Key Account Management and Planning: The Comprehensive Handbook for Managing Your Company's Most Important Strategic Asset (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "On August 21, 1998, it was announced that telecommunications supplier Ciena would not be receiving an expected $100 million worth of business from key account..." (more)
Key Phrases: key account director, key account personnel, key account strategy, General Motors, Boise Cascade Office Products, High Low (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Capon, an academic and consultant, provides a framework for managing key accounts, which he describes as a company's single most important asset, since these accounts produce the major share of sales revenue. He offers a planning process that aids in developing strategies to enhance profitable results from these prized customer relationships. Central to his thesis is his congruence model for key account management, which has the following four elements--identifying key accounts; organizing and managing key accounts; identifying, managing, and rewarding account managers; and maintaining human and information based systems and processes. Capon also addresses the issues of key account-management partnering and global account management. The book concludes with exercises for developing key account management skills and an appendix containing a guide for developing a key account plan. This book could serve as a textbook for the author's executive training programs in key account-management and clearly is an infomercial for his consulting activities. Mary Whaley
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Review

Fred Schindler International Sales Operations, Program Executive, Global Customer Management, IBM Capon's differentiation of the global account management elements is insightful and will help those considering global account management to avoid some common mistakes. If his advice is followed, companies can get breakthrough results in managing their most important clients. -- Review

Review by Doug Bosse, Strategic Account Management Association Board of Directors Member -- Velocity(TM) Magazine, October 2002

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Free Press (September 4, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 074321188X
• ISBN-13: 978-0743211888
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #211,909 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough introduction to account management., December 11, 2002

By	Jeff Vance (Redwood City, CA United States) - See all my reviews

As a manager in a large international consulting firm, I've been exposed to a number of different issues in a key account management. This is one of the most thorough reviews of the subject I've come across.

The book spends about 30 pages covering the introduction to what Key Account Management is, and more importantly what it is not. It provides a balanced view to the benefits to both the customer and supplier firm, as well as instances where key account management may not be appropriate.

The bulk of the book (Part 2 and 3) covers key account analysis and planning. It devotes two entire chapters to key account analysis and supplier firm analysis/competitor analysis. These are perhaps the most valuable chapters in the book. Chapter 7 covers formulating and capturing the key account strategy -- from the vision and mission statements through action plans and resource committments. Part 2 also provides significant coverage of the various organizational issues around organizing for key account management.

Part 4 covers critical issues in key account management, including issues in partnering with your key accounts and a whirlwind treatment of issues related to global account management.

The content of the book (though dry) is good for a survey of the issues. A number of examples are provided to illustrate points, though some of these examples are fairly weak and could have easily been omitted. The exercises and appendices provided take up nearly 70 pages. The exercises are extremely helpful at boiling down analysis, planning and information requirements for improving key account plans. The appendices provide exposition and further examples to back up the content.

Overall, I would recommend this book for anyone who is new to account management and looking for a very even-handed overview of the structure, processes and critical issues for account management. It was exactly what I expected. I would not recommend this book for someone who is looking for an introduction to a sales organization or for tecniques on selling as that's not where the book is focused.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very thorough, March 12, 2002

By	"villipauli" (Helsinki, Finland) - See all my reviews

Working in KAM and writing my thesis on Benchmarking KAM/KAS, I find this book to be one of the two cornerstones for me. It is well-developed and unlike many of the other books on the market, it leaves you with the impression that the process is difficult, but possible with proper planning. I have read many other books on the subject, that tell amusing anecdotes, make it look simple, and give little structure for proceeding. They are actually long sales brochures for the consultants that wrote the books. Capon's book covers how to manage the process of selecting, approaching, and acquiring key accounts, and more importantly, how to align this process with the strategy of the firm. Very useful.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wise, thorough, and timely., October 2, 2001

By	Jordan D. Lewis (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

For decades, companies have recognized the central value of getting close to their customers. Yet most attention to that topic has focused on selling to consumers. How to build such vital relationships with business customers has never been spelled out. Noel Capon's new book is far more than the best work on a long-ignored topic. Its breadth, depth, and practicality make Key Account Management and Planning a resource that should be valued by sales and marketing executives, their colleagues, and top executives for many years to come.