Key Account Management

An organization's key accounts are its lifeblood. Key account management focuses on the long-term investment of resources in customers that can offer an exceptional return on resources. But which are the key accounts? Are they the ones growing the fastest? The ones that are most financially secure? Or are they the ones that shout the loudest? Key Account Management puts forward a straightforward and effective planning methodology. This fully updated 6th edition of Key Account Management takes a long-term, team-selling strategic view of the whole process, from defining the customer, to managing the relationship and achieving key supplier status. With coverage of latest best practice including IT's role in account management, plus new case studies, online supporting resources and a new section comparing how different industries/markets approach key account management, it stands alone as the premier book on managing key customers.Online resources include helpful templates, guides for students and lecturers, and self tests to ensure that best practice is being followed.

"A combination of clarity, enthusiasm and common sense... reading this is a rewarding experience.", "Will help any business focus their sales activities where they matter... this is the essential guide to global best practice.", "For those who are embarking on key account management from a major project perspective then this is a good introduction....it has good information and guidance on how to select your key accounts and the overall key account management process.", "A good overview of analytical tools, sound advice on strategy, timely warnings and software and planning tools. We highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in key corporate sales.", "Presents a planning methodology for identifying, obtaining, retaining, and developing key customers."

Peter Cheverton is Director of Insight Marketing & People, now established as the leading international training and consultancy firm in KAM implementation, working in more than thirty countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States, with a client list that includes some of the world's major blue chip companies. He is also the author of Understanding the Professional Buyer and Global Account Management (both published by Kogan Page).