Each year, SAMA issues awards for new and mature SAM programs. One thing every winning company has in common is they all had an established, centralized programming office, or Center of Excellence (CoE). A coincidence? We think not. Establishing a CoE is the key success factor for implementing an effective strategic selling and strategic account management approach. Despite this fact, only 10 percent of SAMA member companies have a CoE, let alone an effective one. With such a clear business opportunity, it is time to take a closer look at CoEs, i.e., their challenges, benefits, and key characteristics for SAM impact and success.