Key Account Management (KAM) is a strategy to target and serve high potential customers by providing them with special treatment in marketing, administration and service, and is an area of major growth and importance in Sales Management.

This module will cover:
- The criteria for selecting Key Accounts
- The tasks and skills of Managing Key Accounts
- Buyer Behaviour and Decision Making Units
- KAM relational development model
- Developing partnering and team selling approaches for Key Accounts
- Critical success factors for KAM
- Sales Forecasting
- Negotiating with Key Accounts
- Global accounts and international partnerships

The learning content will provide students with the conceptual frameworks needed to appraise and select key accounts, as well as the important practical managerial skills required to successfully manage profitable KAM relationships.

The learning strategy for this module requires students to commit 150 learning hours (including assessment). This will include 12 hours of class support, delivered during two 6 hour study days. The first day will introduce the subject and explore aspects of the module content and the summative assessment. The second day will provide the opportunity to examine aspects of the subject in more depth and clarify any issues arising from the assessment brief.

In the 138 hours of independent and self directed study students are expected to engage with the learning material on the module website, undertake additional research / reading, undertake formative tasks to reinforce the learning, relate the subject to their your workplace, have contact with their Tutor / Mentor and prepare coursework assignments.

The class sessions will include formal lectures, case study analysis and group discussions based on student experiences in the subject area. Students will be encouraged to integrate their work based experiences with new knowledge and skills developed in the classroom as the module progresses

Blackboard website
University Campus Library
Off-campus, on-line library resources
Web-based journals and electronic magazines
Appropriate media material as directed by tutor
Practitioner magazines and trade associations
Access to the Internet and library resources
Presentation materials
Video facilities

Cheverton (2008) Key Account Management: Tools and Techniques 4th Edition Kogan Page
Malcolm McDonald (2006) Key Account Management: The Definitive Guide 2nd edition Butterworth Heinemann

An individual work based Assignment (2000 words) (100%) providing a report recommending a Key Account development plan. (Learning Outcomes 1 &2)