17:00 FRI, Rowsmud Co. HQ. Aisles are empty. Mr Mouthpiece, Senior KAM of the Year is standing at the door of the Oval Room. He was asked 5 minutes ago to show up in front of the Decision Making Committee or better known as the #Thrones. It is Friday, EOB. This is when sackings are taken care of. Time has come.
'What did I do? Who did I not cover in the buying centre? Whose toes did I step on internally? Are my profit margins enough for them? Do they know the word 'enough'? There must be at least 3 reasons for the #Trones' own sake not to do with me what they are up to!'
17:05 Mrs Pot is sitting in the middle. In her rather insensitive and disturbing tone she declares that Mr Mouthpiece is divested of his largest accounts with immediate effect. Reason: restructuring in order to increase efficiency. 'As a recognition of his merit and professional skills', Mr Mouthpiece is immediately transferred to the most prestigious Cold Call Unit where he will be a great asset to the human testing of the latest sales technologies called ABC (also known as Always Be Closing)'
17:15 A short notice is sent out 'to all' mentioning that TOP3, which by accident happen to be Mr Mouthpiece's previously confiscated clients, are donated to Ms Andrea Confession & Ms Linda Basketeer. 'In accordance with a pragmatically designed business plan' the two wandering sheeps will rejoin Rowsmud Co. on next business day. (...)
What were Mr Mouthpiece's 3 crazy reasons why he was convinced the #Thrones would not make a KAM switch?
1. Building Large Accounts Is Complex
Leaders with balls focus on large accounts, who are the golden egg laying chickens. Shy leaders stay away from them because it is difficult to insert them in a cold call based CRM. In today’s complex B2B sales world, switching large accounts between KAMs is a risky business and simply does not pay off overnight. Acceptance of KAMs is stiff, decision making process is slow and difficult, competition is huge, willingness to cancel or postpone projects is great, therefore sales cycle can last years. KAMs have to get a buyer's group consensus, or the deal will never close. This is incredibly difficult to do if you are not supported internally.
2. Easy To Lose Buyer's Trust By Duplication
Switching KAMs maximizes the risk of your whole team wasting their efforts and jeopardizes the trust you gained. Lack of solid structure is not just an annoyance: it can kill the deal. Prospects will think your company is disorganized and untrustworthy. Working the account soberly prevents this nightmare scenario.
3. Account Management Keeps Co. In Shape
Managing large accounts is not just another option for approaching a sales or categorizing a lead. It is a systematic mission that fundamentally alters the way your whole company including finance, presales, marketing, etc. engage with clients. Large accounts push the whole firm to dive deeper, work the entire cycle, and create value. If executed wisely, large account management guides the way for the #Thrones and its people. If not, then...
17:45 Mr Mouthpiece walks out of the building relieved. He is now able to laugh at himself... 'I ended up wrong by overestimating Mrs Pot's openness for the significance of rational in house decision making.'
17:50 'What does Monday bring for me, Ms Basketeer and all staff? Latter ones will be eager to know the outcome... A forced handover procedure? This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship...'
See previous articles of Karoly Both
DISCLAIMER: Nobody in this story, thank God, is based upon an actual person in the real world. But I tell you this: as my journey through the B2B jungle is progressing, I come to realize that, by comparison with reality, my story is as tame as a holiday postcard.
