Agriculture · Brazil, India, China
Recent work · 2026
A core sales program across three continents
A global crop nutrition company wanted one core sales program for its commercial teams in very different markets.
Read the case →
Sales Excellence & Key Account Management
Core expertise
Sales Excellence & Key Account Management
Sales excellence means a sales force that targets the right customers, sells on the value it creates and manages its most important accounts as strategic partners. Market Edge assesses sales skills, builds value-selling and key account management capability, and is used by global account teams with more than 2B USD in annual sales.
Problems we solve
Sales and rebate led for years
Volume targets and rebates drive behavior; value is rarely part of the conversation.
Signs, causes and fixes →Big customers, not key accounts
Every large customer is called "key", so none gets a real strategic plan.
Signs, causes and fixes →Skills gaps across business units
Each unit trains differently, with no shared view of sales capability.
Signs, causes and fixes →Price increases damage relationships
Without a value story, every price change turns into a standoff.
Signs, causes and fixes →What we hear from clients
Paraphrased and anonymized from recent conversations with marketing and commercial leaders.
“We've done a sales skills gap analysis. Each business unit picks its own training partner, and we need one for key account management and negotiation.”
“Our reps discount before the customer even asks, because nobody wants to be blamed for losing the deal.”
“When we build key account plans, regional priorities win, because the support team is shared across accounts.”
How we build sales excellence
Four steps, each supported by a proven Market Edge framework.
01
Assess sales capability
Skills gap analysis by role and business unit, against benchmarks.
02
Segment and select accounts
Needs-based segments and the accounts worth strategic investment.
03
Build value selling and KAM
Applied training on live accounts: value propositions, account plans and negotiation.
04
Embed it
Pipeline cadence, account reviews and CRM habits that make it stick.
Our point of view
Sales training alone rarely changes behavior. It works when reps have shared logic and data to defend price, account plans with real resources behind them, and managers who coach after the classroom. That is why our core sales programs include coaching for people leaders, and why we pilot with a small group before rolling out.
How an engagement usually runs
Typical phases. Every engagement is scoped with you, and many clients start with one phase.
| Phase | Typical timing | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnose | 4–6 weeks | Sales skills gaps by role, account selection and a review of how pricing decisions are made. |
| Pilot | 1–2 modules | A core sales program with a pilot group, mixing online modules and in-person workshops. |
| Roll out | By cohort | Further cohorts, with separate coaching sessions for people leaders. |
| Plan key accounts | Workshop per region | Key account planning sessions on live accounts, with resource commitments agreed. |
| Sustain | Ongoing | Objection-handling guides, sell-in toolkits for launches, pipeline cadence and account reviews. |
Human in the loop
Where AI helps, and where people decide
AI can read every annual report and earnings call before your next meeting. Trust between two leadership teams is still built person to person.
How we use AI responsibly →AISummarizes the account's annual report, earnings calls and press releases.
AIFlags changes in buying patterns and share of wallet from transaction data.
PeopleDecide which accounts deserve strategic investment and what to offer them.
PeopleBuild executive relationships and negotiate joint initiatives.
Client results
All case studies →Europe · Key account planning
Recent work · 2026
Key account planning across a European commercial unit
A European commercial unit wanted key account plans that connect to marketing campaigns and sales routines, starting in Benelux.
Read the case →Semiconductors · Global
[Result]
Raising key account management capability for global account teams
The global leader in semiconductor fabrication equipment wanted every key account manager, some leading teams of up to 500 people, at an agreed standard.
Read the case →“The program was engaging with a methodology that was easy to understand and conceptualize applications within our business.”
[Title, Company]
Tools and training
Academy program
Key Account Management
Apply the KAM process to your own accounts with coaching from senior consultants, and leave with a forward road map for each target account.
$1,500 per person · Next: [Dates] Nov 2026
See dates →Tool
Key Account Plan Template
[New lead magnet: the one-page plan structure from the KAM program.]
Explore →Point of view
Our latest point of view
All points of view →Sales Excellence & Key Account Management insights
All Sales Excellence & Key Account Management insights →Account Based MarketingSales Excellence & Key Account Management · [Author] · Mar 2025Navigating Price Hikes: Lessons for Key Account ManagersSales Excellence & Key Account Management · [Author] · Apr 2024It's Time to Update Key Account PlansSales Excellence & Key Account Management · [Author] · Feb 2024Key Account Management: Two Relationships in ParallelSales Excellence & Key Account Management · [Author] · Jul 2020
[New] KAM with AI Account Intelligence: What the Key Account Manager Still OwnsTo write
Sales Excellence & Key Account Management FAQ
What is sales excellence in B2B?
A sales force that targets the right customers, sells on the value it creates rather than on volume and rebates, and manages its most important accounts as strategic partners, supported by consistent processes and coaching.
How do you move a sales force from rebates to value selling?
Start with segments and offers, so reps know which customers value what. Then give them shared logic to quantify value and defend price, and train on live accounts with managers coaching afterwards.
How do you choose key accounts?
Separate accounts with the potential to become strategic partners from large transactional customers, based on mutual value, strategic fit and the account's own plans, not size alone.
What should a key account plan include?
The account's strategy and financial position, your current share of wallet, new value propositions that matter to them, joint initiatives, and the resources you commit across regions.
How is AI changing selling and key account management?
AI can prepare account research, summarize earnings calls and flag buying changes in minutes. The relationship, the negotiation and the judgment on where to invest stay with people.
Situations where clients call us about Sales Excellence & Key Account Management
"We've been sales and rebate led for years."
Moving from commodity to specialty
Your strategy now depends on selling on value, but the sales force, pricing and segmentation were built for volume.
How we help →"We're reorganizing our route to market to grow margin, not volume."
Reshaping the sales force
New customer tiers, channels or owners mean the sales force has to change who it calls on and what it sells.
How we help →Where to start
Want your sales force selling on value?
Book a 20–30 minute sounding board conversation with a senior consultant who has sat in your seat. No cost, no commitment.