From KAM to KEM: A New Era in Key Account Management

©Hervé Debaecker, CMO at Perfluence, October 6, 2022

KAM is dead, long live KEM!


For some time now, we've been hearing about the "death" of the account manager.
Over a decade ago, Andy Preston published an article titled "Death of Account Management", and more recently, Katie Wilson wrote "THE ACCOUNT MANAGER IS DEAD. LONG LIVE THE ACCOUNT MANAGER!" (August 19, 2020).

These authors mainly highlight the shift in responsibilities companies assign to their Key Account Managers (KAMs), and the evolving skillset required for the role. Katie Wilson, in particular, notes a move toward younger, more dynamic AMs—but often at the expense of the seasoned business acumen found in older account managers.

It’s true: the average age of account managers has dropped, and the KAM profession has become more widespread.
Yet when clients of these KAMs are surveyed, many express regret over the shift toward “young and brilliant” account managers. They often say they’d prefer KAMs with more business sense, deeper understanding, and the ability to support their strategic priorities.

The pandemic and rise of remote work have accelerated this evolution.
Many companies have significantly cut back on business travel (50% reductions are commonly cited), further driving change.
This combination of younger profiles and remote collaboration creates a fundamental shift. Add in the pressure of aggressive targets and increasingly complex decision-making processes—often involving committees and multi-organization dynamics—and even the most persistent account managers can become overwhelmed.

So how can we better manage existing revenue and generate new business?
How do we navigate “organizations of organizations” and follow “chain pursuits”?
How do we track key contacts as they move rapidly between companies?
How do we win through influence (still the deciding factor between the winner and runner-up in large deals)?
And how do we expect all this to be handled by younger, talented, yet less experienced professionals?

This calls for a true paradigm shift. Two revolutions are enabling high performance in today's complex environment—even for “young and brilliant” sales professionals:

From Top-Down to Network-Driven Growth

This means moving from the traditional top-down KAM process:

  • target list > target company > organizational structure > org chart and key roles > identification of key people > strategic project “push” > sales opportunities,

...to a more organic, network-driven approach, which we call efflorescent:

  • privileged relationships in the ecosystem > co-creation of value > co-influence through their networks > introductions to key contacts > “pull” of strategic projects > opportunities.

This approach requires a systemic method for managing networking and influence, such as RIIM – Relationship Intelligence and Influence Management™.

The benefits of this approach:

  • Speed: It allows you to act in sync with organizational changes at the client’s end—not after the fact.

  • Simplicity & flexibility: Powerscope graphs replace outdated org charts.

  • Efficiency: Focus is placed on the most relevant contacts and relationships.

From Traditional Account Plans to Digital Virtual War Rooms

The pandemic has significantly accelerated an ongoing transition—from the old-fashioned account review process (historical review > account plan > engagement plan > execution, supported by PowerPoint, Excel, and CRM tools)
…to on-demand virtual meetings in flexible sub-groups, using dedicated digital tools that natively speak the language of strategic sales—such as Powerscope™ and other advanced account management platforms.