Any organization#s key accounts are its lifeblood. This highly practical book puts forward a unique yet simple planning methodology for identifying, obtaining, retaining and developing key customers. Completely updated and revised with lots of new material to reflect the latest best practice, this edition will reinforce its standing as the premier book on the subject. This is one of very few books to take the long-term, team-selling strategic view of Key Account Management (KAM). Apart from finding great resonance with business practitioners all over the world, Key Account Management has established itself on many academic reading lists. Translated into five languages, it was also short-listed for Business Book of the Year in Sweden (2002). This new edition features: lots of new case studies; several new chapters; significant updates on Selecting Key Customers, Key Account plans and the use of IT; a new and updated CD ROM containing the Insight key account selection software and planning tools. INDICE Foreword Preface Acknowledgements And it was all going so very well... PART I DEFINING KEY ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT What is a key account?; Managing the future; Assessing the opportunity; Key account management - its purpose; Developing the realtionship; The good, the bad, the sad and the ugly; KAM profitability PART II THE CUSTOMER'S PERSPECTIVE Purchasing professionals; Supplier positioning - becoming a key supplier; Measuring value; Measuring trust; Supply base optimization; Culture and values - becoming a strategic supplier PART III PREPARING FOR KEY ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT What will it take? Goals and obstacles; What will it take? Skills; What will it take? Systems and processes; What will it take? Organization and resources; What will it take? Making it happen PART IV IDENTIFYING KEY ACCOUNTS The 10 step process; Segmentation; Identifying your key accounts; Customer distinction PART V ENTRY STRATEGIES The customer's decision-making process; Selling to the organization - the