What does a key account manager do?
A key account manager is primarily in charge of handling key clients that produce the most profit for a company or business, ensuring that they remain with them. They are mainly responsible for understanding their clients' needs and long-term goals, ensuring that the key clients get to receive all the necessary services and products in time, and promptly address and resolve any issues and concerns. Furthermore, a key account manager may prepare reports and proposals to team members, all while adhering to the company's policies and standards.
Key account manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real key account manager resumes:
- Lead the KAM division in market share expansion and activation for SWS portfolio.
- Develop and manage GPO partnerships and new relationships in preparation of new product launch.
- Utilize IRI reporting (CPGN) to deliver key category insights to customer base in order to effectively manage category decisions.
- Manage company CRM implementation leading to increase sales profitability and customer satisfaction.
- Provide managed care expertise to industry leading system developers to create web-base solutions for healthcare revenue cycle.
- Manage services including contract logistics, distribution, and inbound logistics and shipping brokerage along with various additional transportation solutions.
- Attend trade shows, update account information in SALESFORCE, processes orders and address customer inquiries.
- Select as KAM to train all new hires on the profit management tool.
- Build and maintain relationships with buyers, analysts, assistant buyers as well as logistics team.
- Develop all new marketing collateral, packages, and presentations (PowerPoint) for the company.
- Monitor sales reports and plan daily sales activities around goals, objectives & shortcomings for assign distributor using CRM.
- Produce new PowerPoint presentations for training sales representatives.
- Coordinate and facilitate wine tasting events and special promotions.
- Conduct health camps for patients on spreading awareness relate to osteoporosis
- Provide and present market analysis, analyzing RFP and identify new potential business opportunity to maximize revenue.
Key account manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Key Account Managers are proficient in Account Management, Customer Service, and Patients. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Customer-service skills.
We break down the percentage of Key Account Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Account Management, 10%
Core Strengths Customer Service/Satisfaction Account Management Communications Sales/Advertising Problem-Solving Client Relations
- Customer Service, 7%
Manage Customer Service/Technical Support department to provide timely and excellent service and support to client base for financial and clinical software.
- Patients, 6%
Prepare and coordinate meetings for conventions and medic groups based on specific parameters and specifications for diabetic patients.
- CRM, 6%
Managed company CRM implementation leading to increased sales profitability and customer satisfaction.
- Customer Relationships, 5%
Excelled at identifying and capturing new market opportunities, restructuring sales territories, improving retail programs, building customer relationships.
- Excellent Interpersonal, 5%
Team Player, with excellent interpersonal communication skills.
Common skills that a key account manager uses to do their job include "account management," "customer service," and "patients." You can find details on the most important key account manager responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a key account manager to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "sales managers must collect and interpret complex data to target the most promising geographic areas and demographic groups, and determine the most effective sales strategies." Additionally, a key account manager resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "analyzed product and account activities, defined market trends, and monitored sales objectives using various tools, including ms access. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform key account manager duties is communication skills. Key account managers responsibilities require that "sales managers need to work with colleagues and customers, so they must be able to communicate clearly." Key account managers also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "manage direct communication with the various business areas of falabella, specially with customer intelligence crm. "
Customer-service skills. This is an important skill for key account managers to perform their duties. For an example of how key account manager responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "when helping to make a sale, sales managers must listen and respond to the customer’s needs." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a key account manager: "formulate and execute an account plan to meet ab sales objectives and customer requirements for specific accounts. ".
Leadership skills. key account manager responsibilities often require "leadership skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "sales managers must be able to evaluate how their sales staff performs and must develop strategies for meeting sales goals." This resume example shows what key account managers do with leadership skills on a typical day: "conducted customer business reviews regularly in which i delivered presentations to key leadership. "
The three companies that hire the most key account managers are:
- Construction Specialties173 key account managers jobs
- 3M Company59 key account managers jobs
- Kuehne+Nagel38 key account managers jobs
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Compare different key account managers
Key account manager vs. Manager, account executive
An account executive manager is responsible for handling client accounts and leading the account management procedures to promote the client's brand image in the market and maintain the highest satisfaction. Account executive managers work with the marketing and sales team to identify sales and promotional strategies that would increase revenues and product profits. They also review the current market trends to develop business opportunities according to client needs and public demands. An account executive manager coordinates with the clients for regular updates and informs them of business plan adjustments as needed.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, key account manager responsibilities require skills like "patients," "crm," "customer relationships," and "excellent interpersonal." Meanwhile a typical manager, account executive has skills in areas such as "sales process," "virtualization," "post sales," and "account executives." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Managers, account executive tend to make the most money working in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $87,422. In contrast, key account managers make the biggest average salary, $102,173, in the pharmaceutical industry.On average, managers, account executive reach similar levels of education than key account managers. Managers, account executive are 2.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Key account manager vs. Product manager/sales
A sales product manager is responsible for monitoring the sales performance of a specific product and ensuring that the marketing strategies adhere to market standards and client requirements. Sales product managers work closely with the marketing and public relations team to enhance the product's brand image on various market platforms to reach the target audience. They also conduct data and statistical analysis to identify business opportunities that would generate more revenue resources and increase the company's profitability.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, key account manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "patients," "customer relationships," "excellent interpersonal," and "kam." Meanwhile, a product manager/sales has duties that require skills in areas such as "product sales," "product management," "cycle management," and "customer support." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Product managers/sales may earn a higher salary than key account managers, but product managers/sales earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $108,541. On the other hand, key account managers receive higher pay in the pharmaceutical industry, where they earn an average salary of $102,173.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Product managers/sales tend to reach similar levels of education than key account managers. In fact, they're 1.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Key account manager vs. Outside sales manager
An outside sales manager is responsible for monitoring the sales staff performance in selling goods and services to existing and potential clients and ensuring that the team meets sales objectives. Outside sales managers set reasonable sales targets and establish techniques to maximize the staff's efficiency and productivity. They regularly connect with the clients to determine their needs and make any adjustments to business plans as needed. An outside sales manager should have excellent knowledge of the current market trends to identify business opportunities that would generate more revenues and resources.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, key account managers are more likely to have skills like "patients," "customer relationships," "excellent interpersonal," and "kam." But a outside sales manager is more likely to have skills like "sales process," "increase sales," "general contractors," and "cold calls."
Outside sales managers earn the highest salary when working in the finance industry, where they receive an average salary of $78,067. Comparatively, key account managers have the highest earning potential in the pharmaceutical industry, with an average salary of $102,173.Most outside sales managers achieve a lower degree level compared to key account managers. For example, they're 5.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Key account manager vs. Territory manager
A territory manager is responsible for monitoring the sales operations of the different sales team of an organization. One of the most crucial duties of a territory manager is to encourage the sales team to provide the best results for increasing the company's profitability. Territory managers are conducting sales training, improving marketing strategies and approach, reviewing sales pitches, analyzing current market trends, and reaching sales goals. Territory managers must display exceptional leadership and customer service skills to manage customers' needs and identify more business opportunities.
Types of key account manager
Updated January 8, 2025
