Webinar by Mr. Kaustubh Joshi
Webinar Title: Key Account Management & Strategic segments
Date of Conduct: 19th September, 2020
Duration: 1.5 hours
Speaker’s Name & Designation: Mr. Kaustubh Joshi, Director – Strategic Customers & Segments
Organization: Schneider Electric
HOD/Concerned Faculty Head: Student Relations / Ms. Anuja Zanzad
Batch: IB Batch 2019-21
No of students present: 120+
On the 19th of September, the students of MBA-IB 2019-21 attended a guest lecture by Mr. Kaustubh Joshi, Director - Strategic Customers & Segments at Schneider Electric on the topic - ‘Key Account Management & Strategic segments’. In his lecture, Mr. Joshi discussed what the goals and objectives are of key account management and strategic management. He started by discussing the fundamental meaning of key account management and how it relates to managing relationships with strategically-important customers. He shared his insights on how key account management increases sales velocity. He discussed how as a key account manager, we would need to work as a supplier or a vendor but act like a partner.
He gave an overview of how key management is responsible for customer retention by up-selling and cross-selling. He discussed how key account management is more about program management than project management. In a very detailed manner, he discussed what is expected out of a typical key account manager. He explained the skills required for a successful key account manager – IQ+EQ, Collaborative Mindset, Visionary, Strong Business Acumen, Thought Leadership.
He discussed the goals of key account management being the core strategy, sales strategy, and solution strategy. Towards the end of the presentation, he also discussed strategic segments and shared how companies can group their customers into segments for more effective management. He then concluded the session by sharing his journey from a basic sales manager to a strategic advisor with the students. The webinar concluded with a very interesting Q&A session.
Feedback:
- “It was a really enriching session. It helped me understand very specific skills required to become a successful key account manager – Manjot Singh, MBA, International Business, Batch 2019-2021.
- “It was a privilege to have Mr. Kaustubh share deep insights into key account management. The session delved deep into the nuances of key account management and the importance of creating strategic segments. – Ajinkya Patwardhan, MBA, International Business (Marketing), Batch 2019-2021.
Overall Feedback: The session was quite thorough and insightful and helped students understand the different goals, objectives and skills required for successful key account management.
