HEAD OF SALES
KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER
ACCOUNT MANAGER

General presentation of the profession

The work of a manager is split between meetings and frequent trips in the field to meet clients. Under the supervision of the Commercial Director, this sales professional ensures the complete satisfaction of their client. To this end, they renegotiate contracts and take the opportunity to present the client with their company’s new range of products or services. In order to do this, they liaise with the production and logistics departments. They also manage a communication budget to promote new products in partnership with their clients.

The keys to success at this job

The CHRD (Cafés, Hôtels, Restaurants, Discothèques) sector is the fourth largest private employment sector in the French economy, with over 60,000 new recruits each year. This sector is a real breeding ground for career opportunities.

The hotel industry, with its 29.4% share of the tourism-related employment market, offers a wealth of opportunities, thanks to the 39,000 hotel and tourist accommodation businesses that are constantly recruiting. Among the ranks of this large hotel family is the job of key account manager, also known as sales manager or account manager. This key accounts function has developed considerably in recent years, both in large organisations and in SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises).

Required Skills

– Expertise in commercial and financial techniques
– Negotiation and listening skills
– Team-leading skills
– Interpersonal skills
– Open-mindedness
– Good availability and ability to cope with stress

What are the duties of a key account manager?

A key player in a company’s BtoB (Business to Business) development, and therefore in exchanges between professionals, the key account manager looks after customers with substantial turnover. For example, they may work for a bedding company and interact with luxury hotels around the world. These are strategic customers for the company’s commercial and economic development.

As well as ensuring the satisfaction of the customer portfolio they have already acquired, they must also seek out new customers. However, this sales professional does not work alone. Under the aegis of a sales manager, they are in constant contact with the various departments of the organisation they work for (accounting, human resources, technical services, etc.), all of which are essential partners in carrying out their second mission.

In addition to prospecting, building customer loyalty is at the heart of his work. To do this, he is involved at every stage of the contract. In other words, at the pre-sales stage, the negotiation stage, during the project itself, where he monitors the progress of the project, and finally at the after-sales service stage. Their day-to-day work is therefore split between meetings and frequent trips to the field, as part of the customer relations process.

Once a sale has been identified, his or her objective is to negotiate or renegotiate contracts while proposing the company’s new product or service ranges, in order to maintain the collaboration already established and build loyalty among these key account prospects. A communication budget is allocated to promote these new products.

What are the qualities  of a key account manager?

Working as a key account manager requires a multi-faceted profile. Given the nature of their customers and the primary aim of their activity (sales), they need to be experienced technical salespeople. To this must be added :

• Negotiation and listening skills. These qualities are the basis of their job, so that they can satisfy their customers to the best of their ability. They enable them to obtain the greatest possible benefits for their company while taking into account the difficulties and/or constraints of their prospects. This is what makes him a talented negotiator.
• An open mind. To avoid missing out on opportunities, they need to anticipate customer needs and therefore be able to analyse the market in which they are working.
• Resistance to stress. Negotiating such large sums of money can make many people lose their nerve. Sales managers, on the other hand, are masters at stress management. They have to keep a cool head, whatever the setbacks, in order to fulfil the contract or deliver the products on time.

In addition to their individual work, they may be asked to supervise a sales team. To do this, managerial skills are essential, so that you can guide your colleagues as effectively as possible. Good interpersonal skills are also required, both to satisfy customers and to maintain group cohesion among sales staff.

What are the career prospects and Salary of a key Account Manager?

A fast-growing position, the key account manager is generally acquired through promotion, after at least three years’ experience. Most young graduates graduate from a sales position. Once they have gained significant experience, they can hope to be promoted to sector manager and finally to key account manager.

Many professions require solid experience. Once they can demonstrate successful experience in the key account field, seasoned salespeople can be given a wider range of responsibilities, including managerial roles. The key account manager could go on to become key account manager and then national sales manager.

The latter is still responsible for strategic accounts, but these customers form a base of national accounts. He or she will then head a team of several people to whom he or she will pass on his or her sales experience. The final level is that of Sales Director. Depending on the structure, this sales management position may have an international dimension.

Key account managers earn an average of €5,000 gross per month. Salaries range from €2,500 to €6,600 gross per month, depending on experience and company. Most of the time, this remuneration is divided between a fixed income and commission. This split is usually negotiated when the contract is signed.

How to become a Key Account Manager?

As this is a position of responsibility, you will need to have a degree (bac+4 or bac+5). A 2 or 3-year higher education qualification can also lead to the same type of sales manager job if it is accompanied by substantial professional experience and a mastery of the various sales techniques. Aspiring key account managers will need to follow a course of study at a business school or become a sales engineer (also known as a business engineer), in order to acquire the fundamentals of sales techniques, which are essential for this job.

However, the managerial skills required for this position may also require additional training. CMH offers an MBA that provides a comprehensive understanding of the hotel sector and the management aspects of this profession.

It is based on three pillars:

Increased knowledge of the International Hospitality sector
Acquisition of the theoretical and practical fundamentals of hotel management
International immersion, with courses and placements abroad.
This diploma corresponds to the last two years of our Grande Ecole programme and is accessible after a bac+3. Courses are taught in English for 90% of the course. It is internationally recognised as a level 7 diploma (bac +5).

After choosing a speciality at the end of the first year of the MBA, a final dissertation validates the theoretical and professional management skills acquired.

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