Account based marketing

Why key account growth should be about creating a win/win

Alisha Lyndon

March 19, 2024

Securing and retaining strategic accounts can be challenging, especially in complex industries like life sciences.

Why key account growth should be about creating a win/win

In this podcast, Jerid Lydic from Pfizer draws on his 25 years of experience to offer battle-tested strategies for winning a greater share of your most valuable customers.

Jerid Lydic

Americas Lead, Strategic Account Management Global Center of Excellence

Jerid is a seasoned global strategic leader with over 25 years of transformational and commercial experience. As the Americas Lead for Pfizer’s Strategic Account Management (SAM) Global Center of Excellence, he spearheads teams and initiatives aimed at establishing and enhancing SAM programs across countries.

At the heart of Jerid’s approach is cultivating high-performing teams and strengthening go-to-market strategies. All of which is centered around delivering exceptional customer-centricity. This ultimately supports relationship, reputation, and revenue goals across organizations.

Jerid’s expertise extends beyond Pfizer. He actively contributes to the Strategic Account Management Association (SAMA) Customer Advisory Board. He has also collaborated with the Association for Key Account Management (AKAM) for over six years, alongside Cranfield University on Key Account Management initiatives.

Listen here
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Looking at Key Account Management or Account-Based Marketing, both are longer term models. Neither of them is ‘let's set it up and see success in three months’. It's just not the way they're built. So, I think that long term benefit is a key facet to keep in mind and the idea of the win/win. Or what I might call, the win/win/win.
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It's really identifying the reality that there must be a benefit for the supplier. There must be a benefit for the key account. And then there must be a benefit for the patient, in this case, or their customer’s customer.
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It's easy to come into a key account and say, ‘hey, look, we're going to work differently with you now than we ever have before. We are now on account-centric organization. We are now customer focused. Here's how we're going to engage with you’. That's all wonderful. But I promise you, most key accounts will have heard that same song and dance from another company. And that company will have not delivered. So, you have to deliver upfront. Each time you do what you say you'll do, each time you demonstrate a success and partnership, moves you closer to the next opportunity.
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People leave companies, get promoted, move to different roles, take on another assignment… So, you may have that person behind the organizational development of Key Account Management now, but as soon as that person leaves, if you haven't built that support across that leadership level within your organization, then you're starting over.

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