Strategic Account Manager Training: Begin with the End in Mind and Ask the Right Questions

By SAMA staff

One of the most frequent conversations SAMA has with members of our community is about strategic account manager training. Oftentimes they are unsure about how to begin the process and what to consider when making training decisions. We always suggest starting with the end in mind by asking them three questions: 

1. What do you want to achieve? 
2. How quickly do you want to start? 
3. What are the KPIs for measuring their progress toward achieving their goals?

The answers to these questions will become the reference when moving forward with training development. 

Once you have established your goals, timeline, and ways to measure success, there are additional strategic considerations.

• How do you define strategic account management?
• Do you have a formal SAM program to support the SAMs?
• Why does your company want to train now?
• Who do you want to train? Consider these options:
  º Newly appointed SAMs
  º Experienced SAMs who need to refresh or to level up
  º Subject-matter experts who support the SAM team
  º High-potential salespeople or account managers for a
  future strategic account manager role
  º Newly appointed SAM leaders who manage, coach,
  and evaluate the SAMs, but have never been SAMs
  themselves
  º Executive sponsor
• Do you want training for individuals where they are with
  other SAMs from other companies/industries, or do you
  want to bring the training to your company and have it
  customized? There are benefits to both options.
• Do you have SAM-specific competencies established?
• Does your organization know what good strategic account
  management looks like?
• Have you done a SAM competency assessment to establish
  a baseline of your SAMs’ strengths and weaknesses
  from an individual and organization level? If not, you
  might want to consider doing so.
• How will you measure the success of the training approach
  for the organization and the individual SAM?
• Will the SAM receive recognition at the end of their
  training such as a certificate of completion or SAM
  Certification? Note that “certificate” and “certification”
  are very different. A certificate is often given when
  someone has completed a training program. In SAMA’s
  opinion, SAM Certification means that not only did they
  complete a training program, but they have been tested
  for comprehension and application of the concepts taught
  and validated by their manager.

Once companies have taken a strategic look at what they hope to accomplish, they will look for a training partner. Many people tasked with this job are often unsure of what to look for in choosing a training partner.

SAMA recommends asking the following questions while vetting training partners:

• What are the qualifications of the training organization?
• Do they offer SAM-specific training and, if so, for how long? Make sure you see evidence of this on their company website and in conversation. Many companies will say they do SAM training, but it isn’t really their specialty. This is particularly important when training on topics like account planning and value co-creation.
• Do they have outside references to validate the success of their approach?
• What are the qualifications of the instructor(s) who will be doing the training? Have they actually done the work of a SAM or SAM leader?
• If a certificate of completion or SAM Certification is desired, does the training organization offer them? Consider whether the training organization is an industry reference or affiliated with one, especially in the case of certification.
  

Training the people who manage your company’s most strategic customers can be complex and requires an investment in time and resources. Asking the right discovery questions can lead you down the right path to make sure the investment isn’t wasted with ineffective training. Having a well-defined training plan and using a qualified training partner will elevate your SAMs to greatness and ultimately lead to measurable business results.

Interested in knowing more about SAM training? Feel free to contact us. We have knowledgeable staff and a community of experts ready to help.

Strategic Account Management Association, Tel: +1-312-251-3131, http://www.strategicaccounts.org