How do you motivate your key account team during a crisis?

As a key account manager, it is imperative to maintain clear and regular communication with your team. Especially during times of crisis, the spectres of uncertainty and anxiety can detrimentally influence their performance and morale. It is your responsibility to furnish them with precise and timely updates, alongside guidance and direction. Equally important is the act of listening to their concerns, feedback, and suggestions, whilst recognising their efforts and accomplishments. Effective communication transcends the mere exchange of facts; it encompasses demonstrating empathy and appreciation.

Sometimes this involves thinking outside the box. The idea that "this is the way we've always done things" will not work. It's best to ask members of you team for their ideas on moving forward. Access the relevant ideas and form a new narrative with the best of these ideas. Thank each member of the team for their input to finding a solution to move forward. Everyone will feel more a part of the team and work together to achieve the goal beyond the crisis.

Communication is two-way. Learn how to actively listen - especially giving chance to the quiet ones in the room. Oftentimes they are deep thinkers and have something profound to contribute, but cannot get a word in sideways. Too often I have sat through six-hour monologues delivered by people who believe they have all the answers because of rank. They delude themselves into believing that they are having a "team" meeting, whereas it's really a one-way instructional. If that's how it's going to be, don't pretend and waste everyone's time and further undermine your respect for you.

This is the time for realistic goals and data. "Last $ year plus X" is not professional budgeting or forecasting. A thorough 360° view the account base and building a budget / forecast based on units (not dollars) is key. Dollars are the product of unit sales x price (+/- any price adjustments), augmented by seasonality and economic outlook (general and sector-specific). Spending time and effort on this drives everything else - support costs, manufacturing load, procurement, support staffing, marketing, you name it... Careful with CRM too. A good sales manager is more engaged with their team and knows what is going on, rather than looking at an over-primed online dashboard. Sales is a human relationship profession, not form-filling.

I believe its important to galvanise your key account team amidst a crisis, it's crucial to adapt their goals and expectations to the evolving circumstances. This may necessitate redefining your key account plans, objectives, and strategies, ensuring that these alterations are clearly communicated to your team. Setting achievable and quantifiable targets, along with regular monitoring and assessment of their progress, is essential. Additionally, it's important to recalibrated your team's incentives and rewards to reflect these new goals and expectations, whilst duly acknowledging their contributions and achievements.

Antes que nada , debes de conocer bien a tu equipo. En momentos de crisis es cuando hay que sacar ese taleno y dejarlo fluir. Dar a cada mienbro del equipo aquello que le haga ser mejor, no cortarles en la creatividad, y tu como arbitro, admitir cualquier opinion. En esos momento es cuando se debe dejar fluir ideas, y hacer queel trabajo fluya

A key account team transcends merely being a collection of individuals; it embodies a unified entity striving towards a shared objective. Motivating your team can be achieved by cultivating a culture of collaboration and trust. This involves establishing a positive and nurturing work atmosphere where team members are encouraged to communicate freely, share insights, and support one another. I would also encourage everyone to embrace the the four C's of creating trust within the team - commitment, caring, consistency, and competence.

Forced "good times" can really backfire. "You will have fun, or the beatings will continue until morale improves." Take time to see what people actually do like. Some may like golf. But not everyone does! Some would rather not spend yet another weekend away from home missing other halves, their kids, family events, gardening, or whatever. There are some great online remote collaborative and competitive options. I connect with friends every couple of months doing online poker (for virtual chips, not real cash). We start and end with a chat session on a different platform. It's a great way to reconnect, catch-up, share concerns, have some fun. Six people in three countries come together and align. And it does not take all day or all weekend.

Be genuine. Be truly supportive. Think, "how can I help?", not just boss about. And remember, we are only on this planet for a relatively short time. We spend much of it at work. It should be enjoyable, but most employees would rather be doing something - anything - else. There's always a reason for that.

In my experience if you are more than a boss in the good times, you will be able to command a team in the hard times. If you deeply care for the person behind the position they will ride with you when things get tough because they know you deeply care.