the guesswork out of using AI and develop practical\, repeatable approaches for making AI a true business partner. \nLearning Objectives / Key Takeaways. By the end of this breakout\, SAMs will be able to: \n\nStrengthen their personal brand by building and maintaining professional relationships that create a competitive edge.\nIdentify when to use AI tools versus human judgment (the eye test) to make more effective business decisions.Use AI effectively in day-to-day work to:\n\n\n\n\nAddress and overcome objections.\nSupport successful negotiations.\nDemonstrate ROI with data.\nCraft clear\, persuasive messaging.\nStreamline research and preparation.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCreate a simple\, actionable AI plan to apply new skills immediately in their role.\n\nPresenter: Ed Wallace\, Managing Director\, AchieveNEXT
URL:https://strategicaccounts.org/event/webcast-using-ai-as-your-true-business-partner/
CATEGORIES:Webcast
LOCATION:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260915T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260916T123000
DTSTAMP:20260713T185926Z
CREATED:20251111T173322Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260713T185926Z
UID:10000163-1789461000-1789561800@strategicaccounts.org
SUMMARY:E17 – Why Now: Create urgency with business decision-makers and drive them to decide now\, not later
DESCRIPTION:Not advised for those who have previously attended “Buyer’s perspective: Create\, communicate and quantify value for CxO impact – E2”. This is a 1 Training Unit portion of the E2 workshop. \nTOPICS COVERED:\nStalled proposals and deals ending in “no decision” are arguably a value communication problem—the result of an inability to create enough urgency\, and show enough business impact\, to get executive-level prospects to act. \nSo how do you create a business case for the “why now” moment—when you’re dealing with buyers who might not care how your products and services work\, but want to know how you can help them drive business value? \nHow this affects you \n\nSalespeople are not able to express the business change their solution can bring\nExecutives see some value in the solution but do not prioritize it among their other initiatives\nSalespeople can’t establish credibility in an executive conversation\n\nWhat if you could… \n\nProvide insights to uncover business needs the executive had not considered?\nQuantify their business return on their investment in your offering?\nDiscuss strategic initiatives to drive investment urgency in executive decision-makers?\n\nTOPICS COVERED: \n\nCreate Executive Urgency – Create urgency for executive decision-makers to act now\, not later.\nUnderstand Executive Decision-Making – Compose messages that demonstrate what decision-makers stand to lose via their status quo in addition to gain by switching to you.\nLeverage Unconsidered Needs – Identify issues that prospects don’t know about or don’t think are urgent to disrupt their status quo and get them ready to change.\nIdentify Performance Metrics – Quantify your solution’s value using metrics meaningful to your customer.\nUse ROI and Economic Justification – Work with customers to jointly model compelling Return on Investment scenarios.\nMatch Conversations with Roles – Position your solution’s value throughout your customer’s organization to engage in the right conversation with the right person.\n\nCompetencies Covered:\n\nFinancial/business acumen\nValue analysis & opportunity insight\nCommunication & influence skills\nInterpersonal relationship skills\nAccountability for business outcomes
URL:https://strategicaccounts.org/event/e17-why-now-create-urgency-with-business-decision-makers-and-drive-them-to-decide-now-not-later/
CATEGORIES:Workshops,SAMA Academy,Training
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LOCATION:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260915T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260918T120000
DTSTAMP:20260701T200349Z
CREATED:20250902T134458Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260701T200349Z
UID:10000134-1789461000-1789732800@strategicaccounts.org
SUMMARY:CORE 1 – Value Co-Discovery and Strategic Account Planning
DESCRIPTION:How can effective co-discovery between you\, your account team and your customer put your account planning efforts on an accelerated trajectory to be successful? How do top performing account managers harness the power of value creation\, internal and external alignment and authentic customer relationships to drive greater collaboration and develop higher-impact account plans? How can you equip yourself with proven strategic account management (SAM) best practices to drive mutual growth and value creation with your most strategic customers? How can you implement an account planning process that will enable you and your customer to engage\, win and grow together? These questions and more will be answered in this high-energy workshop in which participants “try-on” contemporary SAM concepts and best practices proven within the SAMA community. Participants will select a strategic customer and “must-win” opportunity as part of their pre-work before the session\, and then apply workshop learnings to this customer and opportunity\, ensuring takeaways that can be put to use immediately. Whether your organization has adopted a specific account plan format or not\, workshop exercises\, group discussions and debriefs will provide takeaways in the form of SAM concepts\, skills\, tools and best practices that can be applied to the specific challenges facing you and your team today. \nTOPICS COVERED:\n\nInitiate the account planning process by understanding the current state of performance and relationship between the participant’s own organization and the customer.\nEngage effectively with customer team members to determine what matters most to them\, co-discovering customer external pressures and drivers\, business objectives and plans\, internal challenges and obstacles\, as well as their criteria for measurable success.\nLeverage historical value creation with the customer (past proven value) and relevant data to gain momentum and direction for co-discovery\, alignment of growth objectives and future value creation.\nDevelop and execute co-discovery strategies and activities that will enable the participant and the customer to explore possibilities for mutual value creation and co-creation\, and visualize mutual success together through elevated levels of collaboration.\nUnderstand the customer’s organization and business landscape for the purpose of aligning and mapping key customer stakeholders\, sponsors and supporters with the members of the participant’s account team for effective engagement and collaboration.\nDevelop and validate new opportunities that result from the participant’s discovery and co-discovery activities with the customer\, thus bringing the organizations into closer alignment around shared objectives\, priorities and new areas for value creation/co-creation.\nEffectively communicate opportunities for value creation and co-creation\, both internally and externally with the customer\, ensuring that short and long-term priorities are kept in proper balance and that both parties recognize the potential for mutual growth.\nFacilitate collaboration between the participant’s and customer’s teams resulting in the development and implementation of realistic strategies to grow customer relationships.\nBuild\, update and deploy the strategic account plan as a management tool for:\n\nCustomer value creation\, co-creation and realization\nEffective alignment (both internal with colleagues and cross-functional team members\, and externally with the customer’s team)\nExpansion of the customer relationship (including development of customer sponsors and supporters)\nMutual growth for both organizations.
URL:https://strategicaccounts.org/event/core-1-value-co-discovery-and-strategic-account-planning-6/
CATEGORIES:Workshops,SAMA Academy,CSAM Requirement,Training
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://strategicaccounts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/shutterstock_2351136011-_Core-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260917T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260917T120000
DTSTAMP:20260410T140307Z
CREATED:20260410T135903Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260410T140307Z
UID:10000197-1789633800-1789646400@strategicaccounts.org
SUMMARY:The SAM Leader's Playbook
DESCRIPTION:Strategic account management is a team sport\, and leaders play a pivotal role in ensuring their SAMs can thrive. Regardless of title — CEO\, GM\, country manager\, or leader of strategic\, national\, or key accounts — the expectations of SAM leaders are clear: Enable SAMs to achieve superior results for clients and the organization.This session will explore the mindsets\, skills\, and essential practices SAM leaders must master to empower their teams\, drive collaboration\, and elevate business outcomes. Communication and influence\, sparking value co-creation\, multi-functional collaboration\, and outcome accountability form the backbone of leadership success. \nWe will reflect on key questions: \n\nHow can leaders create a culture of customer centricity where SAMs feel confident to challenge organizational inertia to create value with customers?\nWhat are the core skills for building trust\, managing relationships\, and navigating cultural sensitivities within global teams?\nHow can leaders exhibit curiosity and stay abreast of trends\, opportunities\, and challenges facing customer industries?\nThrough thought-provoking discussion and examples\, we will uncover actionable strategies for leaders to assess capabilities and create their playbook for improvement.\n\nKey takeaways: \n\nRecognize the diverse roles SAM leaders play in enabling success.\nUnderstand the essential competencies required to empower and guide SAM teams.\nLeave with actionable strategies to elevate team performance\, customer relationships\, and business outcomes.\n\nSAM success begins with leadership. Join us to unlock the tools for leading with intention\, clarity\, and impact.
URL:https://strategicaccounts.org/event/sam-leaders-playbook/
CATEGORIES:Training
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://strategicaccounts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/hero-banner-acctskills4sales.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260922T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260923T123000
DTSTAMP:20260713T185821Z
CREATED:20251022T182459Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260713T185821Z
UID:10000156-1790064000-1790166600@strategicaccounts.org
SUMMARY:CORE 2 – Co-creation and Quantification of Value
DESCRIPTION:Higher-order value is created when companies collaborate to develop relevant\, differentiating solutions that impact what the customer – and customer’s customer – care most about. This “core” SAM program equips strategic account managers with leading practices; a proven\, pragmatic “operating system”; and tools to co-create value with the customer – tools that differentiates how you engage\, elevates relationships\, and accelerates mutual\, sustainable and profitable growth. \nTOPICS COVERED:\nThrough sharing “next-level practices\,” insights into “what the best do differently” and account-centric application of the co-creation framework\, principles and tools\, attendees will rapidly: \n\nDeepen customer and value-chain insights to understand business drivers\, validate needs and uncover opportunities\nAlign with key stakeholders (internal and customer) and prioritize “Big Fit” opportunities\, where you and the customer can collaborate to create the greatest mutual value\nCo-develop relevant\, differentiating solutions that leverage enterprise capabilities\, beyond core products and services\nQuantify and communicate compelling value propositions\, creating relevant\, quantified value stories in the customer’s currency and a “board-ready” business case that quantifies the “ripple effect” through the ecosystem\nDevelop a roadmap that accelerates execution and organization-wide change – to move the business forward faster towards a shared vision\, goals and outcomes\n\nIn summary\, this program is a high-impact\, pragmatic immersion that enables a replicable\, distinguishing approach to co-create and monetize value.
URL:https://strategicaccounts.org/event/core-2-co-creation-and-quantification-of-value-3/
CATEGORIES:Workshops,SAMA Academy,CSAM Requirement,Training
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LOCATION:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260929T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260930T120000
DTSTAMP:20260713T185735Z
CREATED:20251016T201646Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260713T185735Z
UID:10000148-1790670600-1790769600@strategicaccounts.org
SUMMARY:E5 – Strategic Negotiation: Changing the conversation from price to solutions
DESCRIPTION:The strategic account manager is uniquely positioned to undertake negotiations that will result in not just a good deal but a great deal. In this session you will bring an account negotiation with you and learn how to diagnose the underlying structure or “blueprint” of a negotiation so you can consistently start turning in great deals. This course shows strategic account managers how to use their relationships\, access to information\, teams\, and analytical abilities to forge blockbuster deals with customers. Course Requirements: Bring an account negotiation with you that we will work on and apply concepts to during the session. \nTOPICS COVERED:\n\nHow to audit and improve your personal negotiation skills for:\n\nDetermining and acquiring power in high-level\, complex negotiations\nDeveloping strategies for dealing with irrational competitive offers\nFinding ways to create measurable business value by taking pressure off price\nDeveloping effective ways to negotiate solutions vs. price\n\n\nA structured approach to complex business negotiation\nHow to integrate this common language and process within your strategic account organization and account team
URL:https://strategicaccounts.org/event/e5-strategic-negotiation-changing-the-conversation-from-price-to-solutions/
CATEGORIES:Workshops,SAMA Academy,Training
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://strategicaccounts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SAMA-wkshphero_E5.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261005T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261008T120000
DTSTAMP:20260713T185646Z
CREATED:20250929T154235Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260713T185646Z
UID:10000140-1791189000-1791460800@strategicaccounts.org
SUMMARY:CORE 0 – SAM Playbook: Foundational skills for driving superior customer results
DESCRIPTION:This two-day course teaches participants the full scope of the role and responsibilities of a strategic account manager as well as a repeatable framework for co-creating value with a customer. Participants will work with real-life case studies to better understand the progression of a typical customer engagement and the requisite skills and competencies: Customer co-discovery\, fit and planning; value co-creation\, monetization and negotiation; and value-tracking and delivery. This course uniquely combines technology and SAMA’s knowledge architecture to accelerate learning and application of KAM/ SAM best practices. \nTOPICS COVERED:\nModule 1: SAM competencies\, skills and tools.  During this module\, attendees will absorb the value co-creation journey and the specific competencies required to carry it out. Instructors will present a case study that illustrates a well-executed customer journey as well as introducing SAM-enabling tools participants will leverage during the course. The focus is on the “how\,” not the “what.”\nBreakout: Participants will reflect on the specific competencies needed to successfully execute an end-to-end customer journey\, how they relate to Module 1’s case study and their individual skill-development goals for the following two days. They will use this as a focal point for improvement throughout their entire SAMA training journey. \nModule 2: Co-Discovery\, fit and planning.  The focus of this module is to get participants to think more strategically about their own customers. Each participant should walk away with a clear plan for having more strategic customer conversations that lead to concrete value-creation ideas. Key topics: Breakout: Participants will focus on their value story\, the critical output that enables the strategic account manager to transition from having tactical conversations to have strategic ones that resonate with the customer’s C-level. \n\nAbout the Customer: Thinking strategically about the customer’s business situation\nValue Story: Develop  the foundation for a customer conversation drawing on what that customer values today and uncovering target areas for value-creation efforts\nFeedback: How to gain valuable customer feedback on their value-creation ideas\n\nModule 3: Co-creation\, value monetization and negotiation.  The focal point of this module is to use customer value-creation ideas to build business cases designed to garner internal and customer buy-in. Key topics: Breakout: Will focus on the quantifying business results for the customer. \n\nReview the top value-creation ideas\, monetize them and prioritize which to focus on\nDevelop planned outcomes for both the customer and supplier\nBuild execution plans and review with customer and supplier to ensure alignment\n\nModule 4: Value tracking and delivery.  The final module focuses on creating an “execution rhythm\, internally and at the customer\, to complete and track outcomes. Key topics: Breakout: Work in this module will focus heavily on building a quantitative outcome tracker that can be used internally and with customers. \n\nDevelop an approach to tracking quantified customer outcomes\nEstablish value creation project scorecards that are used in the operating rhythm of the internal and customer organization\nEstablish internal and customer accountability for execution
URL:https://strategicaccounts.org/event/core-0-sam-playbook-foundational-skills-for-driving-superior-customer-results-3/
CATEGORIES:Workshops,SAMA Academy,CSAM Requirement,Training
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261007T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261008T120000
DTSTAMP:20260713T185557Z
CREATED:20251111T172348Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260713T185557Z
UID:10000162-1791361800-1791460800@strategicaccounts.org
SUMMARY:E16 – Monetization of Value
DESCRIPTION:Strategic account managers are responsible for monetizing the investments their companies have made to build the products and services they offer – and to prevent them from being commoditized. A product or service will become commoditized if it does not have differentiated value that can be quantified and monetized\, and so it is the SAM’s responsibility to convert this value into cash. This course equips strategic account managers with leading practices\, frameworks\, and tools to quantify and monetize the value they bring to their customer and to differentiate how they engage with them. \nTOPICS COVERED:\nThrough sharing “next-level” practices\, insights into what the best do differently\, and account-centric application of the monetization framework\, principles\, and tools\, attendees will learn to: \n\nCreate a monetization strategy and apply principles to identify your value enablers\, creating a model to quantify and monetize your differentiated value\nExpand customer insights through a deeper understanding of market and business drivers of your customer\, validating assumptions and uncovering opportunities to expand the value of your relationship\nUnderstand different methods of monetization and how to decide which method is appropriate for your customers\nEngage key stakeholders (internal and at the customer) to identify opportunities for incremental value – and then monetize it\nQuantify and communicate compelling value propositions by creating relevant\, quantified value stories in the customer’s currency\, plus a “board-ready” business case that quantifies the “ripple effect” through the ecosystem\nDevelop a plan that enables organization-wide change\, both internally and at the customer\, to realize the monetizable value of your strategic relationship\n\nCompetencies Covered:\n\nFinancial/business acumen\nValue analysis & opportunity insight\nValue co-creation
URL:https://strategicaccounts.org/event/e16-monetization-of-value-2/
CATEGORIES:Workshops,SAMA Academy,Training
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LOCATION:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261013
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261015
DTSTAMP:20260604T153040Z
CREATED:20260501T003205Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260604T153040Z
UID:10000200-1791849600-1792022399@strategicaccounts.org
SUMMARY:2026 SAMA Pan-European Conference
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://strategicaccounts.org/event/sama-2026-pan-european-conference/
CATEGORIES:Conference
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261013T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261014T120000
DTSTAMP:20260715T125201Z
CREATED:20251120T130841Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260715T125201Z
UID:10000164-1791880200-1791979200@strategicaccounts.org
SUMMARY:CORE 4 – Managing the Customer Relationship and Value Journey
DESCRIPTION:Participate in an exciting\, informative\, interactive and metric-oriented workshop. During this session participants will take a journey into the future…or is it now? They will experience methods\, practices and tools that will help them optimize relationships with their strategic customers. Participants will experience both sides of the relationship: from the perspective of both the strategic customer as well as the strategic supplier. Participants will operate in collaborative teams\, with group discussion and activity outcome sharing will be part of each content area. Thinking\, innovating and challenging are integral parts of this workshop. \n  \nTOPICS COVERED:\nAssuming the role of a Trusted Advisor. It’s more than a deal manager. \n\nDefine behaviors and practices of an effective Trusted Advisor\, one who builds strategic\, C-Level relationships and enables the creation of shared value\n\nImplementing and utilizing a metric-based customer scorecard \n\nShare key metrics that influence success in relationship management and the value journey using a dashboard approach\, i.e.\, measuring so we can improve together\n\nMeasuring & strengthening relationships \n\nPresent and establish methodology\, process\, practices and tools for mapping\, measuring and strengthening relationships\n\nExpanding share of wallet within a designated addressable market segment and building on/from a metric-based scorecard and voice-of-customer data \n\nDemonstrate how to turn knowledge\, relationships and metrics into mutually beneficial outcomes/monetized value – through a value journey
URL:https://strategicaccounts.org/event/core-4-managing-the-customer-relationship-and-value-journey-3/
CATEGORIES:Training,Workshops,SAMA Academy,CSAM Requirement
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LOCATION:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261103T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261104T123000
DTSTAMP:20260713T185357Z
CREATED:20251016T202228Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260713T185357Z
UID:10000150-1793692800-1793795400@strategicaccounts.org
SUMMARY:E14 – Winning with Internal Stakeholders: How to manage internal stakeholders to successfully advance creative customer solutions
DESCRIPTION:Most SAMs readily acknowledge that winning the approval of their internal stakeholders is often a greater challenge than winning with customers. In this workshop\, we will explore the keys to successfully manage internal stakeholder relationships. You’ll learn the different types of internal stakeholders and the expectations of each\, and we’ll explore the differences between internal and external stakeholder management. You’ll walk away with greater emotional intelligence and practical tips to effectively gain internal support for your ideas in order to accelerate required approvals. \nTOPICS COVERED:\nThis session equips participants with practical approaches to align internal stakeholders with their important customer initiatives. \nAs a result of attending this workshop\, participants will be able to: \n\nCreate an internal stakeholder register\nIdentify and map important internal stakeholders\nAccurately assess the levels of influence and interest of key stakeholders\nEffectively categorize different types of internal stakeholders\nUnderstand how to align their initiatives with the emotional drives of key stakeholders\nSuccessfully leverage internal politics · Proactively address the concerns of internal stakeholders\nDevelop appropriate communication plans for different stakeholders\n\nCompetencies Covered:\n\nCustomer orientation\nCompany knowledge\nCommunication and influence skills\nInterpersonal relationship skills\nResponsibility for corporate customer relationship\nAccountability for business outcomes
URL:https://strategicaccounts.org/event/e14-winning-with-internal-stakeholders-how-to-manage-internal-stakeholders-to-successfully-advance-creative-customer-solutions/
CATEGORIES:Workshops,SAMA Academy,Training
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://strategicaccounts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SAMA-wkshphero_E14.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261110T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261111T120000
DTSTAMP:20260713T185305Z
CREATED:20251014T140606Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260713T185305Z
UID:10000144-1794299400-1794398400@strategicaccounts.org
SUMMARY:CORE 3 – Leading and Influencing Your Strategic Account
DESCRIPTION:TOPICS COVERED:\nAs a successful strategic account manager\, you operate as the conduit between your own and your customer’s organization\, relying on your ability to influence stakeholders in both while managing significant complexity. Doing so requires you to not only be seen as a trusted advisor to your customer but also as a leader within your own organization. Those who have developed their personal account leadership brand will maximize their ability to influence outcomes across both organizations – which is more critical than ever given the complex\, decentralized\, and often virtual sales environment SAMs operate in today. \nThis highly interactive workshop provides practical frameworks and tools to enhance SAMs’ ability to demonstrate credible account leadership\, engage in strategic influence conversations with both the customer and internal team members\, and provide an opportunity to develop cohesive account strategies that will broaden and deepen relationships while driving account revenue. \nTopics covered: \n\nCreating long-term influence and engagement strategies to drive revenue with your customer\nUnderstanding customer resistance and effectively influencing customer counterparts for optimal outcomes\nBuilding an account leadership brand to develop and lead high-performing teams in today’s virtual selling environment\nPresenting yourself and your ideas in a clear and authoritative manner from the C-suite down\nAligning your multifunctional team for seamless implementation of account strategies and delivery
URL:https://strategicaccounts.org/event/core-3-leading-and-influencing-your-strategic-account-3/
CATEGORIES:Training,Workshops,SAMA Academy,CSAM Requirement
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://strategicaccounts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SAMA-wkshphero_core-3.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261117T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261118T123000
DTSTAMP:20260713T185013Z
CREATED:20251022T182935Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260713T185013Z
UID:10000157-1794902400-1795005000@strategicaccounts.org
SUMMARY:CORE 2 – Co-creation and Quantification of Value
DESCRIPTION:Higher-order value is created when companies collaborate to develop relevant\, differentiating solutions that impact what the customer – and customer’s customer – care most about. This “core” SAM program equips strategic account managers with leading practices; a proven\, pragmatic “operating system”; and tools to co-create value with the customer – tools that differentiates how you engage\, elevates relationships\, and accelerates mutual\, sustainable and profitable growth. \nTOPICS COVERED:\nThrough sharing “next-level practices\,” insights into “what the best do differently” and account-centric application of the co-creation framework\, principles and tools\, attendees will rapidly: \n\nDeepen customer and value-chain insights to understand business drivers\, validate needs and uncover opportunities\nAlign with key stakeholders (internal and customer) and prioritize “Big Fit” opportunities\, where you and the customer can collaborate to create the greatest mutual value\nCo-develop relevant\, differentiating solutions that leverage enterprise capabilities\, beyond core products and services\nQuantify and communicate compelling value propositions\, creating relevant\, quantified value stories in the customer’s currency and a “board-ready” business case that quantifies the “ripple effect” through the ecosystem\nDevelop a roadmap that accelerates execution and organization-wide change – to move the business forward faster towards a shared vision\, goals and outcomes\n\nIn summary\, this program is a high-impact\, pragmatic immersion that enables a replicable\, distinguishing approach to co-create and monetize value.
URL:https://strategicaccounts.org/event/core-2-co-creation-and-quantification-of-value-4/
CATEGORIES:Training,Workshops,SAMA Academy,CSAM Requirement
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261130T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261203T120000
DTSTAMP:20260713T184917Z
CREATED:20250902T135302Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260713T184917Z
UID:10000135-1796027400-1796299200@strategicaccounts.org
SUMMARY:CORE 1 – Value Co-Discovery and Strategic Account Planning
DESCRIPTION:How can effective co-discovery between you\, your account team and your customer put your account planning efforts on an accelerated trajectory to be successful? How do top performing account managers harness the power of value creation\, internal and external alignment and authentic customer relationships to drive greater collaboration and develop higher-impact account plans? How can you equip yourself with proven strategic account management (SAM) best practices to drive mutual growth and value creation with your most strategic customers? How can you implement an account planning process that will enable you and your customer to engage\, win and grow together? These questions and more will be answered in this high-energy workshop in which participants “try-on” contemporary SAM concepts and best practices proven within the SAMA community. Participants will select a strategic customer and “must-win” opportunity as part of their pre-work before the session\, and then apply workshop learnings to this customer and opportunity\, ensuring takeaways that can be put to use immediately. Whether your organization has adopted a specific account plan format or not\, workshop exercises\, group discussions and debriefs will provide takeaways in the form of SAM concepts\, skills\, tools and best practices that can be applied to the specific challenges facing you and your team today. \nTOPICS COVERED:\n\nInitiate the account planning process by understanding the current state of performance and relationship between the participant’s own organization and the customer.\nEngage effectively with customer team members to determine what matters most to them\, co-discovering customer external pressures and drivers\, business objectives and plans\, internal challenges and obstacles\, as well as their criteria for measurable success.\nLeverage historical value creation with the customer (past proven value) and relevant data to gain momentum and direction for co-discovery\, alignment of growth objectives and future value creation.\nDevelop and execute co-discovery strategies and activities that will enable the participant and the customer to explore possibilities for mutual value creation and co-creation\, and visualize mutual success together through elevated levels of collaboration.\nUnderstand the customer’s organization and business landscape for the purpose of aligning and mapping key customer stakeholders\, sponsors and supporters with the members of the participant’s account team for effective engagement and collaboration.\nDevelop and validate new opportunities that result from the participant’s discovery and co-discovery activities with the customer\, thus bringing the organizations into closer alignment around shared objectives\, priorities and new areas for value creation/co-creation.\nEffectively communicate opportunities for value creation and co-creation\, both internally and externally with the customer\, ensuring that short and long-term priorities are kept in proper balance and that both parties recognize the potential for mutual growth.\nFacilitate collaboration between the participant’s and customer’s teams resulting in the development and implementation of realistic strategies to grow customer relationships.\nBuild\, update and deploy the strategic account plan as a management tool for:\n\nCustomer value creation\, co-creation and realization\nEffective alignment (both internal with colleagues and cross-functional team members\, and externally with the customer’s team)\nExpansion of the customer relationship (including development of customer sponsors and supporters)\nMutual growth for both organizations.
URL:https://strategicaccounts.org/event/core-1-value-co-discovery-and-strategic-account-planning-7/
CATEGORIES:Workshops,SAMA Academy,CSAM Requirement,Training
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261214T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261217T120000
DTSTAMP:20260713T184828Z
CREATED:20250929T154744Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260713T184828Z
UID:10000141-1797237000-1797508800@strategicaccounts.org
SUMMARY:CORE 0 – SAM Playbook: Foundational skills for driving superior customer results
DESCRIPTION:This two-day course teaches participants the full scope of the role and responsibilities of a strategic account manager as well as a repeatable framework for co-creating value with a customer. Participants will work with real-life case studies to better understand the progression of a typical customer engagement and the requisite skills and competencies: Customer co-discovery\, fit and planning; value co-creation\, monetization and negotiation; and value-tracking and delivery. This course uniquely combines technology and SAMA’s knowledge architecture to accelerate learning and application of KAM/ SAM best practices. \nTOPICS COVERED:\nModule 1: SAM competencies\, skills and tools.  During this module\, attendees will absorb the value co-creation journey and the specific competencies required to carry it out. Instructors will present a case study that illustrates a well-executed customer journey as well as introducing SAM-enabling tools participants will leverage during the course. The focus is on the “how\,” not the “what.”\nBreakout: Participants will reflect on the specific competencies needed to successfully execute an end-to-end customer journey\, how they relate to Module 1’s case study and their individual skill-development goals for the following two days. They will use this as a focal point for improvement throughout their entire SAMA training journey. \nModule 2: Co-Discovery\, fit and planning.  The focus of this module is to get participants to think more strategically about their own customers. Each participant should walk away with a clear plan for having more strategic customer conversations that lead to concrete value-creation ideas. Key topics: Breakout: Participants will focus on their value story\, the critical output that enables the strategic account manager to transition from having tactical conversations to have strategic ones that resonate with the customer’s C-level. \n\nAbout the Customer: Thinking strategically about the customer’s business situation\nValue Story: Develop  the foundation for a customer conversation drawing on what that customer values today and uncovering target areas for value-creation efforts\nFeedback: How to gain valuable customer feedback on their value-creation ideas\n\nModule 3: Co-creation\, value monetization and negotiation.  The focal point of this module is to use customer value-creation ideas to build business cases designed to garner internal and customer buy-in. Key topics: Breakout: Will focus on the quantifying business results for the customer. \n\nReview the top value-creation ideas\, monetize them and prioritize which to focus on\nDevelop planned outcomes for both the customer and supplier\nBuild execution plans and review with customer and supplier to ensure alignment\n\nModule 4: Value tracking and delivery.  The final module focuses on creating an “execution rhythm\, internally and at the customer\, to complete and track outcomes. Key topics: Breakout: Work in this module will focus heavily on building a quantitative outcome tracker that can be used internally and with customers. \n\nDevelop an approach to tracking quantified customer outcomes\nEstablish value creation project scorecards that are used in the operating rhythm of the internal and customer organization\nEstablish internal and customer accountability for execution
URL:https://strategicaccounts.org/event/core-0-sam-playbook-foundational-skills-for-driving-superior-customer-results-4/
CATEGORIES:Workshops,SAMA Academy,CSAM Requirement,Training
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20270517
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20270520
DTSTAMP:20260701T192431Z
CREATED:20260530T092943Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260701T192431Z
UID:10000201-1810512000-1810771199@strategicaccounts.org
SUMMARY:2027 SAMA Annual Conference
DESCRIPTION:Menu \nThe 2027 SAMA Annual Conference brings together the brightest minds in strategic account management for three days of insights\, connection\, and practical innovation — deep in the heart of Texas! Set against the backdrop of Austin’s dynamic music\, technology\, and cultural hub\, SAMA’s mainstage event is designed for leaders who are trailblazing the future of customer growth\, value creation\, and strategic partnerships across complex global organizations.Whether you’re scaling a mature SAM program or accelerating a newer initiative\, the SAMA Annual Conference delivers the strategies\, frameworks\, and peer-to-peer learning needed to drive real\, quantifiable impact. Through compelling keynotes\, practitioner-led case studies\, collaborative discussions\, and hands-on sessions\, you’ll explore the evolving role of strategic account management and how leading organizations are building stronger customer relationships in an increasingly interconnected world.More than a conference\, this is a community of practitioners committed to advancing the discipline and enabling sustainable growth.Join us for the 2027 SAMA Annual Conference! You’ll leave with inspiring ideas\, actionable takeaways\, and meaningful connections that help you lead with greater clarity and confidence.								\n									REGISTER FOR 2027!\n					 \nPast attendees include:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister with Super Early Bird Pricing for 2027!\n\n						Super Early Bird Price						\n							(Prior to September 5\, 2026)						 \n\n\n								\n										Corporate Member = $2\,495\n						\n\n								\n										Individual Member = $2\,695\n						\n\n								\n										Non-Member = $3\,095\n						\n\n											\n							REGISTER						 \n\n						Early Bird Price						\n							(September 5\, 2026 – February 3\, 2027)						 \n\n\n								\n										Corporate Member = $2\,695\n						\n\n								\n										Individual Member = $2\,895\n						\n\n								\n										Non-Member = $3\,195\n						\n\n											\n							 						 \n\n						Full Price						\n							(After February 3\, 2027)						 \n\n\n								\n										Corporate Member = $2\,995\n						\n\n								\n										Individual Member = $3\,295\n						\n\n								\n										Non-Member = $3\,495\n						\n\n											\n							 						\n						“Attending the SAMA Annual Conference was a meaningful and educational experience that elevated our strategic account management approach. The sessions offered actionable best practices that we’ve applied across our team\, and the opportunity to connect with other account managers was invaluable. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to grow professionally and strengthen their strategic partnerships.”\n								– John MimnaughBoehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals\, Inc.\n						“I’ve been working with SAMA since the mid 2000s. I got answers at my first annual conference. The rush\, the fire\, the adrenaline that you get from your first SAMA conference — I want my team to have that same experience. If you want your sales team to be viewed as the trusted advisor for your customers\, join us at the conference. See you there.”\n								– Brian HussPresident\, Frenzelit			 \n“For me the value lies in the ability to spend a few days sharpening my skills so that I am able to take new ideas back to my company so we can all as a team become better at managing our relationships with our key strategic accounts.”\n								– Conference Attendee\n																																 \nConference Venue \nCONFERENCE DATES: MAY 17-19\, 2027 \nJW Marriot Austin\nLocated in the heart of downtown Austin\, JW Marriott Austin offers elevated luxury paired with sophisticated amenities designed for pleasure and productivity. Completed in 2025\, a thoughtful renovation refreshed the hotel’s guestrooms\, meeting spaces\, executive lounge\, and lobby. Surrounded by Austin’s most vibrant cultural and entertainment destinations\, the hotel is within walking distance of over 200 uniquely Austin shops\, restaurants\, and nightlife venues. Nestled conveniently between the Texas State Capitol building and the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail\, the JW Marriott Austin is at the epicenter of Austin’s local hotspots and renowned attractions. \n2027 SAMA Annual Conference Venue: JW Marriott 110 E. 2nd Street Austin\, TX 78701Toll Free: +1-888-236-2427 \nJW Marriott Reservation Link: SAMA / JW Marriott Reservation Link \nSAMA Room Rate: $335.00 per night + taxes \nReservation Cut-off: The cut-off for reservations is Monday\, April 26\, 2027\, or when the SAMA block of rooms are full. \nHotel Cancellation Policy: You may cancel your reservation for no additional charge until 48 hours prior to the day of arrival. Please note that a fee of one night’s room and tax will be charged if you must cancel after this deadline. \n																														 \nCall for Proposals\nSAMA’s Annual Conference is our premiere event — an exhilarating educational experience\, with sessions offering breadth\, depth\, and a sharp focus on real-world challenges that cut across all industries. \nYou will be seen as a thought leader within your industry and become part of a global think tank of like-minded peers\, determined to grow profitably with your company’s most strategic customers. \nFor session submissions\, click here. For questions\, please contact SAMA’s Assistant Director of Knowledge & Training Dave Schweizer at schweizer@strategicaccounts.org and include a brief description and any supporting materials. \nSubmissions deadline for submissions is October 2\, 2026. \nThank you to our sponsors:\n		                                			 \nThank you to our sponsors:
URL:https://strategicaccounts.org/event/2027-sama-annual-conference/
CATEGORIES:Conference
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