There are many customers who are big and important, but who do not make it into Strategic Account Management (SAM). It is in this area that Account Based Marketing is making its biggest impact. Even more important for marketing, however, is the re-engagement of the marketing community with big, important customers. There has been a depressing trend towards the almost complete separation of marketing from the real world of customers, as they have been drawn into the diversion of digital marketing.
In 2018, this trend towards ABM will accelerate.
Six tips for successful Strategic Account Management (SAM)
This article focuses on factors for success in SAM, as these major customers are becoming increasingly important to the profitability of suppliers and each one is frequently treated as a market in its own right, given their colossal size. Through 20 years of research led by Cranfield’s Key Account Management Global Best Practice Research Club, here are a brief summary of six tips for ensuring success with these powerful customers.