The Role of a Key Account Management's Code of Conduct in Improving Learning Culture of the Account Managers: The Case of VICTORI Code of Conduct at TELKOM Indonesia

摘要

Key Account Management (KAM) is a term started as way of improving selling techniques to a few key customers/major accounts. It is more strategically oriented than sales-oriented or relationship-oriented because the importance of the key customers. The strategies to keep, sell, and make profit with key customers cannot be short-term sales driven. By implementing Key Account Management, a supplier company will benefit from KAM relationship in terms of business growth (e.g. selling to new customer division, retaining customers, identifying more opportunities with customers) and cost reduction (e.g. shortening learning curve, avoiding formal tenders, improving sales forecasting). This study uses a qualitative design with an observation and document analysis to discuss the case of a particular key account management code of conduct at TELKOM Indonesia in order to improve the learning culture of the Account Managers. VICTORI code of conduct as an improvement of The Account Management Way 1-3-5 is compared with two theoretical concepts of Account Management. One of the key improvements in the new code of conduct is the mission to provide an ecosystem solution to business customers instead of a generic 'dream plan'. It shows a clear direction on the new focus of key account management at TELKOM Indonesia. Another key improvement is the change of terminology from 'partner' to 'synergy'. It reflects the vision of the idealistic relational model of KAM from the level of Partnership KAM toward Synergistic KAM that allows a seamless integration between TELKOM and key business customers in creating synergistic/joint value in the marketplace. Finally, the code of conduct approach plays an important role in nurturing the capabilities of an account manager in fulfilling key customers' need. There are three orders of customers' need that have to be fulfilled in Key Account Management: Product need, Process need, and Facilitation need (the way in which business is done, rooted in joint problem resolution and mutual adaptation). A professional certification process that involves observation of the practices of account managers ensures the institutionalization or internalization of the key account management code of conduct.