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Key account management training equips your reps to retain and grow your most valuable customers by replacing transactional, deal-by-deal selling with structured account planning, consultative selling and long-term relationship building. BOTI delivers this programme in-house, on-site or online across South Africa, tailored to your accounts, your CRM and your margins.
This course at BOTI todayKey Account Management Training (2 days)
The current course runs at your offices anywhere in South Africa, live online or at a BOTI venue. The course page has the up-to-date outline and group prices.
See the current courseGet a quote for your teamSee all Sales, Marketing and Customer Care courses
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For most businesses, a small number of accounts drive a disproportionate share of revenue. Losing one hurts. Yet many reps still treat these strategic customers the same way they treat a one-off sale — chasing the next order rather than building the relationship that protects and expands the account over years. This programme closes that gap.
Why key account management is different from ordinary selling
Transactional selling and key account management are not the same skill set. A rep who is excellent at closing fresh deals can still leak value from your biggest accounts because the two approaches reward completely different behaviours.
| Dimension | Transactional selling | Key account management |
|---|---|---|
| Time horizon | Single deal | Multi-year relationship |
| Goal | Win the order | Retain, grow and defend the account |
| Buyer contact | One decision-maker | Multiple stakeholders, buying committee |
| Rep mindset | Pitch and close | Diagnose, advise, partner |
| Success metric | Revenue this quarter | Account value, retention, share of wallet |
| Pricing pressure | Discount to win | Justify value, protect margin |
The shift is from “What can I sell today?” to “How do I become the supplier this customer cannot afford to lose?” That requires planning, governance and consultative skill — the three things this course builds.
What your team learns
The programme is practical and worked through your real accounts wherever possible. Core modules include:
- Segmenting and prioritising accounts — identifying which customers are genuinely strategic versus merely large, and matching effort to value.
- Account planning — building a living account plan: stakeholder map, whitespace analysis, growth objectives, risks and a 12-month action plan.
- Stakeholder mapping and relationship building — moving beyond a single contact to map the buying committee, coaches, blockers and economic buyers.
- Consultative and solution selling — diagnosing the customer’s business problem first, then positioning your solution around outcomes rather than features or price.
- Growing account value — cross-sell, up-sell and share-of-wallet strategies that expand revenue without eroding margin.
- Negotiating and protecting margin — defending price by quantifying value, not defaulting to discounts.
- Account reviews and governance — running quarterly business reviews that keep the relationship visible and the plan on track.
Consultative selling at the core
Consultative selling is the engine of effective account management. Instead of leading with a product, the rep leads with questions — uncovering the customer’s pressures, priorities and unspoken needs, then co-designing a solution. We use structured questioning frameworks and role-play with your own scenarios so reps practise the approach before they use it on a client. The result is fewer price-led conversations and more partnerships built on outcomes.
Who should attend
This training is for buyers developing the people who carry your largest relationships:
- Key account managers and senior sales reps
- Sales teams transitioning from transactional to account-based selling
- Business development managers responsible for retention and growth
- Sales managers who need a common account-planning language across the team
Groups can be drawn from one department or mixed across regions — JHB, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria or fully remote.
How the training is delivered
BOTI runs this as a closed, in-house programme built around your business. Delivery options include on-site at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online for distributed teams. Content, examples and exercises are customised to your sector, your account list and your sales process, so reps leave with plans they can action the following Monday — not generic theory.
This is a practical, facilitator-led skills programme; delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance (this is not an accredited qualification). Skills development spend on the training may count towards the skills development element of your B-BBEE scorecard, subject to your verification. We work with HR, L&D and sales leadership to scope the right cohort and outcomes. Need accredited training? Ask about BOTI’s QCTO/SETA-accredited programmes in related areas such as New Venture Creation.
Where this fits in your sales development
Key account management is the natural next step once reps have solid sales fundamentals.
- Start with the foundations: our Sales Training for South African Teams pillar covers the full sales-skills path and is the best place to map your team’s development path.
- Build core selling skills first: Sales Skills Training for Reps develops prospecting, questioning and closing — the groundwork account managers rely on.
- Then specialise here: this key account management programme layers strategic account planning and consultative selling on top of those fundamentals.
Book key account management training
Tell us about your team and your accounts and we will recommend the right cohort, duration and format. Request a quote: call 011 882 8853, or request a quote online.
Not sure where your team’s gaps are? Ask BOTI to help you map current capability against the account-management behaviours that protect and grow revenue, so that you choose the right programme. See all BOTI sales, marketing and customer care courses.
Frequently asked questions
What is key account management training?
It is a structured programme that teaches reps to retain and grow strategic customers through account planning, stakeholder management and consultative selling, rather than chasing individual deals.
How is key account management different from normal sales training?
General sales training focuses on winning new deals. Key account management focuses on the long-term relationship: planning, governance, managing several stakeholders and growing existing accounts while protecting margin.
What is consultative selling?
Consultative selling means diagnosing the customer’s business problem before proposing a solution. The rep leads with questions and positions an outcome-based solution, which reduces price-led conversations.
Can the course be customised to our accounts?
Yes. BOTI builds the examples, exercises and account plans around your sector, your real account list and your sales process, on-site or live online.
Is the training accredited?
No. It is a practical, facilitator-led skills course, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Book BOTI’s Key Account Management Training (2 days) course. Training runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online. Call BOTI on 011 882 8853 or email [email protected], or request a quote. This course is not accredited. It is delivered as a professional skills programme, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.