Clearly, having the right products, value adding services and timing of when to offer these is very important to effective business customer management.

Often companies struggle with a clear role for marketing in supporting key account management. In fact, our experience and best practice work demonstrates a significant role for marketing, but one which is more hands-on and tailored to individual customers and segments than in other areas.

Macquarie Marketing Group assist companies marketing functions in the following areas:

• Major customer segmentation
• Customer value and risk analysis
• Identifying product and value adding service opportunities with key accounts
• Developing and implementing market and segment strategies
• Marketing effectiveness reviews
• Defining marketing's role in key account management
• Coaching of marketing staff in key account support
• Customer management systems analysis

Our experience is that these activities significantly enhance the effectiveness of product development for key accounts and create important bridges between the sales and marketing functions.