What is Key Account Management. Key Account Manager Job Responsibilities. Where do Key Account Managers come from?

NOREBO RU - Pushkinskaya metro station, Moscow

103,000 - 123,000 rubles

...Job Responsibilities: 1. Work with federal and localkey clientsunder direct contracts or through distributors. 2. Independent negotiation with clients on all aspects joint work: contract terms, assortment input/rotation...

2 days ago

eduson.tv- metro Avtozavodskaya, Moscow

100,000 - 120,000 rubles

...The leading corporate online training service in the Russian Federation Eduson (clientsfrom Gazprom and Russian Railways to PFR and telecoms) is looking formanager for work with keyclients. During your work, you can learn a lot from colleagues and top management (Groupon, Pixonic, Delivery Club, CarPrice)....

4 days ago

OPEN group- metro Domodedovskaya, Moscow

...market. As always, we serveclientsand work with suppliers in most major... ...We are looking for corporate clientsKama.If you are: # Ready for a dynamic... ...engage in: support and maintenance of largekeycompany's clients portfolio expansion...

9 days ago

Konik - metro station Volgogradsky prospect, Moscow

100,000 - 250,000 rubles

...years in the market of children's goods) in connection with the development of the sales department in Moscow invites applicants for the positionmanager for work with key clients (KAMA). Tasks: Development of the current base of key customers (the base is provided), search for new customers, increase...

9 days ago

Dairy House, Trading and manufacturing company- Moscow

90 000 rub.

...market conditions; 4. Development of the active matrix; 5. Work controlmanagerson work with shops; 6. Analysis of analytical reporting,... ...Knowledge of network sales structure; Ability to negotiate withkeymanagers (leaders); Knowledge of programs: 1C, Excel;...

10 days ago

Migas - Moscow

100 000 rub.

...150 lots. Over 50,000 lots have been sold over the 5 years of the site's operation. Invites Candidates for the positionmanagerfor work with corporateclients". Responsibilities: The main task of the position: Increasing the share of presence in the market and growth in sales....

11 days ago

LANIX - Moscow

50 000 rub.

Responsibilities: Sales of goods for children (toys) on Russian market search, negotiation and conclusion of contracts with federal and local networks preparation of commercial offers; organization and control of shipments of goods; control of accounts receivable...

4 days ago

Key crate - Moscow

120 000 rub.

...Building and maintaining long-term relationships withkey clients(federal networks), negotiating,... ...Higher education Job experiencemanagerfor working with key clientsKAM)from 3 years in a Russian or Western company (FMCG...

10 days ago

Antal Russia - Moscow

...Our customer- a major European manufacturer of ceramic tiles Responsibilities: Managing the company's distributors; Maintenance of existing contracts for federal networks (DIY) Control accounts receivable; Increasing the range, product rotation...

14 days ago

MASTER FOOD - Metro Shosse Entuziastov, Moscow

60,000 - 120,000 rubles

...Responsibilities: Coordinating withkey clientsAnalysis of customer needs; Establishing and maintaining contacts; Holding... ...Higher education. One year experience in a positionKAM(preferably Ho-Re-Ca experience) Developed communication skills...

17 days ago

Alpintech - Moscow

90,000 - 120,000 rubles

Job Responsibilities: - Develop and maintain a positive relationship with the network. - Motivationclientfor long-term cooperation. - Prevention of problems with customers and prompt resolution of difficult situations. - Formation, coordination of promo...

23 days ago

New Territory - Izmailovo, Moscow

100 000 rub.

...discover something new in it. If you are ready to share this feeling with us, we will be glad to see you in the positionManager for work with key clients / KAM.Without exaggeration, you will be the face of the company, providing interaction with the most important customers. This...

17 days ago

Yotta-Farm - Moscow

...We invite you to the Yotta-Pharm LLC teammanager for work with key customers (KAM)Yotta-Pharm LLC, the official distributor of medicines manufactured at the factories of the Pharmasyntez Group of Companies, was created to sell high-quality Russian medicines...

22 days ago

Avexima - metro station Dynamo, Moscow

...In the Russian pharmaceutical company(own production) in connection with the expansion, a vacancy is openedmanager for work with key customers (KAM)...

22 days ago

POLARIS - Moscow

Job Responsibilities: Developmentclientse-commerce (AliExpress, Citilink, Ozon, Wildberries, Holodilnik, etc.). Attracting new partners. Negotiations Strategic planning and sales forecasting, assortment management, assessment of competitor activity...

10 days ago

BIA-Technologies- Moscow

The Pareto Law says: 20% of customers bring about 80% of the profit. It is on this twenty percent, but the most profitable "minority" that salespeople of any company try to direct most of their efforts. It is these 20% that include the key clients of the company, who are the most important, desired, “favorite”. Why does this category of customers require a special attitude of all employees of the company? First of all, because the stability and prosperity of any business depends on the quality of partnerships with key clients of the company:

  • Key clients of the firm consistently bring to it high profit;
  • Key clients it is an opportunity to build long term relationship, which will not stop after some time, as could be the case with ordinary customers of the company;
  • Working with key clients it is a constant opportunity to increase sales or keep them at a consistently high level. And the most important thing this is stability that no other clients, partners, contractors can “promise” to the company;
  • It is the key customers it is usually large and active developing companies, are a kind of "indicator" of market changes. Based on the changing needs of key customers, entrepreneurs can plan their business, take new vectors in development in order to always remain relevant and meet the needs;
  • Key customers communicate in different circles, and it is they who can tell their colleagues and partners about the interaction with the company, and make the company an appropriate reputation.

In addition to all these advantages of working with key customers, there is another really important one. Experienced entrepreneurs unanimously confirm the fact that it is much more profitable and wiser to “emphasize” and develop a business by working with key customers than to direct the main forces of employees to search for new partners and buyers.

So, working with key customers this is certainly an important aspect, due to their all-round “attractiveness”, but there are also difficulties in this matter. Firstly, every company that is trying to “keep” its key customers should be prepared for the fact that, in addition to it, other competing companies will fight for such profitable partners, offering “attractive” organizations new conditions for cooperation, tempting discounts and bonuses. This means that in working with key customers, the company must be head and shoulders above its competitors. This applies to prices, quality of goods and services provided, level of service and quality of service. key clients tend to be truly selective and "capricious" in choosing the companies they do business with.

Today, work with such companies in firms is carried out by special specialists key account managers. Today, they are important figures in the activities of any organization and at the same time solve a number of basic tasks.

Key Account Manager Responsibilities

The position of "Key Account Manager" all over the world today is commonly called "KAM", the abbreviation comes from the English concept "Key Account Manager", which means "Key Account Manager". Sometimes key account managers are confused with ordinary account managers, but these two positions are different, since the functionality, duties of the KAM, as well as the range of skills and abilities that he must possess, are much wider than the range of skills of the "average" manager or salesperson.

The key account manager is the "face" of the company, its "ambassador", and this is not just an ordinary employee, but a real specialist, a professional in his field, who must combine such skills and abilities, competencies and the following functionality:

  • ability to conduct business negotiations;
  • be able to establish close and trusting relationships with key customers;
  • salesmanship;
  • be able to maintain the loyalty of key customers to the company;
  • consult clients on all issues related to the activities of the company, the goods sold, services, orders;
  • know the peculiarities of the market and all the "subtleties" of the sphere in which the company operates;
  • must be fluent in foreign languages;
  • must understand the specifics of the activities of the company of each key client;
  • be able to think "strategically" and anticipate the desires and needs of key customers;
  • be able to present the company's goods and services, lobby its interests at specialized events, tenders, or in situations where it is possible to find new customers;
  • must carry out the "management" of each client, starting with the first negotiations with him, concluding a deal, ending with "feedback", that is, collecting information on whether he is satisfied with the purchased goods or services;
  • must write reports, fulfill a sales plan, prepare commercial offers, fill out documentation;
  • control the implementation of clauses of contracts and all stages when working with key clients, etc.

In addition to the above skills and competencies, KAM Key account manager must have the following personal qualities: stress resistance, the ability to listen and hear the interlocutor, a high level of erudition, be client-oriented in work, be able to find their own approach to each person, be able to interest, have the "gift" of persuasion and the technique of working with objections, speak beautifully and express their thoughts correctly, have a strategic thinking and always be result-oriented.

The duties of a key account manager include personal meetings with customers, where the terms of cooperation are discussed, all important nuances, and ultimately deals are made. But even after that, the range of tasks of this specialist does not end: the key account manager must become their “flagship”, a reliable assistant, must constantly “lead” his customers, fulfilling all their requirements and anticipating their wishes.

In addition to this large number of competencies that a key account manager should have, his activity is complicated by the need to communicate with a large circle of people at once, work with specific personalities and difficult characters. All this only means that not every specialist will be able to work in this position, which means that it is necessary to carefully select employees for this vacancy of the company.

The main mistakes when working with key clients

Today, not a single hundred books have been written on the topic of working with key clients of the company. guidelines. Why is this aspect given so much attention? First of all, because working with this category of customers it is always a big responsibility for an account manager. Any slightest oversight, mistake, delay can cost the entire company the loss of the most promising client, and, therefore, the loss of money, which is fraught with very tangible consequences for the business.

By definition, working with the company's key clients will be difficult, since this category of people has power, money, they have earned a high status with their work, which means they value their time and money. For each such client, the approach should be individual and their “service” should be carried out only at the highest level. exactly the level to which they are accustomed. And it is the key account manager who must be able to meet all the requirements of the customer, otherwise, the slightest stupid mistake can cost a lot, and the key client will simply leave and voluntarily "give" their funds to a competing company.

What mistakes should not be made by a key account specialist in the process of interacting with them?

1. Late arrivals are not allowed. The daily activity of a key account manager is based on interaction with people, and, in addition to the ability to “find an approach” to each of them, a specialist must be able to earn the trust and respect of his client, and that is why punctuality in this regard the most important requirement. Being late for meetings with key customers is simply unacceptable. Each delay tells the buyer only one thing: it is simply not worth working further with a company whose employee cannot even come to negotiations on time. This means that a key account specialist simply cannot make such a stupid mistake.

2. Disputes. Every account manager should know the specifics of working with customer objections, as disputes This is a fairly common problem today for representatives of this profession. When selling goods or services to a client, you need to be able, first of all, to listen to him, and even in the event of claims and dissatisfaction with the buyer, the manager must remain attentive, balanced, subtly feel the emotional mood of the interlocutor and be able to tune him in the right way. Don't argue even if the client is wrong. Entering into polemics with him, you risk losing him forever.

3. Another Mistake Inexperienced Key Account Managers Make they interrupt the interlocutor. It is absolutely impossible to do this. The client must throughout the meeting be sure that he is being listened to and heard, his opinion is truly interested.

4. Lack of information. In working with the company's key clients, a really important aspect is the collection of information about the client's company, a kind of "dossier" on him, general information about his income, financial indicators of the history of the creation of the company, possible needs, plans for the development of the company, etc. With all this information, the key account manager gets his hands on a reliable weapon, but the manager who comes to the meeting and begins communication with the phrase: “Tell me, what does your company do?” immediately receives a “minus one hundred points” in his favor. Not a single VIP client will want to deal with a company that employs such an incompetent employee.

5. Insufficient preparation for negotiations. A survey of key clients showed that the vast majority of them are annoyed when they see a company specialist in front of them who is simply not ready for a meeting. Who did not collect information about the client's company, did not think through the questions, did not inquire in advance about the needs of the client, did not think interesting offers, which he could voice to the buyer, does not know the specifics of the company's work and is even poorly aware of the capabilities of his product. Remember: no one tolerates non-professionals, and even more so key clients who are competent in their field of activity.

6. Bad manners. Rules of etiquette and business communication no one has canceled yet. The vast majority of key customers react to the bad manners of the manager quite sharply it just annoys them. Each key account manager must be diplomatic, courteous (especially towards the fairer sex), gallant, observe absolutely all the rules of decency, and have good manners. All this will definitely help to win over the interlocutor and set him up in the right way.

7. Insufficient knowledge of the product offered to the client. The top 7 mistakes managers make when working with key accounts include such a common mistake as not knowing their product. If a specialist is not able to give comprehensive answers about his product or service to the client, to interest him, to offer non-standard and effective solutions and “tips” on the use of such a product, then the key client will not even talk to such a manager and waste his time. The manager must be in his field, like a fish in water, know all the specifics of the business from “a” to “z” and be able to satisfy the interest of even the most curious and picky client.

Each key account specialist must be a worthy representative of his company, and the requirements for this category of employees are, of course, overstated: this is both the ability to sell and knowledge competitive environment, and understanding the specifics of the client's activities, and the ability to be a psychologist in dealing with him. The main indicator that a key account manager is really doing his job well and is in the right place will be that business relationship with clients will eventually become friendly. In other words, each manager should try to make the key client become his friend, configured for long-term mutually beneficial cooperation and even mutual assistance. This will be an absolute success.

Key Account Manager - a manager whose job is to establish contacts with the main clients of the organization. This position is available in many trading firms and agencies.

Key account manager concept

For this profession, the generally accepted abbreviation is "KAM", which is an abbreviation of the English name Key account manager. The main responsibilities of the employee holding this position are to motivate the main customers of the organization to develop long-term cooperation.

It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to the question "What is KAM?". In essence, it is this specialist who connects the key clients of the economic entity with the latter. His actions should be aimed at meeting the needs of such clients, while he should conduct consulting, assisting in choosing the best option for the customer's business.

What customers are considered key?

Trade organizations and agencies have many clients, which individually generate little income for these organizations.

The work of KAM is aimed at ensuring that customers who bring the company 10-20% of the income cooperate with this economic entity for as long as possible.

Key customers include those who are leaders in the market segment under consideration, bring high profits to the organization in question (there may be few such customers, but in aggregate they can bring up to 70-80% of profit), provide new opportunities to increase sales volumes, consider the organization in which KAM works as a reliable partner.

Thus, another answer to the question "What is KAM?" will be like this: this is a manager who works with his head, which is different from the average sales manager, whose main working body is legs.

Tasks of an account manager

The tasks of the KAM are reduced to the implementation of the implementation plan in the territory assigned to it, the identification of key clients with an analysis of their potential, priority and new opportunities for doing business in the organization, contact with leading specialists, partner management, procurement from leading suppliers, implementation of a tender work, if any, for an economic entity, work with distributors, holding and participating in major events, reporting.

Responsibilities of the KAM

The Key Account Manager's responsibilities are as follows:

  • researching markets of interest to the organization he represents, negotiating with potential clients;
  • expansion of sales channels;
  • management of key clients;

  • statistical processing of information when drawing up an implementation plan;
  • processing orders of key customers;
  • information support of the above-named clients;
  • resolution of conflict situations and claims from customers.

What are the requirements of the employer to applicants for the position in question

A key account manager must have business acumen, intuition, tact, be capable of analysis, and to some extent even be a psychologist. Like most employees of the organization, the applicant for this position is required to have a higher education and knowledge of a foreign language. In addition, he must be well informed about the product of the organization he represents, understand how prices are formed and marketing strategy as well as paperwork in legal entity which he represents. He must possess the skills of business communication, be stress-resistant, have an active life position.

In addition, employers want to see for the position of KAM specialists with sales skills or with VIP clients who would have the following main characteristics:

  • a combination of assertiveness and tact;
  • ability to work in a single team;
  • understanding of business laws and sales techniques;
  • conducting marketing research on the work of customers and competitors;
  • presentable appearance;
  • knowledge of document management.

Thus, the third answer to the question "What is KAM?" the following will serve: this is a position in which a generalist should work, taking care of the interests of the company and his own, since the salary of KAM directly depends on the profit received by this organization.

Most often, this position is occupied by PR people, advertisers, sales managers with their own client base.

Positive and negative aspects of the activity of KAM

The position of Key Account Manager has its pros and cons, just like any other job that involves communicating with people.

One of the main positive qualities is that successful activity in this position allows you to achieve career growth. At the same time, it should be understood that this can be achieved if there is necessary knowledge, intuition and ability to communicate with people.

The negative point is that even successful activity does not always contribute to the implementation of a specialist in a particular organization. If the company pursues an ineffective marketing policy, then the employee will not be able to fully open up.

Competences of KAM

The fulfillment of the tasks listed in the previous section assumes that the key account manager has the following competencies:

  • be able to identify customers of the category under consideration by potential joint growth based on the analysis of NPV and other basic indicators;
  • understand business strategies, market behavior, methods used by their clients in their daily work;
  • develop strategies for the organization that KAM represents, focused on the VIP client, that would work for the benefit of both the customer and the business entity in which the manager works;
  • develop complete business proposals for the client group under consideration, which should involve all departments of the organization, as well as, if necessary, external resources;
  • create effective communications with the heads of organizations and departments of both your organization and your partner;
  • create commercial strategies, from the implementation of which all parties involved should benefit;
  • resolve conflict situations within their powers;
  • implement communication and sales strategies, using the resources necessary to achieve the goals.

Income level when working in the position in question

The fourth answer to the question "What is KAM?" will be: "This is a position held by a specific person who, like all people, wants to receive remuneration for his work."

His earnings are very rarely fixed. The main part of the income is interest from transactions. They can go both from the transaction amount and from the received margin. If interest is charged on the amount of the transaction, then it provides for an agency fee, which can range from 5%, if the transaction is large - up to 15% - for medium transactions.

At effective work KAMA, the level of its income may exceed 10,000 euros, if it is inefficient, its size will be about 10,000 rubles.

Finally

The abbreviation "KAM" comes from the English Key Account Manager. A person holding this position can receive both high and low wages, which is largely determined by the effectiveness of his work. This manager must build relationships with clients who individually bring at least 10% of the income of the organization that KAM represents. Clients can be different, so he must be a psychologist, and an analyst, and a linguist, and a manager, and a document management specialist. He must develop various strategies leading to improved performance of both the organization in which the KAM is employed and key clients. An employer may be looking for a manager with experience, but it costs more than one with little or no experience in the position. If the organization does not have such financial resources that would facilitate the hiring of experienced KAMs, it is better to grow your own staff.

Key account manager- one of the key figures in the enterprise. He enters into contracts with clients that bring the company the main income. Duties key account manager consist of many points, and the main result of his activity is the completed (or better, overfulfilled) plan. In case of non-fulfillment of the plan, the variable part of the KAM salary may decrease significantly.

Key account manager job description

APPROVE
General manager
Surname I.O. ________________
"________"_____________ ____ G.

1. General Provisions

1.1. Key account manager belongs to the category of specialists.
1.2. The key account manager is appointed to the position and dismissed by the order of the director of the enterprise upon submission commercial director.
1.3. The key account manager reports directly to the head of the sales department (development director, commercial director).
1.4. During the absence of a key account manager, his rights and obligations are transferred to another official, which is announced in the order for the organization.
1.5. The position of Key Account Manager is assigned to a person who has higher education and at least 2 years of sales experience.
1.6. The Key Account Manager is guided in his activities by:
- legislative acts of the Russian Federation;
- Charter of the company, Internal labor regulations, other regulations companies;
- the established financial and economic practice in this area;
- rules for concluding and executing contracts for the supply of products;
- real job description.

2. Job responsibilities of a key account manager

The Key Account Manager is responsible for the following:

2.1. Based on the plans of the department, plans individual sales volumes and individual targets to develop an active client base.
2.2. Plans a schedule of visits and calls to clients on a weekly basis.
2.3. In accordance with the schedule (and, if necessary, outside the schedule), he regularly calls and personally visits existing and potential customers, conducts all necessary negotiations with them on the conditions for the sale of goods and the procedure for making payments.
2.4. Organizes the preparation and conclusion of contracts with new customers, if necessary - re-registration of contracts with existing customers.
2.5. In accordance with the procedure established at the enterprise, it carries out a set of measures to verify the reliability and creditworthiness of customers.
2.6. Personally takes orders from all key customers, transferring technical work(entering orders into a computer) to the sales support department.
2.7. If necessary, advises the client on the optimal preparation of the order, based on the specifics of the business this client and from the company's strategic focus on long-term cooperation with this key client.
2.8. Within the framework of the conditions set forth in clause 7, and also taking into account the quality of the client's existing debt and his credit history, he strives for the maximum order size not only in terms of volume, but also in terms of assortment.
2.9. Based on the rules and regulations in force in the company, determines the size of discounts (price list column). In case of occurrence unusual situation consults with the head of the department.
2.10. Performs merchandising.
2.11. Keeps records of the execution of orders made and mutual settlements with its customers. Analyzes cases of returns and failures. Takes steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
2.12. Conducts work on training client personnel in methods to increase the efficiency of sales of the company's goods.
2.13. Provides timely and full return of receivables of its clients. Takes all possible measures for the immediate and full collection of overdue receivables.
2.14. If necessary, and in accordance with the rules adopted at the enterprise, participates in the preparation of acts and other documents for shortages, regrading, etc.
2.15. Keeps a sales history for each of his clients, and also collects and systematizes all available information about existing and potential clients in his market segment, their needs, and prospects for developing trade relations with them.
2.16. Collects and systematizes all available information about competitors, always tries to keep abreast of all changes in the market, is always ready to adequately respond to the actions of competitors.
2.17. At the request of the management, he evaluates the sales prospects in the market segment assigned to him, prepares proposals for adjusting the assortment and prices.
2.18. If there are relevant decisions of the management, it works to stimulate sales, to implement special programs of discounts and bonuses, and other sales promotions.
2.19. Constantly improves his professional level.
2.20. Ensures timely and reliable execution of all required reporting and other working documentation.
2.21. Provides a trade secret mode.
2.22. Maintains good working relationships within the workforce.
2.23. Performs official assignments of his immediate supervisor and direct superiors.

3. Rights of a key account manager

The Key Account Manager has the right to:

3.1. Represent the interests of the company in relations with customers on sales organization issues.
3.2. Get acquainted with the decisions of the company's management regarding the procurement and marketing of products.
3.3. Submit proposals to improve sales of products for consideration by the commercial director.
3.4. Communicate with employees of all structural divisions enterprises.
3.5. Request personally or on behalf of the immediate supervisor information and documents from the heads of departments and specialists necessary for the performance of their duties.
3.6. Report to the immediate supervisor about all the shortcomings in the activities of the enterprise identified in the course of the performance of their duties and make proposals for their elimination.

4. Responsibilities of the key account manager

The Key Account Manager is responsible for:

1. For improper execution or failure to fulfill their official duties provided for by this job description - to the extent determined by the current labor legislation of the Russian Federation.
2. For causing material damage- within the limits determined by the current labor and civil legislation of the Russian Federation.
3. For non-fulfillment of the sales plan, the plan for the active client base, the plan for new customers - within the variable part of the salary.

The Key Account Manager is responsible for maintaining relationships with the partners most important to the firm. Therefore, he must remember that you can not look at customers only as a source of income, such an attitude is always intuitive and repulsive. It is important to be able to strike a balance between your own interests and the benefit of a partner.

general description

In Russia, a tradition has developed - to classify as managers people involved in the field of communication with people. The word "manager" has the meaning "to manage others", and the key account manager usually has no subordinates and is responsible only for his own work. It would be more correct to call such a person simply a "specialist".

However, we will not delve into the terminology. The profession Key Account Manager (KAM), or key account manager, is found in trading companies and various agencies, such as advertising. Interaction with clients is the most important part of any business, so the company's specialization is not fundamental here, it only corrects the work of a specialist and clarifies the tasks facing him.

Customer interaction is the most important part of any business.

KAM is engaged in maintaining relations with the most important clients for the company, forms commercial offers, conducts an initial presentation and subsequent meetings, concludes contracts on behalf of the company. He takes part in the development of pricing policy, decides on discounts or special conditions for partners, and also controls the process and timing of the provision of goods or services, compliance with agreements. A key account manager must be able to predict possible difficulties in work and quickly solve problems.

Education

Many employers agree that a higher education is necessary for a key account manager, but what exactly is not so important. Ideally, KAM needs knowledge in the field of marketing and human psychology. Consequently, psychological education can become the main one, and marketing courses can be additional. Having a degree in marketing is not that important, since the main job of a key account manager is contact with real people. Employers, on the other hand, prefer not a beautiful line in the “Education” column, but a similar work experience of an applicant for this position.

Related careers

Former marketers or advertising and PR specialists come into this profession - as a rule, they are attracted by the opportunity to significantly increase their income level. Often, former sales managers or advertising managers who have developed enough skills and a client base to supervise on their own apply for the KAM position. important projects and lead the main clients of the company. Long-term and stable relationships with various organizations are always useful, regardless of what the potential employer is doing. All companies are one way or another focused on sales, so the areas of interest of many of them very often intersect.

Functional responsibilities

KAM's work begins with market research and identification of potential strategic clients - those with whom cooperation should become one of the main sources of income for the company. Then he contacts them. Having established the initial contact, the key account manager, with the help of specialists from other departments, forms commercial proposal, in which potential client the benefits of cooperation must be demonstrated. It is formed very carefully, based on knowledge about the market, the client and his needs. The better the analysis of a potential partner, the more likely it is to be interested in a particular proposal. Then the next step will be a personal meeting.

Svetlana N. has been working with clients for several years, now - in advertising agency. Prior to that, she was an advertising manager and a sales manager. According to her, the first personal meeting is a very important element in building relationships. After all, success further cooperation will depend on how people managed to find a common language with each other. Svetlana says that at a meeting a person first of all evaluates himself, and only then a partner, so communication takes place not only on a verbal, but also on a non-verbal, energy level.

After the parties agree to start work, the details of cooperation are discussed separately, then the contract is signed and the process of providing a product or service begins.

KAM makes sure that both parties comply with mutual obligations so that there are no overlaps.

A key account manager must not only constantly look for and attract new clients for cooperation, but also keep an eye on existing ones, track changes in their business and, based on this, adjust interaction with them. He also needs to painstakingly maintain a client base, collect all available information about the company, down to client reviews and his own observations.

Skills and qualities

The main tools used in the work of KAM are the ability to understand the psychology of people, business communication skills and knowledge of the product (goods or services) offered by the company represented by the manager. In addition, the ability to “program” oneself for good luck is very important in the work of such specialists. “You need to be able to write the right message to the client. "Vparivaya" anyone and anything, you can make a deal only once - the second it will not work, "- Svetlana shares her thoughts.

A good key account manager must have business acumen, know where to make money, but at the same time be tactful, have developed intuition and understand when to stop, stop putting pressure on the client, so as not to go too far. Otherwise, the deal may fall through.

A good key account manager must have business acumen

KAM should also have good intellectual abilities and analytical thinking. Separately, it is necessary to note such a skill as knowledge foreign languages. The number of companies that cooperate with foreign partners is constantly increasing today. To take the position of a key account manager in a large organization, knowledge of English is simply necessary.

Pros and cons in the profession

This profession involves constant contact with people. It is suitable for those who have an active life position able to analyze the situation and make predictions. The advantage of this profession is that a key account manager can quickly build a career, taking higher positions in the company due to his personal charm and ability to win over people. Another positive point is the opportunity to receive very high wages. But since the level of compensation depends not only on the skills and abilities of a specialist, but also on the capabilities of the company as a whole, the factor of instability of earnings, the dependence of the level of income on the number of transactions concluded and the interest received will be a minus for many candidates.

The level of compensation depends not only on the skills and abilities of the specialist, but also on the capabilities of the company as a whole.

Problems can arise when the skills and abilities of a specialist are not fully in demand. specific company. For instance, good specialist turns out to be a victim of bad marketing policy of the organization. There is only one way out of this situation - the search for a new job.

Salary

Key account managers are rarely paid a fixed salary. Most of them receive interest from transactions. Interest can come from margin - from the difference between the cost of goods and the amount for which it is sold - or from the total amount of the transaction. The latter includes the so-called agency fee, it is from it that bonuses are accrued to the manager. The size of the agency fee can vary from 10 to 15% of the transaction amount, if the transaction is medium, and be equal to approximately 5% - if it is large.

Wage for a key account manager in "productive" and "non-productive" months for a company can differ significantly - from 10,000 rubles to 10,000 euros per month and even more. KAM's earnings depend not only on personal skills, but also on the company's capabilities - on how long it can provide a given product or service. If an organization does not fulfill its obligations in a timely manner, for example, for some reason delays the process of providing a service, this will negatively affect both its reputation and profits.

prospects

A successful key account manager can go on to become a sales manager, development director or commercial director. Career growth, as a rule, is determined by the number of successful transactions.

As far as financial prospects are concerned, what bigger company, the bigger the deal and the bigger the bonus KAM gets. Therefore, when looking for a job, job seekers should first of all pay attention not to the “Salary” column in the job description, since a fantastic amount can be indicated there, but to the scale of the company and its business reputation on the market.

 

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