Velocity Spring 2025

VOLUME 27

Issue 2 2025

FUTURE-READY SAM Insight-Led, Emotionally Intelligent, Tech-Empowered

S T R AT E G I C

ACCOUN T

M A NAGEM EN T

A S S O C I AT I O N

FEATURES 17 The Dawn of the Commercial Insight

50 E xercising Your Heart and Mind for Strategic

Strategist

Account Management

23 Relationship Equity: Stakeholder

55 Is Your SAM Journey Stalled? How a Center

management to minimize risk in turbulent times Part three: in conversation with Hervé Debaecker and Dino Bertani

of Excellence can turn your headaches into success

29 Building Trust with Key Customers

DEPARTMENTS

41 The Science of Success: How the action

9 Quick Takes

control model influences strategic leadership

12 Data Watch

VE L O C I T Y ® A PUBLICATION OF THE STR ATEGIC ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION

Publisher: Gordon Galzerano Editor-in-Chief: Nic Halverson Editor: Harvey Dunham Creative Director: Aimee Waddell Advertising: Ashley Davis

Vol . 27

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The Strategic Account Management Association is a global knowledge-sharing and networking organization devoted to developing, promoting, and advancing strategic customer-supplier value, collaboration, and learning.

Management Association (SAMA). The SAMA® logo is a registered trademark of the Strategic Account Management Association.

Changes of address, suggested articles, and requests for extra copies of this publication should be directed to:

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No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission.

Copyright © 2025 by the Strategic Account

For membership information or to join SAMA, contact Lisa Maggiore at 312-2513131 x141 or maggiore@strategicaccounts. org.

SAMA #389 Chicago, IL 60656 Tel: 312-251-3131 • Fax: 312-251-3132 www.strategicaccounts.org

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SAMA CORPORATE MEMBERS ABM Industries Inc.

John Deere

Advanced Industrial Devices

Johnson & Johnson

Agilent Technologies Inc.

Liberty Mutual

Air Liquide

Lilly USA, LLC

Airbus Defence and Space

LP Building Solutions

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

Lubrizol

Amgen Canada

Medtronic

Arcadis Consulting UK Ltd

Merck/MSD

Astellas Pharma Inc.

Michelin

AVI-SPL Axis Communications Inc.

New York Power Authority Inc.

Bellevue University

Nilfisk

bioMérieux

Novo Nordisk Inc.

Black & Veatch

O-I

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota

Owens Corning

Boehringer Ingelheim Carlisle Construction Materials

Pfizer, Inc. Philips Premier Inc. Pure Storage

CAS Ceva Santé Animale CH Robinson

Saint-Gobain Sanofi Pasteur Inc. Siemens

ChemTreat Cisco Systems, Inc. CPC Worldwide Day & Zimmermann DHL Diversified Company Donaldson Company, Inc. Ecolab Elanco Animal Health

Solecta, Inc. Sonoco Southworth Products Corporation

Dr. Michael Ahearne Professor of Marketing and C.T. Bauer Chair, Bauer College of Business, EMEA University of Houston

Eric Gantier President, Global Engineering, Manufacturing & Energy DHL Customer Solutions and Innovation (CSI)

Dr. Hajo Rapp SVP, Strategic Account Management & Sales Excellence TÜV SÜD AG

Steve Andersen President and Founder PMI

Denise Juliano Group Vice President, Life Sciences Premier Inc.

Mary V. Ruiz CEO & Co-Founder MHAYA.ai

Dino Bertani Vice President, Head of Alliance Management Zealand Pharma Anju Birdy Vice President, Strategic Account Management Excellence Schneider Electric Noel Capon R.C. Kopf Professor of International Marketing Columbia Business School

Renae Leary Chief Commercial Officer – Americas Ansell Christine Marsh Senior Vice President Boehringer Ingelheim Mike Moorman Managing Principal, Sales Solutions ZS

Jim Ford Chief Executive Officer Solecta, Inc. Chairman of the SAMA Board

Shawn Parker Executive Director, Strategic Account Management & Corporate Group Sales Hilton

Gordon Galzerano President and CEO SAMA

Namita Powers Principal ZS Associates

Jennifer Stanley Partner McKinsey & Company Sara Theis Program Manager, Regional Growth Americas Owens Corning Max Walker Director, Strategic Account Management EMEA Medtronic Brad Weintraub Senior Vice President, Global Strategic Accounts Program AVI SPL

supplyFORCE Terumo Europe N.V. Thales The AAK Group

Endress + Hauser

The Sherwin-Williams Company

Expeditors International

TreviPay

Freeman

TÜV SÜD

GE HealthCare

UL Solutions

Genmab US, Inc.

Vallourec

Geotab Inc.

SAMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

*Dominique Côté CEO and Founder Cosawi

*Ron Davis Executive Vice President, Head of Customer Management Zurich Insurance Group

*Rosemary Heneghan Retired - Director, International Sales & Operations, Worldwide IBM

*Distinguished Board Advisors (lifetime contributors; non-voting members)

SPECIAL THANKS TO SAMA’S PROVIDERS

Valneva

Greene, Tweed & Co. GSK

Veolia WTS USA Inc. Wajax Corporation

Hilton Worldwide Hovione Farmaciência, S.A.

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.

Hyatt

Xylem Inc.

IDEXX Laboratories, Inc.

Zurich Insurance Group

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V ELOCIT Y® A PUBLICATION OF THE STRATEGIC ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION

SAMA 2025 EVENTS

Publisher: Gordon Galzerano Editor-in-Chief: Nic Halverson Editor: Harvey Dunham Creative Director: Aimee Waddell

SAMA Academy Online 2025 January-December

Advertising: Ashley Davis

SAMA Staff

SAMA Academy Chicago

Executive

July 14-17

President & CEO: Gordon Galzerano Finance/Operations/Meetings Director of Finance, Meetings and Operations: Fran Schwartz

SAMA 2025 Pan-European Conference October 2025

Operations and Meetings Manager: Tracy Cundari Finance Manager: Christina Ponstein Creative Director: Aimee Waddell Salesforce Administrator/IT Manager: Erin Pallesen Customer Success Director, Customer Success & Business Development: Lisa Maggiore Senior Manager, Customer Success: Michael Johnson Customer Success Manager: Chris Cain Customer Success Manager: Michelle Ward

SAVE THE DATE

Customer Success Manager: Brad Maloney Knowledge, Certification & Training Director, Knowledge, Certification & Training: Libby Souder Assistant Director, Knowledge & Training: David Schweizer Assistant Director, Certification & Training: Stephanie Fahey Knowledge, Training & Certification Coordinator: Steven Allen

SAMA 2026 Annual Conference May 18-20 Phoenix, Arizona Arizona Biltmore Hotel

Research Research Manager & Customer Experience: Joel Schaafsma Research Services Manager: Christine Army Strategy, Marketing & Communications Managing Director, Strategy: Harvey Dunham Fractional CMO: Jodi Schwartz Editor-in-Chief: Nic Halverson Marketing Manager & Sponsorship: Ashley Davis

For more information, visit https://strategicaccounts.org/en/events.

Join the conversation with SAMA on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/strategic-account-management-association.

Follow SAMA on X at www.twitter.com/samatweet.

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EDITOR’S CORNER

Nic Halverson Editor-in-Chief Strategic Account Management Association (SAMA)

Boy howdy, the economic headwinds sure feel like they’re blowing at gale force, don’t they? Geopolitical tensions, market volatility, slashed budgets, supply chain strains…it’s a bumpy, turbulent ride to say the least, and we’re all gripping the armrest a bit tighter these days.

whose popular series on high-performing SAMs struck a chord with readers and remains a chart-topper. This issue features a summary chapter from his upcoming book, “The High-Performing Key Account Manager: Creating Sustained Value with Strategic Customers.”

For answers to life’s big questions, it’s often thought that one should look within. No need to go to an ashram (as the Fab Four did), because our next feature, “The Science of Success,” seeks our true potential. Authors Ceynur Nak and Henrik Meyer-Hoeven of Pawlik Consultants International describe the Action Control Model, “which provides a thor-

But let’s not forget that collaboration can help us weather

ough and detailed understanding of how the various psycho-

this storm. We can navigate this uncertainty together. During

logical systems of a person’s personality work together” as

times of instability, our global SAMA community can really

they “examine the cognitive processes required to move from

lean in and rely on our human network to mitigate challenges

intentions to actions.”

and share solutions. In fact, humanity is the common thread stitched throughout this entire issue. Look for it. When you find it, I hope it provides some answers and alleviates some anxiety.

“Tomorrow never knows” feels like an appropriate phrase these days, so “relax and float downstream” to our next feature, “Exercising Your Heart and Mind for Strategic Account Management.” Authors Keshini Masani and Janti Masani

In our first feature, “The Dawn of the Commercial Insight

of CXO IMPACT are bursting with words of wisdom about

Strategist,” Dave Irwin and Brooke Spatz of Polaris I/O

how “yesterday’s transactional relationships have evolved into

understand how you’re feeling, and they propose adding a

today’s transformational partnerships.” They enlighten us by

novel new role to your SAM program as a solution. “SAMs

teaching that “for this evolution to happen, there needs to be a

are overwhelmed — not by a lack of information, but by the

foundation built on holistic engagement that touches both the

sheer volume of it,” they write. “Without a way to stay ahead

heart and the mind.”

of shifting customer priorities, teams are left reacting instead of leading. Enter the commercial insight strategist (CIS).”

Dominique Côté, CEO & Founder of Cosawi, also has evolution and transformation on her mind. Check out her

Didn’t four lads from Liverpool talk about getting by with

article “Is Your SAM Journey Stalled?” for answers to that big

“a little help” from our friends? Now that we find ourselves

question and more, as she details how a Center of Excellence

“in times of trouble,” it’s good to listen to those “speaking

(CoE) “plays a critical role in embedding SAM within the

words of wisdom.” And that’s exactly what you’ll find in our

organization by driving vision, ensuring alignment, enabling

next feature, “Relationship Equity: Stakeholder Management

consistency, and fostering continuous improvement.”

to Minimize Risk in Turbulent Times,” the final installment of a conversation between our friends Hervé Debaecker, Chief Methodologist and COO at Perfluence, and Dino Bertani, Vice President and Head of Alliance Management at Zealand Pharma.

Now zoom out and take look from the 30,000-foot view.

You see that? That’s exactly why SAMA exists — to drive vision, ensure alignment, enable consistency, and foster continuous improvement — especially in turbulent times.

Investing in SAMA membership and attending our SAMA

Speaking of old friends, Javier Marcos, Professor of

Annual Conference are the best ways to connect with our

Strategic Sales Management and Negotiation at Cranfield

human network. If you haven’t already, I hope someday you’ll

School of Management, is a longtime Velocity contributor

join us. n

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QUICK TAKES

BEYOND INNOVATION: THE MANAGEMENT REINVENTION IMPERATIVE FOR SAMS Uncertainty is a given in today’s marketplace. However, one insight is gaining traction across industries and finding solid ground around the world, as author Mark

daily: we enable SAMs to operate independently but connect

Greeven pointed out in a recent piece for the World Economic

them to a central ecosystem that shares intelligence, best

Forum.

practices, and resources. In essence, Haier turned its entire

Greeven, Professor of Management Innovation and Dean of Asia at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), asks, “Why do some companies thrive in an era of relentless change while others struggle — even as they invest heavily in digital transformation?”

He adds: “The answer lies not just in what they produce, but in how they are managed. The world’s most innovative organizations are challenging outdated structures, redesigning decision-making processes, and embracing management models that fuel adaptability.”

This rings especially true for those of us at the front lines

company into a platform of value co-creators — just like SAMs who strive to do the same within their own customer ecosystems.

For SAM teams, adaptability isn’t just a helpful suggestion — it’s an existential imperative. Markets evolve. Buying centers shift. C-suite stakeholders churn. Old playbooks don’t work. That’s why management innovation is more than a trend — it’s a shift in mindset that needs to be at the forefront of SAM programs.

Need more examples? In Europe, Bayer removed “layers of bureaucracy,” which allowed teams to take ownership of

of strategic account management, where the quality of your

strategic decisions. In the US, Mastercard restructured its

team’s insight, agility, and stakeholder relationships defines

organization to enhance its agility in the ever-evolving pay-

enterprise growth. For SAMs and customer-centric orga-

ments industry.

nizations, the article emphasizes a fundamental principle: management innovation is your best bet to navigate the choppy waves of change.

“Each of these cases underscores a deeper truth: companies that innovate in how they are managed gain a competitive edge that rivals cannot easily replicate,” Greeven states.

Case in point: Haier. In 2025, the Chinese manufacturing

“Unlike product or technological innovations — which can

giant ditched hierarchical systems in favor of a decentral-

be copied — management innovation reshapes an organiza-

ized model of “autonomous microenterprises.” This move

tion’s ability to evolve, making it more resilient to disruption.”

empowered internal teams to operate like startups that connected through shared platforms and leveraged digital resources. As Greeven put it, Haier found “greater agility, faster innovation and a competitive edge that rivals struggled to replicate.”

Sound familiar? It should. It’s a move straight out of the strategic account management playbook.

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Plain and simple: forward-thinking companies are asking tough questions. Are we organized for speed? Can our teams act without waiting for permission? Do we have safe spaces to test new approaches? The same questions apply to SAM leadership.

Strategic account management is often hampered by overly centralized decisions, complex internal approvals, and misaligned incentives. SAMA’s own model stresses collaboration, customer-centricity, and cross-functional alignment — none

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QUICK TAKES

of which thrive in hierarchal environments.

“Breakthroughs in management practices rarely happen by

3. Cultural Foundations — Shift from compliance to commit-

accident,” Greeven writes. “They emerge when leaders recog-

ment, from reporting to ownership. This means redefining

nize the limits of traditional structures and create environments

what excellence looks like in a customer-driven organization.

where new ways of working can take root and evolve over time.”

Let’s be real: reengineering how we work sounds daunting.

He adds: “But internal vision alone is rarely enough. The

But this article reminds us that reinvention doesn’t mean

most transformative management innovations emerge when companies engage with external business ecosystems — learning from startups, industry partners, and even competitors.” (A good reminder that transformation doesn’t happen in isolation.)

So, what’s the call to action? These enablers stood out:

hurling moonshots. It starts by cultivating new behaviors, rewarding curiosity, and building new pathways for continuous experimentation.

Fortunately, SAMA occupies this exact space. Our global community is more than a repository of frameworks and best practices. It’s a living ecosystem for management innovation

1. F lexible Structures — Break rigid hierarchies. Adopt SAM

— a place where bold thinking, tested playbooks, and lived

teams with clear customer missions and shared success met-

experience collide. Make no mistake — SAMA is a catalyst

rics. Think fluid resource alignment, not static org charts.

for the management reinvention that this article calls for. n

2. Innovation Pathways — Build feedback loops that capture, test, and scale new ways of working. Let SAMs cocreate solutions with customers. Make failure a feature of

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learning, not a stigma.

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Adapted from “Why the best companies don’t just innovate — they reinvent how they manage,” by Mark Greeven, published March 14, 2025, by the World Economic Forum.

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NEW IN 2025:

GEN AI IN KAM Incorporate the power of AI into your KAM workflows

NATIVE SALESFORCE APPLICATION Access the full power of Valkre directly within your Salesforce environment

ACCOUNT HEALTH SCORING Track leading indicators of success across all account plans

DATA WATCH

INSIGHTS FROM SAMA’S PROGRAM ASSESSMENT SAMA’s program assessment tool measures the maturity and competitiveness of strategic account management organizations around the world. SAMA uses it to provide organizations with a comprehensive view of where they stand based on internal perceptions, how they compare to external benchmarks, and where to invest for stronger outcomes. We’ve analyzed the results including 2,100 responses from 80 organizations and have highlighted a few initial high-level trends we see in that data.

The SAM program model assesses performance across nine organizational elements critical to success.

These include: ✓ Strategic Customer Alignment and Relationship Management ✓ Systemic Enablement of Strategic Account Management ✓ Account Selection/Deselection and Segmentation ✓ C-Level Support and Executive Sponsorship ✓ Value Co-Creation, Capture, and Realization ✓ SAM Program Roles and Talent Management ✓ Internal Design, Structure, and Alignment ✓ Strategic Account Planning and Execution ✓ Strategic Customer and Program Metrics

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A DEDICATED SAM PROGRAM OFFICE SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCES PERFORMANCE IN GLOBAL ORGANIZATIONS Organizations with a dedicated SAM program office showed notably stronger performance, especially those operating across multiple geographies. Centralizing strategy, best practices, and resources in a formal office supports consistency,

improves

execution, and strengthens global coordination.

INTERNAL DESIGN, STRUCTURE, AND ALIGNMENT SHOWED THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CORRELATION TO OVERALL PROGRAM MATURITY Companies with a clear, customer-centered organizational structure and strong alignment between SAM strategy and broader business goals will show organizational strength across the critical elements.

HIGHEST OPPORTUNITY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Value Co-Creation: Many organizations take time to evolve from a sales-driven mindset. It is imperative to develop a true culture of collaboration both internally and with the strategic customers to co-create the value areas that bring the desired results.

System Enablement: Relationships with customers are dynamic and ever shifting. Therefore, the ways we interact with customers, create value for them, measure our success, and track metrics must be managed and enhanced by leveraging technology systems that are specific to the strategic accounts.

Program Metrics: Internally focused metrics tend to score relatively

FOCUSED ATTENTION ON FEWER ACCOUNTS YIELDS HIGHER SCORES The data revealed that companies focusing on a smaller number of strategic accounts — typically around 10 — tended to score higher

stronger when compared to customer-focused metrics, but both areas are often a missed opportunity. Co-developing metrics with customers helps strengthen the relationship and ensures value is visible to both sides.

than those with larger portfolios. While many firms evolve into selecting more accounts, starting small enables organizations to build a strong foundation and develop their SAM capabilities more effectively before scaling to additional strategic customers.

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Master the skills to build strategic relationships with your most important accounts From deep account analysis to tailored solutions, transform relationships into lasting partnerships.

SAM Success - Your path to strategic excellence.

mercuri.net

SAM Success - Strategize Implement Achieve

THE DAWN OF THE COMMERCIAL INSIGHT STRATEGIST An enterprise sales evolution long in the making

By Dave Irwin

For years, strategic account managers (SAMs) have navigated an increasingly com-

Founder and CEO Polaris I/O

plex sales landscape. Digital transformation, AI, and shifting customer expectations

Brooke Spatz

Yet, despite an abundance of data, SAMs continue to face one fundamental chal-

Leader, GTC Programs Polaris I/O

about what they value and need from vendors have rewritten the rules of engagement.

lenge: converting account intelligence into actionable insight that enables them to be relevant to executive buyers.

SAMs are overwhelmed — not by a lack of information, but by the sheer volume of it. News alerts, competitive insights, executive shifts, earnings reports, customer sentiment data — it’s all there, waiting to be harnessed. The challenge? There’s no scalable way to filter, contextualize, and act on this information at the speed of business in the context of the very complex relationship-management role they play, both internally and externally.

The role of the SAM has never been more demanding. Without a way to stay ahead of shifting customer priorities, teams are left reacting instead of leading.

Enter the commercial insight strategist (CIS).

The catalyst: The SAM overload and the hidden opportunity Two years ago, while we were working with large enterprise account teams, a reoccurring frustration surfaced: “We know there are opportunities hidden in all this data, but we don’t have time to find them, let alone activate them.”

Despite being inundated with reports, market trends, and stakeholder insights, SAMs lacked a structured way to uncover, prioritize, monitor, and convert these data points into actionable growth strategies. Rather than using intelligence to proactively shape conversations, account teams found themselves scrambling to keep up.

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The unspoken challenges holding SAMs back 1. Misalignment between internal capabilities and customer needs.

2. Over-reliance on product-first selling instead of insightled engagement.

3. A struggle to engage key decision-makers at the right altitude.

Even with AI-powered tools at their disposal, teams still

The results were immediate: SAMs were empowered to engage with the right intelligence at the right time. With every customer-focused insight being timely, relevant, and aligned to the customer’s evolving priorities, account teams were no longer reacting; they were leading.

The strategic account team’s secret weapon

lacked the right data and a cohesive, repeatable method to

B2B buyers now expect more than just solutions — they

transform intelligence into high-value engagements effi-

expect partners who understand their world and can help

ciently week in and week out.

them address their challenges when they happen. While

That’s when the opportunity became clear: the most successful account teams had a human in the loop — someone who could bridge the gap between the data and the output.

Someone who could extract the right insights at the right time, align the appropriate stakeholders, and equip SAMs to lead conversations before the customer even recognized the need.

That was the moment the commercial insight strategist was born.

Defining the role: The CIS as the AI-enabled, human-in-the-loop insight engine The commercial insight strategist is not just another

strategic account teams have long recognized the need to engage customers with insight, the reality is stark: too many sales conversations fail to resonate. Research shows that 79% of buyers prioritize vendors who demonstrate a deep understanding of their business, yet only 11% of sales conversations are considered relevant by executive decisionmakers. According to Gartner, 83% of sales leaders say their teams can’t keep up with changing buyer needs and expectations.

The gap is clear — most account teams are still struggling to make their insights actionable and timely.

Without the right intelligence at the right moment, SAMs risk becoming just another vendor competing for attention,

research role, nor a traditional sales function. The CIS is a

which often results in a lost investment in wasted time and

hybrid: a detective, a reporter, and an interpreter, blending

effort. The CIS shifts this dynamic by equipping account

investigative analysis with strategic storytelling.

teams with intelligence that’s not only relevant but also

• Like a detective, the CIS uncovers hidden patterns and untapped opportunities within complex customer data.

• Like a reporter, they synthesize scattered intelligence into a compelling, digestible narrative.

• Like an interpreter, they translate insights into actionable strategies tailored to the SAM and the broader account team.

The key differentiator? AI can surface data, but it takes human intelligence to recognize the patterns, connect the dots, and drive action.

The AI-enabled, human-in-the-loop process • A I accelerates research, detects patterns, and organizes findings.

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are comprehensive and continuously updated.

strategically timed and aligned with what truly matters to the customer.

Traditional methods for identifying customer needs — scouring CRM records, reviewing analyst reports, and piecing together insights from various departments — are no longer sufficient in today’s fast-moving business environment. Customers don’t announce their priorities in clear terms; they reveal them through fragmented signals, such as leadership shifts, regulatory changes, competitive investments, and emerging market trends. A CIS’s ability to identify and synthesize these signals at the speed of business and monitor the changing conditions associated with these situations over time makes them indispensable.

Embedding the CIS into the strategic account teams delivers a measurable impact. When insights drive customer

• The CIS applies judgment, creativity, and strategic story-

conversations, win rates increase by 22%. Engaging the

telling to make sure that the insights are meaningful and

right stakeholders earlier in the buying process speeds up

actionable as well as ensuring the data sources feeding AI

sales cycles by 31%. Most importantly, integrating CIS-led

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intelligence into account planning expands the customer-driven pipeline, ensuring teams aren’t just chasing what’s in the CRM but uncovering entirely new growth opportunities.

The CIS is more than just a support function for SAMs — it enables them to lead. Instead of relying on outdated insights, they have realtime intelligence. Instead of struggling to differentiate, they enter executive conversations with a clear, strategic point of view.

In an environment where relevance determines success, a commercial insight strategist is the key to unlocking a competitive advantage.

The CIS in action: Real-world impact The value of the CIS role becomes evident in real-world scenarios where traditional sales methods fall short.

Case Study #1: Securing a competitive win in a multi-year contract renewal

By framing the renewal conversation around the customer’s strategic goals, not just contract terms, the account team repositioned themselves as a long-term partner, securing a multi-million-dollar win at a higher value than the previous term.

A strategic account team faced a critical contract renewal. The challenge? A complete turnover in the customer’s executive leadership team just months before the renewal decision. The account team had longstanding relationships with the previous decision-makers, but with the

gap when a federal funding program that subsidized key customer accounts was abruptly canceled. Without this funding, dozens of high-value customers were at risk of churning.

shift in leadership, those connections were irrelevant. The

Instead of reacting with a short-term solution, the CIS

new executives had different priorities, different pressures,

took a broader view of the situation, identifying how the

and little familiarity with the incumbent vendor.

funding change impacted not just the client but the entire

The CIS went to work immediately: mapping the new

industry.

executive landscape, identifying each leader’s priorities,

• They conducted a deep analysis of regulatory shifts and

and uncovering key business initiatives that would drive

alternative funding mechanisms that could replace the

their renewal decision.

lost subsidies.

They analyzed leadership interviews, earnings call tran-

• T hey mapped the extent of exposure across multiple

scripts, and industry reports to understand the new team’s

customers, allowing the company to proactively engage

objectives and pinpointed the key decision-makers and

accounts before they churned.

influencers beyond just procurement.

• They positioned the SAM team to offer an alternative,

By framing the renewal conversation around the cus-

fee-based model, not just as a reaction to lost funding but

tomer’s strategic goals, not just contract terms, the account

as a strategic transition plan that aligned with broader

team repositioned themselves as a long-term partner, secur-

industry trends.

ing a multi-million-dollar win at a higher value than the

The result?

previous term.

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What could have been a devastating loss became a growth opportunity. Not only did the CIS help retain high-risk accounts, but the insights were also used to inform industrywide discussions, feeding intelligence into marketing, risk,

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For too long, high-value sales opportunities have remained hidden beneath mountains of untapped intelligence. accelerate, and hidden opportunities emerge that would otherwise have been missed.

The future: Why every enterprise sales team needs a CIS AI is reshaping the way sales teams operate, but AI alone is not the solution. The companies that will thrive are the ones that recognize a simple truth: technology is only as powerful as the people who use it.

The CIS represents the next evolution in and finance teams. This proactive approach transformed

strategic account management — the human intelligence

a retention challenge into the company’s highest growth

needed to complement AI-driven insights. Without this

account of the year.

role, account teams will continue to struggle with too much information and too little clarity.

Clarifying the role: How the CIS fits into a strategic account team

customer relationships, larger deal sizes, and faster growth.

A commercial insight strategist is a complementary role

Account teams that fail to adapt will fall behind in a market

to a strategic account manager. While a SAM owns the

that increasingly demands precision, insight, and relevance.

customer relationship and revenue strategy, a CIS enables

The question isn’t whether organizations need a CIS —

insight-driven engagement, ensuring every interaction is

the question is how long they can afford to wait before

strategically informed.

making it a standard part of their sales strategy.

In large enterprise sales, information overload is a serious risk. Teams often get caught up in reactive motions, chasing urgent tasks rather than focusing on long-term, strategic account growth.

The CIS helps filter the noise, curates intelligence, and ensures that the SAM team leads with insight, not just products.

For companies with a structured SAM program, the CIS works alongside account leaders to provide research-driven insights that shape customer conversations.

For companies without a formal key account program, the CIS can act as a strategic intelligence hub, supporting sales, marketing, and customer success teams with data-driven account growth strategies.

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Companies that embrace the CIS role will see stronger

The invisible pipeline becomes visible For too long, high-value sales opportunities have remained hidden beneath mountains of untapped intelligence.

With AI-powered tools, account teams now have access to more data than ever, but without a dedicated human in the loop to translate that data into action, its value remains unrealized.

The commercial insight strategist plays that crucial role, curating intelligence, identifying emerging opportunities, and ensuring strategic conversations happen at the right time.

Companies that have already implemented the CIS role are seeing measurable impacts. In just a few months, orga-

The impact is undeniable: when companies embed the CIS

nizations have surfaced 300-600 new qualified opportu-

role into their account teams, win rates improve, sales cycles

nities, many of which would have gone unnoticed using

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traditional research methods. Some account teams have seen their pipeline grow by 5x simply by applying the right insights to the right conversations.

Amanda McBride, Vice President of Enterprise Account Strategy & Enablement at Vaco Holdings, shared how the right intelligence surfaced at the right moment enabled her team to act decisively on a key opportunity.

“Just last week we actually had an insight delivered in our inbox,” she said. “We hadn’t seen it yet in the platform. We sent it to one another, and we have some internal strategy sessions this week for an upcoming meeting with one of the senior-level stakeholders.

That’s actually an account that is not yet in our relationship mix under contract. The CIS saw something big in the market, and saw it first, which enabled us to begin to act. We probably wouldn’t have seen it until 48 to 72 hours later.”

This kind of real-time intelligence sharing is what makes a commercial insight strategist indispensable. They focus on delivering the right actionable insights at the right time to move the business forward.

The future of strategic account management isn’t just about managing relationships — it’s about leading them. For those embracing the commercial insight strategist, the invisible pipeline of untapped growth is no longer out of reach — it’s finally in focus. n

Dave Irwin is Founder and CEO of Polaris I/O. Connect with him on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/ in/irwindave. Brooke Spatz is Leader of GTC Programs at Polaris I/O. Connect with her on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/brookespatz.

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RELATIONSHIP EQUITY: STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT TO MINIMIZE RISK IN TURBULENT TIMES Part three: In conversation with Hervé Debaecker and Dino Bertani

By Nic Halverson Velocity Editor-in-Chief SAMA

and

In the previous two issues of Velocity, we published the first two installments of a conversation between SAM thought leaders Hervé Debaecker, Chief Methodologist and COO at Perfluence, and Dino Bertani, Vice President and Head of Alliance Management at Zealand Pharma. Along with Harvey Dunham, SAMA’s Managing Director of Strategy, they discussed critical strategies modern SAMs must utilize to

Harvey Dunham

be proactive, be adaptive, and minimize the risk of losing the relationship equity they

Managing Director, Strategy SAMA

have built and maintained with their strategic accounts. Below, in the final installment, the conversation continues with how to preserve relationships when things change and concludes with relevant insights for modern SAMs on the future of strategic account management.

Harvey Dunham: What about your retirement or taking on a new responsibility, internally or externally? For those top executives who you have befriended, how do you put yourself in a position where you can suggest who should replace you?

Hervé Debaecker: My company must continue the connection. Who’s going to do that if I’m no longer in the position? This is an important question inside. The entire company — the entire world — should all have a succession plan that covers accounts and partnerships. Very often companies don’t take this simple step.

I have a number for you: nearly 85% of connections are lost when someone changes positions, even staying inside the company. It’s an estimation — I can’t prove it. I could by doing a survey. But in my experience, when I’ve asked customers to estimate the lost contacts when people move from one position to another, very often it’s above 80%. It’s a huge number. I was surprised that it could be so high. Plus, it doesn’t encompass the missing part — the gray area — where nobody knows anybody. We even don’t know who we should know.

Of course, it varies from one company to another. But the rocket wisdom is necessary because, of course, we cannot exceed a given number of possible contacts per capita because we don’t have the bandwidth for that. You can manage 100 or 150 contacts per year, not 1,000.

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Harvey Dunham: If you get into a private equity buyout situation or a big company suddenly swoops in, the game completely changes. It’s a huge problem to, first, understand the culture of whomever is now in charge and to what extent. Then, you have to rebuild those relationships and start over. Dino, we’ve discussed this before. It’s not so easy, is it?

Dino Bertani: Absolutely. No, it is not easy. You have to plan for everything. Implementing a successful succession plan really requires overcoming potential challenges early, such as resistance from your own top account executives from engaging with anybody else other than you, because you were the point person for them — maybe for years — and the only one that they engaged with, which is, again, very risky.

they become your ally because they see you valuing their own position and role within their organization.

This approach facilitates much more collaboration between both companies, which opens doors. Once you get there — over time, not overnight — you can try to neutralize some of these blockers by just understanding what exactly drives them.

Hervé Debaecker: Yes, absolutely. There is also another trend that shouldn’t be ignored: the new rookies coming in — people in their 30s or early 40s who’ve been raised in a world where relationships are oversimplified because they use, let’s say, Snapchat or WhatsApp or whatever. They’re used to talking to people over video, and they lack experience with relationship building in real life. In them, I see a

This requires you, as a SAM, to be proactive — to think

deficit in understanding the nuances of culture — nuances

about your own replacement and to bring in potential suc-

that could help them decipher what’s really happening in

cessors early enough so that they can benefit from the

the mind of the people they’re talking to.

strong relationships that you have by building their own relationships across the account executives. You need to empower them and let your potential successors take over more and more responsibilities from you, providing them ample opportunities for exposure with your top account executives. That way, you can endorse the relationships they start to build.

This usually works best if you bring them in gradually.

That way, it doesn’t feel too harsh or you don’t have this cut, which can be like a bandage that you need to rip off — and your top accounts won’t like that. It’s a more transitional, plannable event as such.

Let’s go back to a previous question about how you should you manage an executive who restricts your access to other executives who could help both the customer and the SAM’s company. This happens occasionally, on an individual basis.

First of all, you really need to try and overcome stakeholder resistance by listening to them. Not on the superficial level but reconnect on a deeper level.

Try to suspend your own judgment. It’s not always that easy to understand the reason behind the blocking executive. But, by acknowledging all their different viewpoints, you might understand why they’re restricting access to other executives in their own organizations.

24

of their behavior, you can restart and act on it. By doing so,

They are naïve, and the problem is that they underestimate the importance of relationship building. We have a bunch of people arriving to the C-level who lack the subtlety and knowledge that was once there. They don’t see the importance of monitoring relationships. They only see the importance of numbers.

The trend is the bad news. The good news is that there are tools today that offer a solution and re-emphasize the importance of relationship building to a younger generation. Like our methodology — basically what we do with relationship intelligence and influence management, we can help people who are 25 years old be as efficient in managing influence as people in their 60s, because they are using methods and descriptions that help.

Of course, when you show the graduated relationship metric to your management, you might have to explain what it is used for, what it is, and why it’s efficient. But that will lead to the relationship governance charter.

Say you have a new guy on the board who’s 45 and never really been in strategic sales. He’s now a CFO. He doesn’t understand what the sales can be. But if he identifies a connection, I’ll show him a graph where the influence is mapped over rank. Here, he can see the people — who the heavyweights are — and he will understand. Now, he

Do they want there to be only one gatekeeper? Are they

should be more willing to cooperate because he can clearly

afraid of losing influence or power? Maybe they value the

see not only the advantage of knowing the network, but also

collaboration enough that they want to protect their col-

the risk in ignoring it. You see? He will be receptive to this

league’s time? Once you start to understand the root cause

scientific approach of relationship building. My conclusion

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While AI may help with certain aspects of account management, such as analyzing data or automating routine tasks, it cannot replicate these nuanced and subtle human interactions that are ultimately necessary for successful partnerships.

is to put some science and some rocket wisdom on relation-

to explain the value of strategic account management. But

ship mapping and relationship management.

again, at the core of all of this are the relationships.

Harvey Dunham: Excellent — very insightful and interesting. There’s a huge shift coming. Dino, what are your thought on this?

Harvey Dunham: At the 2024 SAMA Annual Conference in Miami, Miguel Gonzalez, Chief Procurement Officer for American Express, was one of our keynote speakers.

At the time of his keynote, he was in his previous role as Chief Procurement Officer for DuPont. He said something that struck me — that DuPont had a total of six strategic account relationships. Six! I don’t remember how many thousands of suppliers they had, but those relationships have been in place for over 20 years.

DuPont is so big and have their fingers in so many different businesses. It’s incredible. So, the quality of the relationships is everything — that’s what he was saying.

Dino Bertani: I love the conversation and wanted to build on the great comments. This also brings me back to the value of relationship building and relationship management — or lack of understanding how important this is. It makes me very comfortable that technology — AI specifically — brings many new strategies and tools to relationship building. Alliance managers and strategic account managers won’t be replaced by AI anytime soon, since account management, as we all know, really involves complex relationship building and negotiation skills that require empathy, human creativity, and strategic thinking.

While AI may help with certain aspects of account man-

Hervé Debaecker: Approximately 80% of a company’s value comes from intangible assets. I may not have the exact number, but I read somewhere that it’s in the 80% range.

agement, such as analyzing data or automating routine

Within these intangible assets, there is what I call enter-

tasks, it cannot replicate these nuanced and subtle human

prise relationship capital. This includes not only formal

interactions that are ultimately necessary for successful

business relationships but also internal connections and

partnerships. We should also remember that customer relationship measurement is more than just measuring customer satisfaction, which you know many companies do.

But satisfied customers can still defect. However, customers who have strong relationships rarely do.

Many firms have the opportunity to measure customer relationships more directly than they do now. And by asso-

interactions between key stakeholders. Imagine having a sensor on the key accounts we manage — tracking not just external relationships but also internal networks.

Enterprise relationship capital encompasses key accounts, partners, governmental agencies, and other critical connections. Should we manage this as an asset? Absolutely — because it’s worth billions.

ciating the measurements for each customer and account

Who should be responsible for this? Ideally, the CEO.

executive with their individual importance, ultimately, we

But there’s a problem: the average tenure of a CEO today

as a company can really decide where to apply our resources

is about two years. That’s not enough time for them to pri-

and achieve the best business impacts. Those measurements

oritize this. Many CEOs don’t care — they take an “Après

can also be fully integrated into strategic customer relation-

moi, le déluge” approach (meaning, “after me, the flood”).

ship plans.

So, who should oversee enterprise relationship capital

I just want to echo what Hervé said already — that there’s

management? It should be someone with a long-term per-

much more that we should be documenting, trying to quan-

spective — perhaps a secretary general or a similarly stra-

tify, and using as a strategic leverage for our own role and

tegic role. It shouldn’t fall under HR, because HR tends to

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25

Movement is the norm. Organizational changes are the norm. If we are people-centric, we win.

That’s the core idea: we must be people-centric. End of story. approach it in a broad, exhaustive way. If a company has

need to know there’s someone I can call. That human con-

170,000 employees, HR might want to track relationships

nection, that accountability, will remain crucial for a long

for all of them, which is impractical. Instead, we should

time.

focus on the top 20,000 individuals — the C-suite, key account managers, sales leaders, partnership managers, and program managers.

Can this be managed effectively? Yes, but not through a traditional CRM. It requires a dedicated approach.

Consider a senior executive — let’s call him Mr. Smith.

In a properly managed system, we track his career moves.

If he stays in a role for two years and then transitions to another, we don’t lose him. Instead, we recognize that he’s now in a new position where we may have even more business opportunities. Movement is the norm. Organizational changes are the norm. If we are people-centric, we win.

That’s the core idea: we must be people-centric. End of story.

Of course, this is a significant shift — a revolution, even.

Companies take time to change, but this is the direction we’re heading. This is part of our vision.

Some argue that we don’t need this because AI will eventually handle everything — automating responses to requests for proposals and managing relationships through algorithms. Sure, that might happen for small businesses.

But for large enterprises? Not anytime soon.

Given this, companies should adopt a people-centric system — what I call ecosystemic key account management (EKAM). This approach should be implemented at the highest levels, and organizations like SAMA should ensure that C-level executives understand its importance.

The problem is, many of them still don’t.

Harvey Dunham: In recent years, AVI-SPL has been a perennial winner of multiple SAMA Excellence Awards.

They discovered something unique. Once they figured out what key account management or strategic account management was, they asked themselves the question, “I wonder if we could win new business (with a company we’ve never done business with) by selling them on joining as a key or strategic account?”

They’ve really grown their SAM program with this approach! They’ve added something like 15 new customers that they never did any business with.

They’ve exceeded their growth rate simply by saying, “If you decide to do business with us, this is how we will do business with you.”

Hervé Debaecker: I love it! You know, in all my years of experience, I have never had anyone tell me that what we’re

Harvey Dunham: People do business with people.

People buy from people, from people they like and trust.

What I have heard many times is, “This feels like science

Hervé Debaecker: Yes, and this remains true even if

fiction to us. We’re not mature enough for this.” But this

people today don’t build relationships the way they used to.

idea of maturity is just a convenient excuse. It’s a way of

Even if they haven’t been educated in traditional relation-

admitting that they aren’t ready — without truly recogniz-

ship-building, even if they no longer have long business

ing the value of the concept.

lunches or dinners together as in the past, trust in business relationships still matters.

26

discussing today is wrong or absurd. Never.

But let’s be clear: you don’t need to be mature to implement something like relationship intelligence management

That trust may now be built through brief encounters —

(RIM). Give me a break. If you were building a rocket,

people may only meet once or twice — but it still holds. And

yes, you’d need to understand differential equations and

if I were awarding a $100-million contract to a company, I

advanced physics. That’s tough. But what we’re talking

would personally want to meet the manager. I want to know

about is just common sense in a bottle. Anyone can grasp it

who I’m dealing with.

in a few hours — unless, well, they refuse to.

Why? Because if something goes wrong with the contract

I believe we are on the verge of something truly transfor-

— if there’s a major issue on a Saturday night at 7 p.m. — I

mative. It can be implemented in today’s rapidly changing

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world — a world full of disruptions. And there are plenty

involves anticipating and addressing your account’s needs

more disruptions coming. We are not done facing challenges

and expectations and providing them with solutions and

— wars, political instability, economic shifts. This is just

opportunities before they even ask for them.

the beginning.

To navigate this uncertainty, businesses must adopt a people-centric mindset. Forget rigid org charts. Or rather, don’t forget them, but recognize that they are no longer enough. Companies need to embrace new ways of operating — adaptive, flexible approaches that align with an everchanging landscape.

Harvey Dunham: Dino, any last comments from you? Are there any other considerations you can think of that we should add?

Dino Bertani: I want to add emphasis to the attitude

I hear this a lot from executives: tell me something that I’m not aware of or tell me about a new trend. It all goes back to being ahead of the curve and staying ahead of the curve.

By adopting a proactive approach, you can demonstrate your value and expertise, increase your accounts’ trust and confidence, and ultimately create a competitive advantage.

Because if you don’t, somebody else will. n

Hervé Debaecker is Chief Methodologist and COO at Perfluence and can be contacted at Hervé.debaecker@rimlink.com. Connect with Hervé on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/hervé-debaecker-

and the how since I truly believe it’s so important to have

900bb. Dino Bertani is Vice President and Head of Alliance

a proactive approach to relationship management. This

Management at Zealand Pharma. Connect with him on LinkedIn

is key to successful account management, since it really

at linkedin.com/in/dinobertani.

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Ve l o c i t y ®

27

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BUILDING TRUST WITH KEY CUSTOMERS

This article is a summary of a chapter from the upcoming book “The High-Performing Key Account Manager: Creating Sustained Value with Strategic Customers” by longtime Velocity contributor Javier Marcos and coauthors. The book will be published in June 2025 and features a preface by SAMA President & CEO Gordon Galzerano.

By Javier Marcos

In this article, we explore the critical aspects of trust-building in key account

Professor of Strategic Sales Management and Negotiation Cranfield School of Management

management. We examine how these elements form the foundation of successful

Rodrigo Guesalaga

boundaries — internal, external, and interpersonal — is essential for key account

Professor of Marketing Universidad Alberto Hurtado

management (KAM) success. Key account managers (KAMs) must navigate

Andy Hough Lecturer in Sales Leadership and Performance Cranfield School of Management

Richard Vincent Visiting Fellow Cranfield School of Management

supplier-customer relationships and their impact on long-term business success.

We begin by understanding that effective communication across various

complex landscapes, coordinating between different departments within their organization while maintaining strong relationships with various stakeholders in the customer organization. This boundary-spanning role requires sophisticated communication skills and strategies to overcome potential barriers and ensure smooth information flow.

We then delve into trust, which we define as the willingness to be vulnerable to another party’s actions. We explore its three key components: ability, benevolence, and integrity. Trust development occurs through various approaches, including calculative assessment, prediction based on past behavior, capability demonstration, and intentionality evaluation. We examine how trust can be transferred from trusted sources and how it evolves through different stages of the relationship.

Particularly important is our discussion of the key account manager’s role as a trusted advisor. We explore the trust equation, which balances credibility, reliability, and intimacy against self-orientation. This framework helps us understand how key account managers can transition from being traditional salespeople to becoming indispensable strategic partners.

We also address the various barriers to trust-building, such as lack of communication, inconsistent behavior, cultural differences, and power imbalances.

Understanding these challenges helps us develop more effective strategies for building and maintaining trust.

Throughout the chapter, we emphasize that building trust and maintaining effective communication are ongoing processes that require consistent effort, genuine commitment, and a systematic approach to relationship management.

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29

These elements are fundamental to creating sustainable,

• Creates cultural alignment

value-generating partnerships between suppliers and their

Performance management

key customers.

Why building and leading trust development is important Personal trust development • Establishes professional credibility • Creates leadership influence

• Enables systematic measurement • Supports risk management • Improves value tracking • Strengthens accountability

Scoping trust in supplier-customer relationships Trust refers to the willingness to rely on an exchange

• Builds stakeholder relationships

partner in whom one has confidence.¹ It is a belief and

• Enables effective conflict resolution

expectation about the supplier (or buyer) based on the

Strategic value creation

expertise, reliability, and intentionality of the exchange

• Demonstrates expertise and knowledge • Enables proactive problem-solving • Facilitates strategic solutions

partner.² It can reduce the perception of risk associated with engaging in a business relationship (e.g., acting opportunistically to increase one’s own benefits at the expense of the other party). A trusting relationship increases confidence

• Strengthens competitive position

that short-term problems will be resolved over a longer

Communication excellence

period. Similarly, mutual trust between supplier and buyer

• Enhances stakeholder alignment • Improves issue resolution • Builds transparency • Strengthens relationship quality Team leadership • Develops organizational trust • Improves cross-functional collaboration • Enables knowledge sharing

can reduce transaction costs in the relationship by reducing the need to formalize each agreement between the two firms. Finally, both firms should be more willing to make idiosyncratic investments in the relationship when there is a high level of trust.

Trust can be defined as the “willingness of a party to be vulnerable to the actions of another party”³ and is a critical factor in the success of any relationship, particularly in collaborative environments like supplier-key customer relationships or innovation networks.⁴ When trust is present, it encourages risk-taking behavior and a greater willingness to engage in collaborative activities despite inherent risks. The level of trust is influenced by how the trustor perceives the trustworthiness of the trustee.

Trust can be broken down into three key components: ability, benevolence, and integrity.¹ Ability refers to the perceived skills, competencies, and characteristics that enable a party to exert influence within a specific domain.

It’s about judging whether the other party can fulfill their commitments and deliver on their promises. Benevolence, on the other hand, focuses on the belief that the trustee has the trustor’s best interests at heart beyond just self-serving motives. It’s about believing that the other party genuinely cares about the well-being of the trustor and will act in a way that benefits them, even if it doesn’t directly serve their own interests. In a network setting, this translates to a willingness to help and share valuable knowledge and information with other members, even when there isn’t an

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immediate or obvious benefit for the provider. Integrity is concerned with the trustor’s perception that the trustee adheres to a set of principles that the trustor finds acceptable. This encompasses several aspects: • C onsistency between actions and words: Does the trustee follow through on their promises and act in accordance with their stated values?

• Strong sense of justice: Does the trustee treat others fairly and make decisions based on ethical principles?

• Honoring agreements: Does the trustee abide by the rules and commitments established within the relationship or network?

Psychological safety and trust Psychological safety is a critical concept in organizational behavior and interpersonal relationships that plays a crucial role in establishing trust, particularly in KAM relationships. In a psychologically safe environment, individuals can speak up without fear of embarrassment or negative consequences; feel comfortable sharing ideas, concerns, and mistakes; and are confident that they will be heard and respected.

In a supplier key account relationship, psychological safety might look like having frank discussions about project challenges, providing candid feedback without fear of retri-

For example, KAM integrity would be demonstrated by

bution, sharing each other’s vulnerability, and collaborating

members of the supplier and customer teams respecting

openly to resolve performance issues. For example, imagine

confidentiality agreements, acting honestly in negotiations,

a technology supplier working with a large telecommunica-

and fairly sharing the benefits of joint projects.

tions company. Psychological safety would mean the sup-

Each of these dimensions plays a distinct role in shaping trust and influencing behavior within a relationship or network. Understanding these components is crucial for building and maintaining trust, which is essential for effective collaboration, knowledge sharing, and successful innovation. To illustrate, in a highly competitive industry,

plier can openly discuss challenges in meeting performance specifications, potential product limitations, resource constraints, and unexpected technical complications. Without psychological safety, the supplier might hide these issues, potentially leading to missed deadlines, unmet performance expectations, relationship deterioration, and loss of trust.

you may find that several suppliers are very similar in terms

“Psychological safety, in my experience, is fundamentally about

of their credibility with buyers, but then there may be some

trust. Building trust requires demonstrating a genuine under-

important differences in terms of their goodwill toward

standing of the customer’s business and challenges, consistently

customers. This can drive buyer preference and loyalty to

delivering on promises and ensuring that actions align with stated

only certain suppliers.

The following case is an example of a customer (key account) demonstrating trust to a supplier, showing a multiple dimension trusting relationship that goes far beyond transactional interactions into a collaborative partnership.

A large automotive manufacturer (the key account) demonstrates trust in its electronic components’ supplier by: • Sharing confidential details about its upcoming electric vehicle platform, including design specifications, production volume projections, and performance requirements.

• Agreeing on a multi-year partnership agreement, including guaranteed minimum purchase volumes, joint development of next-generation components, and shared investment in research and development.

• Sharing financial risk, by offering advance payments, providing working capital support, and creating joint mechanisms to manage technological development risks.

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intentions. I believe that creating an environment of psychological safety is essential for fostering open communication and innovation in key account relationships.”

– Nicolaas Smit, Strategic Business Relationships Consultant and Triple Fit 360 Business Plan Coach; Visiting Fellow, Cranfield University

Trust development approaches and processes Trust isn’t built overnight. It’s a gradual process that evolves over time through various interactions and shared experiences. This section explores the approaches and processes involved in trust development, highlighting key enablers and barriers that shape these dynamics.

The first approach is calculative. This approach, often rooted in economic principles, involves assessing the costs and benefits of trusting another party. The trustor evaluates the potential risks and rewards of the trustee acting in an untrustworthy manner.⁵ For example, a buyer might consider the financial implications of a supplier failing to

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31

deliver on time. If the costs of supplier unreliability out-

trustor’s confidence in the trustee’s reliability. For instance,

weigh the potential benefits of switching to a new supplier,

a supplier showcasing industry certifications, advanced

the buyer might be more inclined to trust the existing sup-

technology, or a team of experienced engineers can instill

plier.

trust in their ability to deliver high-quality products or

Investments and contracts underpin large, relationshipspecific investments by the supplier, such as dedicated production lines or customized solutions. These demonstrate commitment and raise the cost of opportunistic behavior, thus fostering trust. Similarly, well-defined contracts with clear performance metrics and penalties for non-compliance can create a framework of accountability, mitigating risks and encouraging trust.

services. Sharing success stories and expertise and providing evidence of past successes, such as case studies or testimonials from satisfied customers, can showcase capability and build trust. Active participation in industry events or publishing thought leadership articles can further reinforce a supplier’s expertise and trustworthiness in their domain.

Intentionality: This process focuses on interpreting the trustee’s motives and intentions. If the trustor perceives

Prediction: Repeated interactions and positive experiences help a trustor predict the trustee’s future behav,

ior with greater accuracy.¹ ³ This predictability reduces uncertainty and builds confidence in the relationship. For instance, consistent on-time delivery, adherence to quality standards, and responsiveness to queries over time can lead a buyer to trust a supplier’s reliability. Open and frequent communication is vital for enabling predictability. Sharing information about production schedules and potential delays

the trustee’s actions as genuinely motivated by a desire to benefit the relationship or the trustor’s well-being, trust is more likely to develop. For instance, a supplier offering proactive support, going beyond contractual obligations to help the buyer solve a problem, or demonstrating a commitment to mutual growth can signal benevolent intentions and foster trust. Relationship-building by investing time in understanding the buyer’s business goals and challenges, offering solutions tailored to their needs, and engaging in

and proactively addressing concerns demonstrates trans-

open dialogues about future collaborations demonstrates

parency, allows the buyer to anticipate and plan accordingly,

a genuine interest in the buyer’s success. Such actions go

and fosters a sense of trust.

beyond transactional interactions and contribute to a stron-

Capability: Trust can develop through assessing the

ger, trust-based relationship.

trustee’s competence and ability to fulfill its promises.²

Transference: Trust can be transferred from a trusted

Demonstrating expertise, technical capabilities, and a track

source to a new party with whom the trustor has limited

record of successful project completion enhances the

direct experience. For instance, a supplier recommended by a trusted industry partner or association benefits from the existing trust associated with the referring entity. Similarly, a new salesperson representing a well-reputed supplier firm inherits the trust built by the company’s brand and past performance. For instance, leveraging industry networks and endorsements and actively engaging in industry associations, seeking partnerships with reputable organizations, or obtaining endorsements from respected individuals can facilitate trust transference. These associations create a halo effect, enhancing the supplier’s perceived trustworthiness based on their connection to trusted entities.

Enablers for building supplier-key customer trust In the context of supplier-key customer relationships, several factors can enable and accelerate trust development: Shared values and vision: When both parties align on core values, ethical principles, and long-term goals, it fosters a sense of shared purpose and mutual understanding.

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This alignment reduces the likelihood of conflicts aris-

ensuring that both parties feel heard and respected.

ing from differing priorities and encourages trust-based decision-making. For instance, if both the supplier and the customer value sustainability and ethical sourcing practices, ,

it strengthens their partnership and promotes trust.⁵ ⁶ Open and transparent communication: Clear, consistent, and timely communication builds trust by reducing uncertainty and fostering a sense of partnership. Regular updates on production progress, potential delays, and proactive problem-solving demonstrate a commitment to keeping the customer informed and involved. Using multiple channels for communication, such as face-to-face meetings, video conferences, and detailed reports, can cater to differ-

Barriers to trust building While the aforementioned processes and enablers facilitate trust development, several barriers can hinder or even damage trust.

Lack of communication or transparency: Limited communication, withholding information, or being evasive when addressing concerns creates suspicion and undermines trust. For instance, failing to inform the customer about production delays or changes in product specifications can lead to distrust and damage the relationship.

Inconsistent behavior: Trust is built on predictability

ent preferences and ensure information clarity.

Willingness to be vulnerable: Trust requires both

and reliability. Inconsistent behavior, such as fluctuating product quality, missed deadlines, or

parties to be willing to take risks and

unmet promises, erodes trust and raises

depend on each other. Sharing confidential information, involving the customer in product development processes, or granting access to internal systems can demonstrate vulnerability and signal a high level of trust. These actions require careful consideration and a clear understanding of the risks involved, but they can significantly strengthen the relationship.⁶ Mutual dependence and investment: When both parties are invested

When both parties are invested in the relationship’s success and have a clear understanding of their interdependence, it creates a strong incentive to act in a trustworthy manner.

pendence, it creates a strong incentive to act in a trustworthy manner. For instance, a supplier investing in dedicated resources or infrastructure to serve a key customer

and commitment. It’s crucial to align internal processes with customer expectations and ensure that actions consistently reflect commitments.

Cultural differences: Differences in national or organizational cultures can lead to misunderstandings, conflicting expectations, and communication barriers that hinder trust development.

For instance, varying approaches to negotiation, decision-making, or com-

in the relationship’s success and have a clear understanding of their interde-

doubts about the supplier’s competence

munication styles can create friction and distrust. Investing time in understanding cultural nuances and adapting communication strategies to bridge these differences is essential.

demonstrates commitment and fosters trust. Similarly, a

Power imbalances: A significant power imbalance in

customer providing long-term contracts or volume commit-

the relationship can create a sense of vulnerability and dis-

ments assures the supplier of their loyalty and encourages

trust for the less powerful party. For example, a dominant

reciprocal trust.⁶

customer might dictate terms or exert pressure on a smaller

Effective conflict resolution: Disagreements are inevitable in any relationship. However, how these conflicts are handled significantly impacts trust development.

Establishing clear processes for addressing disputes, focus-

supplier, leading to resentment and distrust. Balancing power dynamics, fostering mutual respect, and ensuring that both parties have a voice in decision-making can mitigate this barrier.

ing on collaborative problem-solving, and actively listen-

Past trust violations: Previous negative experiences,

ing to each other’s perspectives can prevent conflicts from

such as breaches of contract, dishonesty, or opportu-

escalating and damaging trust. Fair and transparent con-

nistic behavior, can severely damage trust and make it

flict resolution mechanisms, such as involving a neutral

challenging to rebuild. Rebuilding trust after a violation

third party or mediation, can further strengthen trust by

requires acknowledging the breach, taking responsibility,

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33

implementing corrective actions, and consistently demonstrating trustworthiness over time.

Developing trust in supplier-key customer relationships is an ongoing process that requires commitment, effort, and

The trust equation, as elucidated in David Maister and colleagues’ seminal book “The Trusted Advisor,”⁷ provides a valuable framework for comprehending the intricacies of trust. It proposes that trustworthiness comprises four

a genuine desire to build a mutually beneficial partnership.

fundamental components:

By understanding the key processes involved, focusing on

• Credibility: This refers to how the trustor perceives the

enablers, and proactively addressing barriers, organizations

advisor’s expertise, knowledge base, and experience. It is

can cultivate strong, trust-based relationships that lead to

crucial for the advisor to demonstrate a deep understand-

enhanced collaboration, innovation, and long-term success.

ing of the client’s situation and business.

The key account manager as a trusted advisor We argue that a key capability of a KAM is to generate trust and foster trustworthy key customer relationships.

• Reliability: This element centers on the consistency and dependability of the advisor’s actions and their commitment to fulfilling promises. Clients need to be able to rely on their advisors to deliver on their commitments.

KAMs are increasingly expected to function as trusted

• Intimacy: Intimacy encompasses the emotional connec-

advisors,⁷ delivering strategic guidance, insightful perspec-

tion and the sense of safety and vulnerability that the cli-

tives, and effective solutions that contribute significantly

ent experiences when sharing information and confiding

to their key customers’ enduring success. This transition

in the advisor. It involves active listening, understanding

necessitates a more profound comprehension of the nature

the client’s feelings, and demonstrating empathy.

of trust and the specific actions KAMs can implement to cultivate it.

• S elf-orientation: This aspect concerns the degree to which the advisor focuses on their own interests as

A trusted advisor transcends the conventional role of a

opposed to the client’s needs. A trusted advisor prioritizes

salesperson. They are individuals upon whom clients depend

the client’s needs and demonstrates a genuine desire to

Trusted advisors possess a distinctive fusion of competence, integrity, and genuine care, inspiring confidence and fostering enduring partnerships. for their specialized knowledge, impartial judgment, and genuine concern for the client’s well-being. Perceived as invaluable partners, they offer guidance, unwavering support, and constructive challenges that empower clients to attain their objectives. Trusted advisors possess a distinctive fusion of competence, integrity, and genuine care, inspiring confidence and fostering enduring partnerships. Clients seek them out not only for their technical proficiency but also for their capacity to grasp their needs, perspectives, and ambitions.

“Trust is the foundation of every successful relationship. In our industry, where contracts can span decades and involve billions of dollars, trust is the foundation of every successful relationship.

Without it, even the most innovative solutions or competitive prices won’t secure long-term partnerships.”

34

help them succeed.

The trust equation indicates that trustworthiness strengthens as credibility, reliability, and intimacy increase.

Conversely, a high degree of self-orientation erodes trust.

The path to becoming a trusted advisor: Strategies for key account managers Building trust is a gradual process that demands consistent effort. Key account managers can utilize the trust equation to cultivate specific behaviors and practices that nurture trust within their key accounts.

Enhancing credibility: Laying the foundation of expertise

– Mark Bailey, Board Director, non-executive, and former

Enhancing credibility involves establishing a strong per-

Group Director Customer Relationships & Services; Rolls

ception of competence and knowledge in the eyes of the

Royce, Visiting Fellow, Cranfield University

client. A key question for KAMs becomes: how can you

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develop credibility? Here are some tactics: • Deep industry and customer knowledge: A trusted advisor possesses an in-depth understanding of their clients’ industries, the business challenges they face, and the competitive landscape in which they operate. KAMs can enhance their credibility by continually expanding their knowledge of their key accounts’ operational intricacies, strategic aspirations, and market dynamics.

• Showcasing expertise and insights: Sharing pertinent industry trends, best practices gleaned from experience, and innovative solutions demonstrates a KAM’s knowledge and capacity to deliver tangible value. Active engagement in industry events, contributions to thought leadership articles, and presentations of compelling case studies can further solidify their expertise.

• Building a proven track record: The foundation of trust is often built upon a history of success. Consistently exceeding expectations, meeting deadlines, and delivering on promises builds a reputation for reliability and competence. Documenting successful projects, gathering

contractual obligations, KAMs fortify their reliability and

positive customer testimonials, and sharing favorable out-

cultivate trust.

comes progressively reinforce credibility over time.

Fostering reliability: The cornerstone of dependability This centers on consistently delivering on promises and demonstrating a commitment to meeting the client’s expectations.

• Consistency and predictability: Reliability stems from

Cultivating intimacy: Building genuine connections This goes beyond simply fulfilling business transactions; it involves establishing a deeper, more personal connection with the client.

• Building personal rapport: Enduring relationships are founded upon personal connections and shared under-

consistent actions and predictable outcomes. KAMs

standing that extend beyond mere professional interac-

should strive for uniformity in their communication

tions. KAMs can nurture intimacy by dedicating time to

style, responsiveness, and follow-through. Transparent

getting to know their clients on a personal level, fostering

communication regarding timelines, expectations, and

a sense of shared values and mutual respect.

potential hurdles helps manage uncertainty and cultivates trust.

• Honoring commitments: Delivering on promises, regardless of magnitude, is paramount for establishing trust. KAMs must be realistic in the commitments they make, avoiding the pitfall of overpromising. Should unforeseen circumstances necessitate adjustments or

• Active listening and empathy: Showing genuine interest in the client’s viewpoint, actively listening to their concerns, and demonstrating empathy for their emotional context build rapport and create a safe environment for candid and open communication.

• Appropriate vulnerability: Trust flourishes in an envi-

delays, transparent and timely communication is essen-

ronment of reciprocity. By judiciously sharing pertinent

tial.

personal experiences or acknowledging past missteps,

• Proactive problem solving: Anticipating potential chal-

KAMs can demonstrate vulnerability and encourage a

lenges and proactively addressing them exhibits a com-

similar level of openness from their clients. This neces-

mitment to the client’s success. By assuming ownership

sitates careful judgment and a focus on fostering a sense

of issues, presenting viable solutions, and surpassing

of shared humanity.

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35

The most effective KAMs balance personal relationship building with systematic approaches, creating sustainable trust-based relationships that deliver value for both organizations.

Minimizing self-orientation: Prioritizing the client’s needs This requires consciously shifting the focus away from one’s own agenda, motivations, or desires and placing the client’s needs at the forefront of all interactions.

• Focusing on client needs: Trusted advisors inherently prioritize their clients’ interests above their own. KAMs should exhibit a genuine desire to assist their clients in achieving success, even if it entails forgoing short-term gains or recommending solutions that don’t directly benefit their own company.

A KAM presented with the opportunity to sell a highvalue product that might not fully address the client’s needs could choose to recommend a more suitable, even less expensive, solution. This demonstrates a commitment to the client’s best interests, even if it means a smaller immediate profit for the KAM’s company.

• Transparency and honesty: Openly addressing potential

By consistently applying these principles and embodying these behaviors, KAMs can successfully transition from transactional salespeople to indispensable trusted advisors.

In doing so, they forge deeper, more meaningful relationships and contribute significantly to the ongoing success of their key accounts. This transformation elevates the KAM’s role, creating a powerful synergy that benefits both the client and the advisor.

Summary and application Success in communicating and building trust requires a comprehensive approach combining personal actions, team leadership, and systematic processes. The most effective KAMs balance personal relationship building with systematic approaches, creating sustainable trust-based relationships that deliver value for both organizations.

The table on page 37 shows actions for genuine communication and trust building.

conflicts of interest, being upfront about limitations, and presenting a balanced perspective on all options — even suggesting a competitor’s solution when appropriate — builds trust through honesty and transparency.

• Seeking feedback and asking questions: Regularly

36

¹ C Moorman, G Zaltman and R Deshpande. Relationships between providers and users of market research: The dynamics of trust within and between organizations, Journal of Marketing Research, 1992, 29 (3), 314–28

soliciting client input, asking clarifying questions, and

² S Ganesan and R Hess. Dimensions and levels of trust:

actively seeking feedback demonstrate a commitment to

Implications for commitment to a relationship, Marketing Letters,

comprehending the client’s needs and customizing solu-

1997, 8, 439–48

tions accordingly.

³ R C Mayer, J H Davis and F D Schoorman. An integrative model

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Action

Description

1.

Create personalized stakeholder communication plans

Map all key decision-makers and influencers within the customer organization. Document their preferred communication channels and styles. Set up regular touchpoints tailored to each stakeholder’s needs.

2.

Implement structured information sharing

Establish clear communication protocols for different types of information.

Set up regular status updates and performance reviews. Create standardized reporting templates for consistency.

3.

Practice proactive problem identification

Monitor potential issues before they become problems. Alert customers to possible challenges early. Present solution options alongside problem identification.

4.

Demonstrate industry expertise strategically

Share relevant market insights and trends. Present case studies from similar situations. Offer thought leadership without being promotional.

5.

Schedule regular informal check-ins. Learn about stakeholders’ personal Build personal connections systematically motivations and challenges. Show genuine interest in their career goals and pressures.

6.

Document and track value delivery

Create value-tracking mechanisms. Regularly measure and report impact on client objectives. Maintain a record of successful initiatives.

7.

Foster transparency through open communication

Share both positive and negative information promptly. Be upfront about limitations or constraints. Acknowledge mistakes when they occur.

8.

Develop internal coordination processes

Create clear protocols for internal communication. Establish service level agreements with internal teams. Set up regular cross-functional meetings.

9.

Build psychological safety

Create environments where difficult topics can be discussed. Encourage open feedback. Respond constructively to concerns.

10.

Institute regular relationship health checks

Conduct formal relationship reviews. Gather feedback from multiple stakeholders. Use structured assessment tools to measure trust levels.

of organizational trust, Academy of Management Review, 1995, 20 (3), 709–34 ⁴ H Svare, A H Gausdal and G Möllering. The function of ability, benevolence, and integrity-based trust in innovation networks, Industry and Innovation, 2020, 27 (6), 585–604 ⁵ P M Doney and J P Cannon. An examination of the nature of trust in buyer-seller relationships, Journal of Marketing, 1997, 61 (2), 35–51 ⁶ G G Bell, R J Oppenheimer and A Bastien. Trust deterioration in an international buyer-supplier relationship, Journal of Business Ethics, 2002, 36, 65–78 ⁷ D H Maister, C H Green and R M Galford (2021) The Trusted

Javier Marcos is Professor of Strategic Sales Management and Negotiation at Cranfield School of Management. Contact him at javier.marcos-cuevas@cranfield.ac.uk or connect with him on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/javiermarcoscuevas. Rodrigo Guesalaga is Professor of Marketing at Universidad Alberto Hurtado in Chile. Connect with him on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/ in/rodrigo-guesalaga-79576a5. Andy Hough is Lecturer in Sales Leadership and Performance at Cranfield School of Management.

Connect with him on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/andrewhough.

Richard Vincent is a Visiting Fellow at Cranfield School of Management. Connect with him on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/ richardcharlesvincent.

Advisor, Free Press

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37

ELEVATE YOUR STRATEGIC MANAGERS FROM GOOD TO GREAT.

Use SAMA’s Individual Competency Assessment to: • Understand your SAMs’ current-state strengths and weaknesses • Discover how your account managers compare to each other and/or to competitors • Find SAMA resources and training tied to specific skills in need of improvement

SAMA’s Best-in-Class SAM Competency Model® •F acilitate meaningful coaching

3

Joint Solution Development, Co-Creation & Reaching Agreement

2 Strategic Account & Opportunity Planning

Strategic Account Manager Competencies & Skills 1 Understanding Organizational Priorities

SAMA’s SAM Competency Model

Want more information? Contact assessments@strategicaccounts.org.

5

Overall Relationship and Outcome Management

4 Multifunctional Account Team Leadership

CALL FOR VELOCITY SUBMISSIONS

Why Submit an Article?

Article Requirements

the topics most relevant at this time are:

Velocity is the official publication of SAMA. It provides a forum for the exchange of information relating to the practice of strategic account management and is the vehicle that enables SAMA members to be the best community of practice.

Thousands of account professionals, SAM managers, and C-level executives at the world’s largest and most forward-thinking companies read Velocity to learn about best practices and next practices from professionals who are facing the same challenges they are.

Articles must be directly applicable to strategic account management (not just sales). It helps to keep in mind that SAMA’s audience consists of those who work in complex, highly matrixed organizations and focus on building strong and mutually beneficial relationships with a company’s most important customers and partners.

• O rganizing and running the SAM

Articles must avoid directly promoting a product or service.

significant revenue with your customer,

Velocity articles range between 2500 and 3500 words, covering three to five pages.

These ranges are approximate; somewhat over or under these word counts is fine if justified by the content.

externally

By having an article published in Velocity, you’ll be recognized as having expertise on the topic, and you’ll elevate your visibility within the community and your own organization. Your organization will benefit by having its name brought to the attention of the wider community as a thought leader.

But you’re not a writer, you say? Not a problem. Your professional knowledge is more important than your writing skills.

The SAMA editorial staff can help with grammar, organization, and style. If you can write a business letter, you can author an article.

If your firm has a public relations, marketing, or communications department, they may be able to help you document your knowledge and experience. Do make sure, though, that you provide them with in-depth information and that you review their documentation of your knowledge and experience for accuracy and to ensure it meets the article requirements below.

Case Studies Case studies are particularly welcomed, answering the questions and following the format of: • what was the issue; • w hat were the steps taken to address the issue; • w hat resulted for the SAM, the SAM’s organization, and that of the SAM’s clients?

Articles from consultants and academics are welcome, but bringing aboard a practitioner co-author will get you to the top of the pile. If that’s not possible, please consider adding concrete, real-life examples from your work with clients.

Graphics that aid in understanding an article are also welcomed. In addition, please consider contributing original research in graphic form to Velocity’s Data Watch column.

If you’ll be working with graphic designers or printers, have them contact halverson@ strategicaccounts.org for the more technical requirements for graphics.

program central office • G oing

deep:

information

uncovering from

and

strategic

about

the

customer • L everaging technology, data, and/or analytics to change the way you drive working internally and/or collaborating • Implementing innovation • Deploying disruption • Quantifying and validating customer value in a case that resulted in a valuebased price solution or that prevented losing a deal and/or the customer

Elements of a Successful Submission An article doesn’t need to contain ALL of the following, but the more boxes it checks off, the higher priority it will be given. ✓ Practitioner author or co-author ✓ If written by a consultant or academic, must incorporate practitioner point of view ✓ Real, concrete business examples that exemplify the concepts discussed in the article

Who We Want To Hear From

✓ Hard data

✓ SAMs and sales executives, managers, and account managers at all levels

✓ Innovative concepts/“Next practices”

✓ Procurement, strategic sourcing, and supplier relationship management executives

✓ Human element

How To Submit If you already have a white paper, case

✓ Independent consultants and academics working with strategic account organizations. Articles co-authored by a consultant and a practitioner, or an academic and a practitioner, lend credibility to theory.

study, or article ready to go, send it to

Key Subject Areas

description and any supporting materials to

While authors may choose a topic most relevant to their own experience, some of

Velocity Editor-in-Chief Nic Halverson at halverson@strategicaccounts.org.

You

will be notified that your article has been received and is under review. If you just have an idea for an article, send a brief halverson@strategicaccounts.org.

According to SAMA research, top performing SAMs are 3x as likely to record outstanding growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction.

Private SAMA Certification with PMI SAMA’s Certified Strategic Account Management (CSAM) program is the most widely recognized certification for strategic account managers (SAMs) and their leaders today.

Customized and scaled to fit your organization’s unique environment, private SAMA certification is available through PMI. Designed for those looking for training specific to their organization and industry, this approach is based on working with real accounts and live opportunities throughout the certification process.

Courseware and tools have been designed and developed to support the SAM journey of your account managers and can also include their cross-functional team members.

Curriculum and coaching guides are provided to equip SAM managers and leaders to coach to the pressure-points of contemporary SAM success and reinforce the training for greater business impact.

PMI PMIisisaasales salesperformance performance consulting consultingand and training training organization organizationthat that delivers delivers PMI salutes SAMA’s continued customized customizedsolutions solutions to commitment to equip and industry-leading enableindustry-leading sales professionals and companies worldwide. global organizations for companies worldwide. success! This copy block will hold 300more characters.

Toapprox. findout out about To find more about We could also use this area for SAMA Certification private SAMA Certification aprivate data point, or “About PMI” with PMI,contact: contact: info, with or a call-to-action related PMI, to CSAM/certification. info@performancemethods.com info@performancemethods.com

Please join PMI at SAMA’s 2025 Annual Conference in Orlando!

Session 108 Building a Roadmap for Strategic Account Growth and Measuring Success Along the Way

Session 116 Beyond Stakeholder Mapping: Creating Team Alignment That Drives Account Growth (The “Zipper Effect”)

Session 117 Value Co-Creation and Realization: Discovering and Articulating Value from the Customer’s Perspective

Session 118 Managing Your Account with a CEO Mindset: Contemporary Strategies for SAM Success

THE SCIENCE OF SUCCESS: HOW THE ACTION CONTROL MODEL INFLUENCES STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP

By Ceynur Nak President and Founder Leappo Senior Management Consultant Pawlik Consultants International

Henrik Meyer-Hoeven Professor of Strategy & Leadership Hamburg School of Business Administration Partner Pawlik Consultants International

How can we achieve our goals? How can we make the most of our abilities?

And how can we determine our true potential? The answers to these questions can determine life paths, careers, even the success of an entire organization — all aspects that are critical to strategic account leaders.

These questions can’t be answered in general terms because they are a function of characteristics, abilities, and personality traits which make each of us unique. Before we begin to develop potential, whether as individuals or as part of a team, we must first gain an understanding of our personalities. That’s where the Action Control Model comes in.

In more than 25 years of both fundamental and applied research, Professor Dr. Julius Kuhl, who introduced the Action Control Model, has achieved

Ina Everts

groundbreaking advances in the understanding of personality, employing cog-

Manager, Personnel Diagnostics Pawlik Consultants International

nitive imaging and other advanced techniques to explore the mechanisms which shape personality by making them both visible and quantifiable.

This article is designed as an introduction to the Action Control Model, which provides a thorough and detailed understanding of how the various psychological systems of a person’s personality work together. We will first examine the cognitive processes required to move from intentions to actions, introducing the areas of the brain responsible for an individual’s behavior in a variety of life and work situations, as well as the four cognitive systems which determine behavior in each situation. Since research shows that these processes are subject to change, we will explore how to activate cognitive systems and the implications of these insights for personnel development and application in the world of strategic account management.

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The Action Control Model highlights the differences

The four cognitive macrosystems

between the right and left hemispheres of the brain, each

Each hemisphere of the brain contains two cognitive

of which have distinct functions. It identifies two cognitive

macrosystems: one for perception and one for decision-

systems within each hemisphere, resulting in four cognitive

making. The image on the next page uses color coding to

systems in total. These systems constantly interact with one

differentiate these four systems and offers an overview of

another and play a crucial role in how we perceive, process,

their key tasks and functions.

and respond to information.

The right hemisphere of the brain is capable of subconsciously processing multiple pieces of complex information at the same time. This enables us to think and act creatively, among other things. Creative thoughts and actions require us to process information quickly and imprecisely, based on visual impressions and on our own life experience.

How affects control the four cognitive systems Not only do the two brain hemispheres function very differently, but the four cognitive systems within them also exhibit distinct roles and tendencies.

But how do these cognitive systems work? How does the brain decide which system to use and when? And how do the systems interact with each other? The answer: The

The left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for tasks

brain’s cognitive systems operate and coordinate through

like creating concrete plans, analyzing information, focus-

affects — brief, unconscious emotional states that are dif-

ing on details, and processing sensory input. It handles conscious, precise, and methodical thinking, particularly when dealing with concrete details such as data, numbers, and facts. However, this type of processing is sequential and slower compared to the right hemisphere. The left hemisphere can only process up to 40 bits of sensory information

ficult to describe in words at the moment they occur. You might feel them as a mood. These affects act as signals, helping the brain determine which cognitive system to activate in a given situation.

There are four types of affects: positive, negative, inhibited positive, and inhibited negative. Each type influences how the systems interact and which one takes the lead,

per second, even though we receive thousands of bits of

ensuring the brain adapts to different tasks, emotions, and

sensory input every second.

environments effectively.

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO BRAIN HEMISPHERES

42

→ Analytical processing of information

→ Intuitive processing of information

→ Consecutive (one step after the other)

→ Comprehensive

→ Intentional, strenuous

→ Automatic, effortless

→ Logical: focused on causes

→ Affective: dependent on desire or lack of it

→ Consequential connections

→ Associative connections

→ Processes and stores reality through abstract symbols

→ Processes and stores reality through images

→ Slower processing speed: delayed action

→ Fast processing speed: wants immediate action

→ Based on the same principles irrespective of the context

→ Based on context-specific principles

→ The experience is active, conscious, and controlled

→ The experience is passive and preconscious

→ It seeks to prove things

→ It seeks to trust in the process

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THE FOUR COGNITIVE MACROSYSTEMS The right hemisphere of the brain contains the system for goal formation (Managing Director) and the system for carrying out action (Spontaneous Doer). The left hemisphere of the brain contains the system for action planning (Logician) and the system for results monitoring (Controller).

The Controller and the Spontaneous Doer are the two perceptive systems and are located in the back of the cerebrum. The Logician and the Managing Director are the two decision-making systems and are located at the front of the brain (in the prefrontal cores).

In essence, affects serve as the brain’s “switching mechanism,” guiding the flow of information and decision-making between the systems. This dynamic interaction allows the brain to process and respond to complex information in an adaptive way.

Affects, which we colloquially refer to as moods, are essentially indicators of how satisfied our needs are. Positive affect, i.e., a good mood, is a sign that everything is OK; we feel that our goals and our needs are being fulfilled. This state of positive affect manifests itself in a will to take things on. People who are in a great mood and looking forward to

aware of things going wrong or not going as planned.

In its inhibited form, negative affect manifests itself as relief or nonchalance. Here, feelings of worry or fear have given way to a sense of assurance and an “everything will work out” attitude. Inhibited positive affect manifests itself in curbed enthusiasm. We don’t feel the same sense of anticipation and drive that we do when in a state of positive affect, but rather mull over our behavior or the situation in question and are hesitant and careful in our approach.

Goal formation via the Managing Director

an upcoming event, for example, are often buzzing with

To know what we have to do, we first need a goal. And

drive and can hardly wait to get going. Negative affect, in

defining a goal generally involves selecting, from a variety

contrast, is a sign that things are not going well. People in

of possible options, the goals and tasks that we consider

a state of negative affect, i.e., in a bad mood, tend to want

most important or most urgent. This in turn first requires

to implement avoidance strategies, and are often excessively

us to get an overview of the relevant information available,

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THE FIGURE EIGHT: FROM DEFINING OUR GOALS TO IMPLEMENTING THEM

the best approach to achieving it and to plan corresponding con-

The following table shows which affects activate which cognitive systems Affect

Expression

Positive affect

Anticipation, will to work, good mood, "everything is ok," etc.

Negative affect

Anger, fear, hurt, sadness, insecurity, etc.

Inhibited negative affect

Inhibited positive affect

Relief, hope, nonchalance, "everything will work out," "It’s not all that bad," etc.

Sobriety, objectivity, restraint, etc.

Behavior

System

Encourages us to realize our intentions

Activates the Spontaneous Doer

Ensures that we put things into action

Enables us to pick up on mistakes and discrepancies

Activates the Controller

involved and not overlooking anything. It involves contemplating how to categorize general goals and tasks, planning concrete and

Compares the tasks at hand with our own needs and goals Uses our life experience

storing yet unachieved goals and tasks as intentions, and possibly also defining the right point in

Promotes our ability to perceive things compressively (from an overview) and to form goals

time to carry out the tasks. The Activates the Managing Director

Is necessary for learning, personal growth, and the process of maturing

Inhibits spontaneous action

tial to keeping track of the tasks

logical work processes and steps,

Improves our eye for detail

Enables us to analyze and plan our actions

crete steps. This process is essen-

Activates the Logician

mood best suited to action planning is sobriety (inhibited positive affect).

Action performance via the Spontaneous Doer Once all preparatory measures have been taken and all steps considered, we can start putting our plans into action. So after having spent the analysis phase in a sober, objective mood (inhibited positive affect), we can now release our sense of excitement and drive (positive affect) vis-àvis the plans to be implemented

The way in which the cognitive systems should ideally interact with each other (driven by the different affects) is effectively depicted by a figure-eight symbol.

and goals to be achieved. Within Personality Systems Interactions (PSI) theory, the transfer from the Logician system to the Spontaneous Doer system is described as “action facilitation.”

It gives us the drive to actively

and to then make decisions based on this. The goal we then

implement the planned steps. It stops us from giving up

ultimately opt for needs to be as realistic as possible, and

on things or getting caught up in our plans, and spurs our

ideally in line with our own personal needs and desires.

ability to remain focused and resolute, even when the going

Goal-defining processes therefore take place within the

gets tough.

Managing Director cognitive system. And as described above, equanimity (inhibited negative affect) is the mood best suited to such decision-making.

Action planning via the Logician Once we have set ourselves a goal, we need to think about 44

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Results monitoring via the Controller If we encounter unforeseen difficulties in our efforts to implement our plans, the Controller comes into play.

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discrepancies, and to take steps to counter these. The

straightaway, or like to focus on discrepancies and missing

Controller is therefore where our problem focus — our

information.

critical eye — lies. It identifies details that may impede the proper functioning of a system. It is the area in which the excitement and drive that we felt during action facilitation turns into skepticism, anger, or disappointment (negative affect).

This negative affect causes us to focus on errors or want to examine results.

Once we have recognized the error, monitored the results, and examined all the details, however, we need to free ourselves from this problem focus and return to a solutionoriented mindset. To do this, we have to regulate our state of negative affect accordingly. PSI theory refers to this process

This is not to say that we shouldn’t change and develop our cognitive systems. On the contrary, training certain systems and strengthening certain connections can be very beneficial to our development. By fortifying the connections between the Logician and the Spontaneous Doer, and between the Controller and the Managing Director, for example, we can become a lot more effective at overcoming the sense of resistance that we sometimes feel in the face of challenging tasks and that can impede us from acting.

Moreover, becoming more aware of our system preferences helps us to establish which task areas and work environments we work best in, and to understand how to work

as self-calming. It involves a switch from the left brain to

effectively within a heterogeneous team. This in turn is

the right brain: from the Controller system to the Managing

extremely important both for our ability to achieve success

Director system. This switch might also require us to adjust

and for our emotional well-being.

our original goals based on the Controller’s findings and experiences. And this process of learning from experience is extremely important for our personal development.

Competent behavior — Salvaging a key account at risk of churn

The figure eight begins again

scenario that a strategic account manager (SAM) might

To summarize, the Managing Director is responsible for defining our goals, the Logician for planning our actions, the Spontaneous Doer for putting those plans into practice, and the Controller for monitoring the results of those actions.

The above pattern depicting the activation and deactivation of these cognitive systems constitutes an ideal and is by no means standard in us all. After all, we don’t always

The following sample case study illustrates a typical encounter and demonstrates how to apply the Action Control Model to successfully manage a challenging situation.

Mindset Competent behavior involves acting situationally and adaptively, leveraging all four cognitive systems as needed to address challenges effectively.

Scenario

clarify what our goals are and plan the individual steps

A SAM is responsible for a high-value customer who has

before acting. And we don’t always retrospectively ana-

expressed dissatisfaction with the service level and is con-

lyze and evaluate our behavior. For instance, a good mood

sidering switching to a competitor. The client has scheduled

can inspire our Spontaneous Doer system to get started on

a critical meeting to discuss their concerns. The SAM must

something straightaway, without having undertaken any

manage emotions, process information effectively, and take

planning. In such a situation, the other three systems are

decisive action to salvage the relationship.

hardly activated.

While we all have the ability to activate and deactivate the four cognitive systems according to the above ideal, we tend to act according to how strong these inner systems are in us. And this is something that varies greatly from person to person.

In fact, the strength of our different cognitive systems and how they interact with each other is essentially what gives us our unique personality, dictating whether we like coming up

Application of the Action Control Model • Managing Director: Goal formation Before the meeting: The SAM considers various ideas and options to resolve the situation, focusing on achieving customer satisfaction and potential growth opportunities.

They also prepare to manage their own emotions and those of the client.

with creative ideas and broad goals, or prefer to plan things in

During the meeting: The SAM maintains a high-level

detail; whether we tend to feel the urge to get started on things

perspective, aligning the discussion with the customer’s

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45

strategic goals and business value. They remain creative

behavior. Two key system transfers are particularly impor-

and flexible, adapting to the conversation in real time.

tant:

• Logician: Action planning

1. Self-motivation (action facilitation): Moving from the

Before the meeting: The SAM meticulously plans by ana-

Logician (left hemisphere) to the Spontaneous Doer (right

lyzing options, creating if-then scenarios, preparing key

hemisphere) to energize and pursue our intentions.

questions, and structuring the meeting. They consider the participants’ interests, personalities, and potential reactions.

During the meeting: The SAM executes their strategy, applying their prepared plans and adapting as needed to steer the conversation positively.

• Spontaneous Doer: Action performance

2.

L earning from experience (self-calming): Moving from the Controller to the Managing Director to reflect, adapt, and grow from past experiences.

While the four cognitive systems explain how we act, why we act is driven by our three basic motives: power, performance, and relationship. These motives provide energy and direction, influencing how we interpret situations and

B efore the meeting: The SAM mentally prepares by

choose to engage with them. Each motive has both con-

focusing on positive emotions and motivation, envision-

scious and unconscious forms, and their varying strengths

ing success.

in different contexts shape our ability to act effectively.

During the meeting: The SAM acts proactively, remains

Acting in alignment with our motives is energizing and

agile, responds intuitively to objections, and builds rap-

inspiring, while acting against them can drain us over time.

port with the client to foster trust and collaboration.

• Controller: Results monitoring

Our unique personalities and routines as drivers of behavior emerge from the interplay between the four cognitive

Before the meeting: The SAM anticipates potential nega-

systems, our basic motives, and the dynamic relationships

tive outcomes and prepares for worst-case scenarios to

between them. This combination determines our strengths,

avoid surprises.

areas for growth, and overall effectiveness in both personal

During the meeting: The SAM closely monitors the cli-

and professional contexts.

ent’s reactions, paying attention to subtle cues to ensure the discussion stays on track and aligns with the desired outcome.

Success factors

Analyze yourself Get your personal and professional reflection on the four cognitive systems and strengths of your affects with

• Regulating negative affect: Managing frustration or fear

a unique Screenfact — a five-minute visual psychometric

of failure (Controller) to stay solution-focused and activate

analysis that captures your personal style based on your

the Managing Director for strategic thinking and creativ-

visual preferences. (See page 47 for an example analysis.)

ity.

The test results also reveal your hidden strengths and pro-

• Shifting to positive affect: Cultivating confidence and

vide you with personalized development tips. n

urgency to facilitate decisive action.

• Balancing strategy and adaptability: Combining highlevel strategic thinking with on-the-spot flexibility to

Ceynur Nak is President and Founder at Leappo and Senior

address the client’s concerns effectively.

Management Consultant at Pawlik Consultants International.

Summary The activation of the four cognitive systems is controlled by affects — our unconscious emotional states or moods.

These affects determine which system we use and to what degree. While we are all capable of using all four systems,

Connect with her on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/ceynurnak.

Henrik Meyer-Hoeven is Professor of Strategy & Leadership at Hamburg School of Business Administration and Partner with Pawlik Consultants International. Connect with him on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/hmeyerhoeven. Ina Everts is Manager, Personnel Diagnostics, at Pawlik Consultants International. Connect with her on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/ina-everts.

the ability to switch between them is crucial for effective 46

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SAMPLE SCREENFACT PSYCHOMETRIC ANALYSIS

STUDY & DIALOGUE 1. Pawlik is happy to offer free access to an individual Screenfact analysis for 100 participants until June 15, 2025.

Please email assess@pawlik.de if interested. You will receive a link and a direct individual report after performing the visual analysis for five minutes.

We will take all results anonymously and aggregate them into a SAMA Study Report.

2. Pawlik will also facilitate a 90-minute webinar for a deep dive into the concept, on reading the report right, and on the results of the study.

For this you have two options: June 24th and July 9th, both at 11 am Central Time. Interested in the webinar? Please mail your application to assess@pawlik.de.

Or use the direct links and/or QR codes below for registration and participation entry for the webinars.

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June 24, 2025, 11 am Central Time

July 9, 2025, 11 am Central Time

https://pawlik.zoom.us/webinar/register/

https://pawlik.zoom.us/webinar/register/

WN_CnjwWjaNTguRoNTk04A1sw

WN_Rpqhi_61TKCc5LR8k-rhsA

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DIAMOND SPONSOR AC25

EXERCISING YOUR HEART AND MIND FOR STRATEGIC ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT

By Keshini Masani Principal & Mindset Coach CXO IMPACT

Janti Masani CEO & Founder CXO IMPACT

What does it take to be a successful key account manager? Customer and supplier expectations have changed. Yesterday’s transactional relationships have evolved into today’s transformational partnerships. For this evolution to happen, there needs to be a foundation built on holistic engagement that touches both the heart and the mind. Today, strategic account managers must: • Develop a growth mindset • Show up a differently • Create an authentic self • Demonstrate strong collaboration • Employ a high level of emotional intelligence • Build strong customer engagement Consider these elements as opportunities and recognize that in today’s world, it is no longer sufficient for strategic account managers to focus on their competency set alone.

You must focus on something much greater if you want to stand out and show up differently to achieve excellence.

Structured minds, humanistic hearts A structured mindset is crucial to giving meaning to what you see and hear. Clear and concise communication should employ words and visuals that convey and validate the meaning behind your understanding. A strategic account manager who is already good can become great by combining visual thinking (structured mindset) with a cognitive humanistic approach (growth mindset). Creating excellence through this route can positively impact yourself and others.

The combination of both approaches combines mind with heart. The mind focuses on aspects such as data, insights, communication, and even creativity, whereas the heart focuses on aspects such as feelings, emotions, beliefs, and values. In both personal and professional lives, decisions are rarely made based on using the brain alone. Even 50

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professionals use a combination of what their brain (structured mindset) is saying together with what their heart (growth mindset) is telling them.

Strategic account managers who rely on just one mindset can negatively impact outcomes. To create excellence in how you show up and stand out, you need to use the two mindsets in conjunction to support one another. This article will highlight some of the key areas of the heart, as this is an area where SAM coaching is currently limited.

Its value is highly underestimated in business and in society today.

What is growth mindset?

Our mindset is very powerful: it can strongly affect success in all areas of our lives. Mindset relates to how success and failure are perceived, how you view your sense of self, and how you choose to respond

Your chosen mindset will guide your achievements, so to reach a high level of fulfillment and well-being you need to train your brain to think in a growth mindset and adopt a positive attitude, even when faced with adversity.

in adverse situations. Your chosen mindset will guide your achievements, so to reach a high level of fulfillment and well-being you

Grit and resilience

need to train your brain to think in a growth mindset and

Grit is a standout factor that drives resiliency, having

adopt a positive attitude, even when faced with adversity.

stamina that can be applied in all aspects of life. It can come

You need to believe that your abilities can be cultivated and

from a mindset of doing something not because you must,

learn from setbacks.

but rather because you want to. Grit is the part of your char-

Embracing a growth mindset can remove the fear of fail-

acter that relates to hard work and perseverance and can be

ing which often holds you back. A growth mindset embraces

understood as running a marathon, not a sprint. Becoming

the belief that your abilities and intelligence can grow over

“gritty” is key to building your resilience and helping you to

time and lead to long-term success. Adopting a mindset

show confidence and seriousness.

of turning a negative into a positive — that failure is an opportunity to grow — is a way of exercising resilience.

Failure is probably still an unpleasant experience, but it does not have to define you.

There’s a difference between success in a growth mindset and success with a fixed mindset. In a growth mindset, success can be viewed as an individual doing their best, learning, and constantly improving. In a fixed mindset, success can be seen as being the best and staying on top.

Strategic account managers are highly driven by creat-

It’s often thought that resilience in strategic account managers means toughness, extreme perseverance, and proactively finding solutions to adversity. These moments, especially for a strategic account manager, are inevitable.

The question is, how to change mindset and build resilience around these situations?

Key account managers must know how to cope with sudden change or unexpected events. For example, you have been working on a deal for weeks, and suddenly in the first

ing successful outcomes, achieving results, and striving to

email of the morning the customer announces that they

create win-win solutions. Two fundamental areas of growth

want to take a different direction. Or a negative meeting

mindset — grit and authentic self — have a major impact

with your manager on a Friday afternoon spirals your whole

on how we show up.

weekend downhill.

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the situation and what choices you have to respond can make the difference between a favorable outcome and a setback. It’s about learning how to make a measured response, not just to react. Turning the concept of pausing into a habit helps to differentiate you and supports long-term success.

Authentic self To display your authentic self you need to understand yourself — and others — through your strengths, beliefs, and values.

These are all key components of your persona that can be changed and developed.

They help you to appear unique in a way

To display your authentic self you need to understand yourself — and others — through your strengths, beliefs, and values.

The power of pausing A simple tool that has shown to have significant benefits is the power of pausing. In an adverse situation people

ferent from all the other strategic account managers the customer meets so they see your value in an authentic way that is true to yourself. It’s possible, but not easy. You start by building self-awareness and social

awareness: technical skills are necessary too, but they are no longer sufficient alone.

often want to disregard heavy and uncomfortable feelings,

Key account managers must have strong engagement

which represents a mindset that can have a negative effect

skills to work with customers, teams, and leaders, although

on well-being. It’s important to take a period for digestion,

few companies place enough emphasis on such attributes.

pausing and allowing yourself to dwell in your initial feelings.

When you are engaging with your team, managers, lead-

Learning the art of slowing down is key to creating a positive

ers, and customers, you want to be thinking about how

impact on our mindset and helps us to get back on track.

you appear to them. This means being aware of your own

In today’s culture taking time to pause feels very uncomfortable. You enjoy a fast-paced life, and taking a moment to pause makes you feel you might miss out on something.

But conversational intelligence is important for strategic account managers, and developing the ability to pause is beneficial when understanding the needs of our customers.

Only by pausing can you listen better, hear more, understand more, and validate what it is the customer seeks.

Taking time to pause can make us more proactive rather than reactive in situations, and learning how to deal with silence is pivotal to avoid hasty, survival-mode reaction.

Being able to slow down to move faster can make you more thoughtful and mindful when engaging in conversation and careful when reacting to both positive and negative situations.

Taking even 90 seconds to pause and think through 52

that others appreciate. You want to be dif-

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thoughts, behaviors, and actions, and how they impact others around us. Asking yourself simple questions such as “I feel…” or “Before I act, I choose….” can help you to become aware of your mindset, how it might be visible to others, and how to best manage it.

Social awareness Alongside self-awareness, you need to establish social awareness. Do you understand the environment and how people around you are feeling? This is known as reading the room. Becoming aware of both verbal and non-verbal cues is key to being able to understand the mindset of others.

For example, someone’s eye contact, posture, and subtle gestures show how they are feeling. Asking questions such as “I see….” or “I sense you are….” or “I think my team needs…” can be extremely beneficial to managing a situation before it takes over, for better or for worse.

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Having self-awareness and social awareness is critical to recognizing the emotions and mindset of ourselves and others. It is even more important to build that information into flexibly managing situations to avoid and resolve conflict or misunderstandings. Such skills are game-changers in growing trusting relationships. These strategic account managers communicate and collaborate very effectively with their team and with customers.

Building the authentic self through this mindset starts with me (self-awareness), then moves to understanding you (understanding the thoughts, behaviors, and actions of others), and finally ending with us — understanding the mindset as a collective.

This is the me-you-us framework.

Conclusion A more cognitive and humanistic approach is receiving new attention in strategic account management. Skills like grit, authentic self, self-awareness, and social awareness have not previously been taught in business or at schools and universities. But the importance and impact of these skills for strategic account managers is becoming increasingly apparent, particularly as technology begins to take over some of the information supply that used to be a large part of the job. Organizations are now realizing that these softer skills are the harder skills.

Developing these skills is a journey. It’s not a matter of learning facts and regurgitating them on demand. Becoming aware of your own mindset is the first step, and then building it up takes time, perseverance, and patience. But the more you focus on it and practice, the easier it becomes. It’s like a muscle — the more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes.

Many organizations want to develop their strategic account managers from good to great, to stand out and show up differently. Combining your mind and heart to become an even better version of yourself can create a huge impact. You’ll be surprised — it’s a game changer! n

Keshini Masani is Principal and Mindset Coach at CXO IMPACT. She can be reached at km@cxoimpact.co.uk.

Janti Masani is CEO & Founder at CXO IMPACT. He can be reached at jm@cxoimpact.co.uk.

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IS YOUR SAM JOURNEY STALLED? How a Center of Excellence can turn your headaches into success

By Dominique Côté CEO & Founder Cosawi

In an era of constant change and market complexities, strategic account management (SAM) has evolved into a vital business transformation strategy. Its success, however, hinges on the presence of a robust Center of Excellence (CoE). Far more than a support function, the CoE plays a critical role in embedding SAM within the organization by driving vision, ensuring alignment, enabling consistency, and fostering continuous improvement.

As the strategic nerve center, the CoE unifies cross-functional expertise from teams such as sales, marketing, IT, and operations, while also integrating critical roles in finance, training, and human resources. This diverse composition brings together strategic account managers, change agents, and process experts who provide the vision and framework needed to standardize processes, define methodologies, and create a common language across the organization.

This consistency is essential for building long-term, value-driven relationships with key accounts and advancing the customer-centric journey.

Why is CoE enablement often overlooked in the SAM journey?

Despite its crucial role, many organizations overlook the CoE in their SAM strategies.

Historically, this gap has led to fragmented efforts, inconsistent execution, and a transactional mindset. Without a dedicated CoE, teams struggle to align across functions and fail to embed SAM as a core, sustainable practice — particularly in complex industries and organizations.

OVERLOOKING CoE CAUSES FRAGMENTED EFFORTS AND INCONSISTENCY

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By instilling a customer-first mindset, the CoE ensures

impact. By linking the CoE’s objectives to the company’s

that SAM principles not only are adopted but also con-

goals, organizations can prioritize actions that drive mea-

tinuously evolve to meet changing market dynamics. This

surable value.

cultural shift is supported by comprehensive training and development programs, equipping teams with the skills needed to engage deeply and strategically with clients.

Without this enablement, organizations remain reactive rather than proactive, missing out on the opportunity to build lasting, strategic partnerships.

A well-composed CoE not only brings together crossfunctional collaboration but also champions innovation, ensuring that the SAM journey is adaptable and futureproof. It transforms SAM from a series of initiatives into an organization-wide mindset that permeates all customerfacing activities. It ensures that SAM remains adaptable, helping organizations anticipate and respond to evolving customer needs, leading to sustained growth and long-term success.

To translate vision into action, the CoE should develop a detailed roadmap outlining specific initiatives, timelines, and milestones. This roadmap acts as a strategic plan, detailing the sequence and timing of the organization’s journey towards its goals. It ensures that all stakeholders are aligned and provides a clear path forward.

People: Success in SAM begins with having the right people in place, from strategic account managers to leadership. The CoE plays a pivotal role in defining the skills and competencies required for SAM roles and ensuring these individuals are supported through continuous development and training. It is essential not just to hire strategically but to foster ongoing growth and learning within the SAM teams. A key takeaway is the importance of middle management — often the gatekeepers of implementation — who

In this article, I’d like to share how some of our clients

must be fully aligned with SAM strategies to avoid bottle-

have been able to leverage and evolve their CoE throughout

necks and ensure smooth execution across the organization.

their strategic account management journey.

Key elements of a successful CoE Building an effective CoE for SAM involves focusing on four core elements: vision, people, processes, and execution.

Vision and strategic alignment: A successful CoE begins with a well-defined vision that aligns with the organization’s overarching business strategy. This vision serves as a “North Star,” guiding all initiatives and ensuring that efforts are concentrated on areas with the highest potential

“The middle management layer is often missed, but they can really create the top-down and bottom-up alignment necessary for SAM to flourish,” said one customer who understands the best practices for successful execution.

This perspective highlights the need for continuous engagement with these leaders, ensuring they understand the strategic importance of SAM and their role in its success.

Processes: Standardizing processes across the organization is crucial for SAM success. A CoE establishes a common language and set of practices that allow all teams to work cohesively. This includes defining key SAM terminologies, ensuring consistency in customer engagement strategies, and integrating SAM principles into the broader organizational framework. Clear processes help account managers and support teams collaborate effectively. Focusing on embedding these key terminologies within an organizational culture leads to a unified approach across all business units or pillars.

“We made sure that terms like customer goals and expected returns were not just buzzwords but part

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A ROADMAP TO SUCCESS – CUSTOMER CENTRICITY Strategy Executive Sponsorship & Governance

Mission/Vision

Guardian Roadmap

Organizational CoE: Center Effectiveness of Excellence

Operation Account-Based Marketing

Account Segmentation & Selection

Business Process & Tools

People Customer Mindset & Skills

Voice of Customer

A high-level Center of Excellence framework (themes)

of our daily discussions,” said one of our pharmaceutical

“The right enablement and technology is not just about

customers. This commitment to consistent language and

having a tool; it’s about leveraging the team and enablement

practices ensures that all team members are aligned in their

group and platform to enhance customer relationships and

understanding and execution of SAM strategies.

provide actionable insights,” said one organizational leader

Execution: SAM enablement is the backbone that supports the SAM journey. To ensure seamless execution, it’s critical for a common SAM account plan to integrate strategic account management tools with a customer engage-

who employs this strategy. This highlights the necessity for organizations to carefully evaluate and select their SAM methodology and use tools that are pragmatic, unifying, and able to evolve with their strategies and customer needs.

ment model. Our experience illustrates how a well-evolved

An organization we partnered with offers one compel-

SAM methodology and account plan integrated in the right

ling example of how a CoE can elevate SAM to a new

platform can drive more effective customer interactions and

level. They started by having their SAM efforts fragmented,

streamline relationship management. The journey from a

with processes varying across business units and teams.

simple tool to a fully integrated SAM way of working high-

However, by establishing a dedicated CoE, they unified

lights the importance of investing in the right capability to

their approach and ensured that all teams operated with a

support long-term business transformation.

consistent strategy.

Artificial intelligence also impacts the strategic planning

A CoE played a critical role in fostering collaboration

work by providing insight, often challenging the assump-

between key departments such as commercial excellence,

tions we have about our knowledge of our most important

marketing, and sales operations, creating a seamless flow

customers. This helps with the account planning strategy

of information and resources. Their CoE focused heavily on

and can be leveraged to create differentiating factors in

building internal capabilities. By developing a strong inter-

customer interactions.

nal network of SAM ambassadors across various regions and

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Conclusion

Adopting Consistent SAM Principles

A CoE is not just an operational necessity — it is a strategic imperative for organizations

CoE Focus on Internal Capabilities

Network of SAM Ambassadors

looking to transform their SAM

Driving Best Practices

approach into a competitive advantage. By focusing on the

Aligning Business Plans

vision, people, processes, and enablement, a CoE ensures that SAM is executed consis-

Fostering Continuous Improvement

tently and effectively across the Globalization

organization. Some of the case studies we developed highlight the tangible benefits of a wellstructured CoE, from enhanced

business units, the CoE ensured that SAM principles were adopted and implemented consistently.

These ambassadors played a key role in driving best

internal collaboration to measurable improvements in customer engagement and business outcomes.

practices, ensuring that customer business plans aligned

For organizations on the SAM journey, the CoE serves as

with broader organizational goals and fostered a culture of

both a guiding force and a source of innovation, helping to

continuous improvement from global to local — what we

continuously refine and improve the way they engage with

refer to as “glocalization” for central guidance and local execution.

“Our SAM ambassadors are crucial in translating the CoE’s vision into local practices, ensuring that each team understands its role in the bigger picture,” said one of our customers. This perspective illustrates how local champions can bridge the gap between global strategy and local execution, making the CoE’s efforts more effective.

In this execution, setting clear KPIs to measure the success of the SAM initiatives is also critical. These include

their most important customers. By embracing the CoE model, businesses can build deeper, more meaningful relationships with their strategic accounts, driving long-term growth and success.

In summary, the establishment of a CoE for SAM is not merely a theoretical exercise; it is a practical necessity for organizations committed to transforming their customer engagement strategies. As demonstrated by our custom-

metrics such as the percentage of account managers trained

ers’ success, a well-functioning CoE fosters alignment,

in SAM, the adoption rate of SAM tools, and the frequency

enhances collaboration, and drives a culture of continuous

of customer interactions. By measuring both program effec-

improvement that ultimately leads to better outcomes for

tiveness and individual performance, the CoE can continuously refine its approach and ensure that SAM remains

both the organization and its customers. n

aligned with business objectives.

“Setting KPIs is essential not just for accountability but for driving behavior change across the organization,”

Dominique Côté is CEO & Founder of Cosawi (www.cosawi.com)

said one of our customers. This highlights the CoE’s role

and can be contacted at dcote@cosawi.com. Connect with her on

in establishing performance metrics that not only track

LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/dominiquecote1.

progress but also encourage the right actions from all team members involved in SAM. 58

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NEW IN 2025:

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