In this reflective yet sharply practical piece, Professor Malcolm McDonald and Diana Woodburn draw from over 14 years of global KAM research to highlight the seven most critical problem areas in key account management. Based on their work with Cranfield University’s KAM Research Club, this paper offers rare insight into both supplier and customer-side dynamics — a “dyadic” view that few others provide.
What emerges is a clear message: KAM success is not about sales volume or CRM software — it’s about focus, profitability, strategic planning, and deeply understanding your customer’s internal workings.
Key Themes Covered
- Selecting Key Accounts: Why most companies support too many and dilute impact
- Categorising Accounts: The problem with lazy labels like A/B/C or gold/silver/bronze
- Profitability Blindness: How most firms fail to measure the real cost of serving large accounts
- Customer Needs Analysis: The gap between selling products and aligning with customer strategy
- Strategic Planning: Why “a one-year forecast” isn’t a strategy — and how to fix it
- KAM Roles & Skills: It’s not enhanced selling — it’s general management with accountability
- Other Challenges: Culture, IT, comms, and KAM effectiveness measurement
Quote
“It is a sad reflection on universities and business schools that one of the biggest issues facing business today — KAM — is neither researched nor taught.” – McDonald & Woodburn
Download the Full Expert View
This summary presents the headlines, but the full paper includes commentary, research findings, and diagnostic observations from years of hands-on work with global KAM teams.