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Sales and business development teams
should establish mechanisms for capturing,
sharing and learning from positive and negative
experiences. Deficiencies should be
addressed. For example, arrangements with
potential non-national partners to support the
winning of international accounts could be
negotiated.
Each KAM should be responsible for prioritizing
new business opportunities and
prospects, allocating and managing available
business development resources, and achieving
account and sector business development
and profitability targets. The assignment of
accounts to KAMs offers the customer a point
of contact with someone who ought to have a
holistic insight into the totality of their
requirements.
Partnering
The growth of partnering, the spread of
e-commerce, and the desire for strategic
alliances are important issues for both business
development teams (Hurcomb, 1998)
and the purchasing community (FitzGerald,
2000). There is therefore considerable scope
for the sales and purchasing communities to
work together for mutual benefit. However,
winners and losers are adopting very different
approaches to this opportunity.
Losers are cautious and wary. They seek
refuge in small print and are reluctant to
open up. They avoid risks by not straying
beyond what they know. Companies that
adopt legalistic and protective approaches are
likely to end up as low-margin commodity
suppliers. Playing ‘win–lose’ games will
ensure that they lose.
Winners are likely to earn higher returns.
They are more flexible and innovative. They
are more willing to accept challenges and
embrace new ways of working and learning.
Winners adopt a partnership approach. They
are prepared to share visions and risks. They
strive for ‘win–win’ outcomes by agreeing to
mutually beneficial objectives, and they consciously
endeavour to remain relevant and
add value.
Winners are restless and eager to innovate
and try out new approaches. They are prepared
to commit to continued and measured
improvements in whatever they supply or
provide. Savings achieved are shared between
the parties concerned.
Winners are also prepared to practise ‘open
book’ accounting and to share information
and knowledge relating to the achievement of
common objectives. They recognize that differences
can and do arise. However, within
the partnering relationships they foster there
are simple and quick processes for handling
disputes at the lowest possible levels.
The international dimension
The horizons of ambitious managers today
embrace the globe. Deregulation, privatization
and market forces have eroded trade barriers.
The end of the cold war has created new
opportunities.
Work can follow daylight around the world
allowing twenty-four hour a day operation.
Resources can be accessed and activity undertaken
locally, regionally or at global level
depending upon requirements and comparative
costs. Even sole traders use websites and
email to make direct contact with foreign customers.
However, operating in the international
business environment also presents new
challenges. There are commercial, legal and
© 2004 Sandra Oliver for editorial matter and selection;
individual chapters, the contributors