Developing a strategic framework of key account performance

Abstract

Strategic management of key accounts has become an important component of many companies' sales efforts. This research introduces a strategic framework of key account performance that integrates theory from relationship marketing, key account management, and customer equity. Using the three drivers of customer equity – value equity, brand equity, and relationship equity – the framework captures both the relational outcomes (relationship commitment and trust) and financial performance outcomes (profitability and share of spend) of strategic decisions made in key account programs. Implications and future research are then discussed.

Keywords:

• key account performance
• commitment
• trust
• customer equity