Just as Key Account Management is enacted differently in each organisation, so is the role of the key account manager. The role also needs to be matched to the customer and will to some extent play out differently in each case. Nevertheless, some important elements are clear and agreed. Although many key account managers have a sales background, selling should occupy a relatively small amount of your time. There is a great deal more to be done pre-sale, post-sale and above-sale.
While Sales departments focus on results, KAM focuses on the longer term and further up the decision tree, on building relationships with a much wider range of people in the customer and inside your own organisation. So fulfilling the role successfully requires a wider range of competencies and attributes with more emphasis on behaviour, not just results. In this context, leadership becomes a common theme and requirement. This track will explain the role requirements together with the competencies and attributes required. You can consider your strengths and what you might need to develop.
The objectives of this track through relevant items in AKAM’s Member Resources are to:
- A) Understand the core role of key account manager and variations
- B) Explore the competencies and attributes required to fulfil the role
- C) Understand the differences between competencies and attributes
- D) Appreciate why performance involves more than sales results
- E) Appreciate the emphasis placed on leadership and its expression in KAM
If you follow the track you’ll be able to see where you are missing important and informative metrics and have a good start on setting up an appropriate measurement framework.
You may want to dig out other items on the subject from Member Resources, there’s more!
The materials will take about seven hours to view and think about. Completing the track is worth 7 CPD points.

Each element within this learning track is followed by a short, simple quiz, designed to establish that you have covered all the material. They are linked to the system which allocates your CPD points. Upon successful completion, you shall receive a certificate via email that you can use to evidence your continuous professional development.
You can access all the material without completing the quizzes, but you won’t gain CPD points if you don’t complete them.
You need to score at least 60% on each. If you fall short, but want to gain the CPD points, don’t worry, you can easily go through the material again and retake the quiz.
Structure of Key Account Manager role, competencies and attributes materials
- What’s key when searching for the perfect Key Account Manager?
- Webinar: ideal profiles for key account managers as in corporate briefs to recruiters, Gintare Betaite
- Estimated time to complete: 50 minutes
- Links to objectives a & b
- Defining the key account manager job and what it takes to do it
- Podcast: explores the range of activities and skills required. John Bailey, Armelle Dupont-Daupeyroux and Diana Woodburn
- Estimated time to complete: 45 mins
- Links to objectives a & b
- Key account manager roles
- Presentation: comprehensive view of the role. Diana Woodburn
- Estimated time to complete: 1 hour 15 mins
- Links to all objectives
- Developing the key account manager job description
- Paper: how job descriptions do, don’t and should reflect the role. Diana Woodburn
- Estimated time to complete: 60 mins
- Links to objectives a, b & c
- Sample role profile: Key Account Manager (KAM)
- Paper: example of a job description incorporating key elements of the role. Paul Wilson
- Estimated time to complete: 30 mins
- Links to objectives a, b & c
- Performance in key account management
- Paper: performance criteria should directly relate to the role. Diana Woodburn
- Estimated time to complete: 60 mins
- Links to objectives b & d
- The Catch 22 of KAM – influencing without authority
- Presentation: introduction to the kind of leadership required of key account managers. Brit van Ooijen
- Estimated time to complete: 15 mins
- Links to objective e
- 3 drivers of KAM success
- Webinar: identifies the key high-level skills required. Simon Hazeldine
- Estimated time to complete: 40 mins
- Links to objective b, d & e
- Traits of high performing key account managers
- Podcast: identifies the traits and behaviours of the best in the role. Alistair Taylor, Diana Woodburn and Mike Green
- Estimated time to complete: 30 mins
- Links to objective a & e
- Developing key account managers as leaders
- Presentation: Lufthansa Systems example showing leadership expectations of the role. Alistair Thursfield
- Estimated time to complete: 45 mins
- Links to objective e
Total CPD time: 7 hours
Track Content
