Below The Surface

Great account management starts with the person managing the account.

We’re kicking things off with a little self-reflection and a fresh perspective on the mindset, behaviours and everyday habits that contribute to personal and professional success.

The modern Account Manager has a diverse range of responsibilities, from customer engagement and relationship development to commercial planning, internal collaboration and revenue growth. How we approach these responsibilities, where we choose to focus our attention and the habits we develop along the way can all influence our effectiveness.

We’ll introduce Killer Consulting’s IMPACT philosophy and explore the importance of curiosity, preparation, personal accountability, confidence and trust. You’ll also complete a practical Account Manager Reality Check, taking a closer look at how you currently spend your working week and considering whether your time, attention and energy reflect your priorities.

Expect some interesting conversations, different perspectives and an opportunity to challenge your own thinking. We’ll finish with a practical exercise to identify what you might want to start, stop, change or continue doing, recognising what’s already working well and where there’s an opportunity to make an even greater impact.

There’s a lot more influencing your customers than what you see in your everyday conversations.

Next, we’ll step into your customers’ world and take a closer look at the changing dynamics, expectations and influences shaping modern business relationships.

Today’s customers have access to more information, technology and choices than ever before. At the same time, they’re navigating their own commercial priorities, organisational pressures and competing demands on their time and attention. Understanding how these factors influence customer behaviour, engagement and decision-making is becoming an increasingly important part of modern account management.

We’ll explore some of the human challenges influencing today’s business environment, including information overload, cognitive fatigue, changing communication preferences and the growing influence of AI. We’ll also consider what these changes mean for the way we build trust, maintain relationships and bring value to customer conversations.

Through discussion and practical exercises, we’ll put your curiosity, questioning and listening skills to work. You’ll have the opportunity to consider different perspectives, examine what might be happening below the surface of a customer relationship and discover how asking better questions can lead to a much richer understanding of the people and businesses you work with.

During our final session, we’ll turn our attention to the commercial side of account management and explore how the information we gather, the questions we ask and the connections we make can influence the way we understand and develop customer accounts.

We’ll introduce Killer Consulting’s Client Commercial Profile (CCP), a practical framework for examining five important dimensions of an account: commercial position, buying and decision dynamics, customer value and alignment, relationship and engagement health, and growth potential and risk.

Then we’ll roll up our sleeves and put your commercial instincts to work.

Working through a realistic customer scenario, you’ll be presented with a collection of customer information, conversations, observations and unanswered questions. Together, we’ll connect the dots, distinguish facts from assumptions, consider different interpretations and identify the questions worth asking next.

It’s an opportunity to experience how commercial intelligence develops, how different perspectives can reveal something new and how a deeper understanding of your customers can inform more thoughtful account planning, stronger relationships and future commercial decisions.

This workshop is designed for Account Managers, Key Account Managers, Customer Success professionals and other key roles responsible for developing and maintaining valuable customer relationships. It’s equally relevant for Commercial and Sales Leaders looking to introduce fresh thinking, practical capability development and stronger commercial awareness into their teams.

The Commercial Room is designed to get people thinking, talking, questioning and challenging the way things have always been done. We’ll bring together a small group of people – each with their own experiences, ideas and perspectives- to explore the realities of modern Account Management.

Expect some interesting conversations and plenty of opportunities to compare notes with people who face similar commercial pressures. You’ll be encouraged to contribute, challenge your own thinking, borrow a few good ideas from others and put some fresh thinking into practice.

Is this suitable if I’m already an experienced Account Manager?

• Absolutely. The reality is that customers, technology and the commercial environment are changing, and experience alone doesn’t always prepare us for what’s coming next. Below the Surface is an opportunity to bring your knowledge to the table, challenge a few long-held assumptions, learn from the experiences of others and discover some different ways to approach a role you already know so well.

Do I need to bring or prepare anything?

• No formal preparation is required. Just come ready to contribute, share your experiences and question a few established ways of thinking. It may be useful to have a particular customer account in mind as you work through the activities.

What will I walk away with?

• A fresh perspective on yourself, your customers and what it really means to be a commercially effective Account Manager. You’ll have the opportunity to challenge established thinking, question familiar habits, exchange ideas with other professionals and develop a greater appreciation of the forces influencing modern business and customer relationships.You’ll also leave with more than a few pages of notes. Your workbook brings together practical exercises, the IMPACT performance philosophy and Killer Consulting’s Client Commercial Profile (CCP), giving you valuable tools to assess your own effectiveness, strengthen your commercial judgement and recognise opportunities and risks that might otherwise go unnoticed.Above all, you’ll leave with new ideas, practical knowledge and a clearer sense of what you can do differently to improve your performance and make a greater impact in your role.
• And a free barista made coffee on us!

How long is the workshop?

• Below the Surface is a three-hour, interactive workshop divided into three sessions: Mindset & Behaviour, The Modern Buyer and Commercial Intelligence.
• It’s a great mix of conversation, practical exercises, shared experiences and fresh perspectives.

Can other colleagues from my organisation attend?

• Of course! In fact, attending with colleagues can make the experience even more valuable.

Can my organisation arrange a private workshop?

• Yes. Below the Surface can also be delivered as a dedicated workshop for your organisation.

Is this workshop relevant to my industry?

• If you’re responsible for maintaining, developing or growing customer accounts, there’s a good chance you’ll recognise many of the situations we’ll be discussing. Different industries have their own complexities, but the human and commercial challenges of account management have a lot in common.
• Sometimes the most useful perspective comes from someone who doesn’t work in your world.

What happens if I can’t attend after booking?

• We understand that plans can change, particularly when you’re juggling customer commitments and the everyday demands of work. If you can no longer attend, you can request a full refund up to 7 days before the event. This gives you the flexibility to book your place with confidence.
• As places are limited to just 12 participants, we’d appreciate as much notice as possible so someone else has the opportunity to attend.