Key Account Manager
Department: Sales
Level: Senior Operational
Primary objective: Maximise value and retention of strategic accounts
What this role does
The KAM manages the portfolio of large clients — long-term contracts, personalised pricing, renewals, upsell and cross-sell. Unlike a standard sales agent, the KAM works in depth with a few high-value clients, not in volume with many small ones.
Modules used daily
| Module | Where to find it | What you use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Clients | CRM → Clients | Full profile of each account |
| Contracts | CRM → Contracts | Track renewals and terms |
| Opportunities | CRM → Opportunities | Upsell / expansion opportunities |
| Price Lists | Sales → Prices | Account-specific pricing |
| Client Groups | CRM → Groups | Portfolio segmentation |
| Discount Groups | CRM → Discounts | Discount structures per account |
| Loyalty & Membership | CRM → Loyalty | Client tiers and benefits |
| Proposals | Sales → Proposals | Renewal and expansion proposals |
| Invoices | Sales → Invoices | Payment monitoring for key accounts |
| Client Portal | — | What the client sees in their own portal |
Weekly routine
Monday — portfolio health check
- Open Clients → filter by your account group → sort by total invoiced value
- Identify accounts with order decline vs. previous month (> 20%) → schedule a call
- Check Contracts → filter by Expires in 60 days → initiate the renewal conversation
Daily — account monitoring
- Check if key accounts have overdue invoices → intervene proactively (don't let the client receive an automated reminder)
- Track open expansion opportunities → update stage and probability
At client visit / meeting
- Preparation: open the client's record in Clients — see full history: all orders, invoices, tickets, communications
- Post-meeting: update the opportunity (revised value, close date, notes) and add an activity with the meeting summary
Key workflows
Workflow 1 — Contract renewal
Alert: Contract expires in 60 days
→ Analyse history: order volume, on-time payments, open tickets
→ Prepare renewal proposal (with any price adjustments)
→ Send proposal
→ Negotiate terms → update contract
→ Sign → archive in platform
Workflow 2 — Upsell on existing account
Identify in order history that client repeatedly buys a product
→ Create upsell opportunity (e.g. higher volume, complementary product)
→ Check if a dedicated Price List or volume discount is warranted
→ Send proposal → negotiate → convert to order
Workflow 3 — Set custom pricing for strategic account
Negotiate a special pricing agreement with the client
→ Sales → Price Lists → create a new list dedicated to this account
→ Add negotiated prices per product
→ Assign the price list directly to the client (in the Client record)
→ From now on, any invoice/order for this client automatically applies their prices
Workflow 4 — Client with loyalty programme
Client accumulates points on each purchase (configured in Loyalty)
→ Monitor the client's membership tier
→ On reaching a threshold → notify client of unlocked benefits
→ On points redemption → billing operator deducts value at invoicing
Key metrics
| Metric | What it means |
|---|---|
| Account retention rate | % of key accounts that renew |
| Revenue growth per account (YoY) | Order variation vs. previous year |
| Expired unrenewed contracts | Contracts that lapsed without renewal |
| Days to first action on renewal alert | How quickly you react |
| Average value per account | What each account generates in 12 months |
Practical tips
Visit the client record before any conversation. Don't rely on memory. The complete history (invoices, tickets, communications) gives you real context and shows the client you know them.
Renewals are won 60 days in advance, not 5. A client who hasn't heard from you in 6 months and receives a proposal 2 weeks before expiry will negotiate hard or leave.
Custom pricing is managed from Price Lists, not ad-hoc discounts on the invoice. Ad-hoc discounts create inconsistencies and don't report correctly.
If a key account has an overdue invoice, you are the one who intervenes — not the automated reminder. Maintaining the relationship is your responsibility.
Start renewal conversations at least 60 days before contract expiry — a client who has not heard from you in 6 months and receives a proposal 2 weeks before expiry will negotiate hard or explore alternatives.
Custom pricing for key accounts must be managed through Price Lists, not ad-hoc invoice discounts. Ad-hoc discounts bypass the pricing system, report incorrectly, and create inconsistencies across the account's full invoicing history.