I need my partners and sub-vendors running the same strategy for my key account that we are.

I need my partners and sub-vendors running the same strategy for my key account that we are.

Partners and sub-vendors shape how the client experiences your team. When they work under your standards and your value message, the client sees one team that owns the result.

Five questions to see if your team can do this job today:

1. Does your key account manager (KAM) know every third-party vendor serving the client and what each one delivers?
2. Are your partners chosen for proven capability in areas you don't cover and a strong reputation with the client?
3. Do your partners work under one agreement, so the client sees one contract, one invoice and one point of accountability?
4. Do your partners deliver to your standards and align to your value message with the client?
5. Do your partners have a reason to stay vested, such as a dedicated role and a steady feed of opportunities from you?

Two or more no's, and your client may be managing a supply chain of vendors on your account.

Several years ago in one my active key accounts, we observed the incumbent had built their delivery model around depending on 30 different sub-vendors. Each one handled a slice, but no one owned the full picture. Accountability was scattered across 30 different agreements, 30 different service levels, and hundreds of points of contact. Eventually, the program failed.

We proposed a different model. Our team would handle 70% of the work directly, and two strategic partners would deliver the remaining 30%. We chose them for three things: proven capability in areas we didn't cover, an existing reputation with this same customer, and our trust that they would operate under our standards.

Then we structured the partnership so the client experienced one team, not three. Both partners operated under our agreement. The client saw one contract, one invoice, one point of accountability. We managed the partner relationships and fed them opportunities. In return, they delivered at the standard we set and aligned to our value message with the client.

We won the RFP, and the deciding factor was accountability. The result was a $12M program where we served as the prime vendor. Our two partners grew their business inside the account because we made it easy for them to succeed.

Our system, the Vitality Index, shows your key account teams where they stand today, the work it takes to level up, and how to do it, until they reach a vital partnership that lasts.

If your client looked at every vendor on your account, would they see one team?

We built a free, 4-minute Key Account Risk Assessment. It gives you a risk score for your key accounts across team alignment, account planning, account transitions, and visibility. Link in the comments.