Key Account Management is a systematic approach to managing and growing a named set

of an organisation’s most important customers to maximise mutual value and achieve

mutually beneficial goals (Group, 2016).

Company BackgroundNot So Dumb Blonde (NSDB) is a beauty, health and lifestyle blog set up in August 2015 by

engineering graduate Barbara O’Mahony, in just over 12 months on the market, NSDB has

gained a loyal following of almost 4000 supporters across social media platforms such as

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The company is an online resource for both women and men with an interest in all things

cosmetic and beauty related. Its vast following of users make up a supportive forum of

likeminded individuals as the blog aims to treat every follower like a close friend amidst the

tagline empowering everyone that “Beauty’s got Brains”.

Organisational MaturityNot so Dumb Blonde is in its early stages of business maturity, as it is only officially on the

market for thirteen months, the business itself could be considered a start-up company as it

was an entrepreneurial venture which newly emerged on the market in 2015 and met the

market place by developing a blog and offering a makeup service in the form of a premier

online resource for women and men with an interest in lifestyle and cosmetics.

Company Sales StrategyThe main sales strategy of the company is growth, while it is new on the market and

growing fast, there is intense competitive rivalry with regards to the blogging world. While

customer and follower retention is important to maintain a popular, growing blog, the

current lifecycle of a blog is fleeting in a fast paced industry.

Unfortunately, good content only does so much, the more popular and successful the blog

looks, the more followers and endorsers gravitate towards it. Since the blogger explosion

circa 2004 there is immense competition for blogs to expand as their brand, making

company growth the only feasible option for NSDB.

Key Account Criteria Analysing and identifying the key accounts for NSDB is vital in terms of realising areas for

potential growth as well as outlining mutually beneficial relationships which are contribute

to the expansion of Not So Dumb Blonde. Due to growth being main aim for the company

the key accounts should reflect and link to a strategy surrounding this.

In terms of identifying key accounts, as key account manager it is essential in selecting the

accounts vital to the company. Selecting the wrong key accounts could cost money and

there could be many opportunities lost.

There are three critical steps in selecting Key Accounts (NUMBER, 2011):

1. Conduct a Portfolio Analysis.

2. Tie your company’s overall strategy to the selection analysis.

3. Start with 2-3 accounts and then expand on them.

Portfolio analysis is based on outlining the company’s existing customers and the actual

volume of revenue based on the actual cost in supporting these clients. Portfolio analysis

ties into the companies 3-5 year plan in terms of determining the type of buyer the key

account appears to be, just because they are a desirable key account does not mean they

should be one. The company’s key account have to tie into the company’s overall strategy,

NSDB’s overall strategy is growth therefore the key accounts have to be essential to this.

Based on company strategy key account selection for NSDB can be limited to the following

criteria;

Revenue potential

Product fit

Growth potential

Existing relationships

Possible channel management partners

Key Accounts are usually the top 20% of customers, these are the customers with the

potential to generate the greatest ROI1. NSDB’s key account could match the company’s

greatest competitors, therefore it is crucial to establish which accounts are key for growth

and retention through valuable mutually beneficial relationships. 1 ROI-Return on Investment

Based on the organisational sales strategy of growth, Not So Dumb Blonde’s key accounts

are as followers2:

Interactive Users and Followers

Advertisers and Business Development

External Endorsers

Pareto Analysis of the Key Accounts3

Pareto Analysis can be used as a tool to aid the formulation of individual business decisions.

The Pareto Analysis is also known as the 80/20 rule.

This is a direct reference to how all problems that may exist within a business do not carry

the same weight, with relation to urgency. Thus rendering the need to prioritise the solving

of problems before they fester any further within the business. Analysing the problems and

suggesting changes can be vitally important in establishing overall improvements for the

company and directly its end users.

Following the Pareto Analysis it is evident that the key account section for the interactive

users & followers is at the heart of NSDBs opportunity for growth and the company’s sales

strategy is to surround the increase of this segment. I am the key account manager

managing this particular account.

Key Account- Interactive Users & FollowersInteractive users and followers are those that follow and support the blog, as an online

resource, NSDB relies on site traffic to monitor the success of the company. Clicks are

currency and views are vital, without building a substantial following for the blog, there

would be no point in attempting to focus on the other key accounts and company

relationship as advertisers and endorsers would have little interest in a blog without a loyal

following of interactive fans and a poor website reach.

As key account manager for this account strategies have to be implemented to improve this

account in relation to the overall company desire for growth.

2 Key Account Breakdown in Appendix 1.13 Pareto Analysis conducted displayed in Appendix 1.2

Customer Segmentation & Territory Management4

Within the role of key account management, it is paramount to the expansion of NSDB to

segment and categorise the existing customers within the key account.

The majority of followers on the blog are from Dublin (416) and Cork (559) with 98% of the

audience being female and 2% being male, the exact customer segment is broken down

below;

20% are 18-24 females, these are the users who would follow the makeup tips,

watch makeup tutorials.

44% are 25-34 females, these are the users who follow the blog but also book

makeovers through the page.

23% are 35-54 females, who follow the blog, who are interested in gift ideas, bargain

makeup, tutorials and makeup lessons.

13% are others ranging from 13 years to 65 years +

Relating to the overall company strategy it is the role of the key account manager to resolve

which customer segment should be targeted in terms of the blog and its content creation,

and which customer segment should be deterred. This is a dilemma for NSDB whether to

keep all followers of ages or just the age demographic and audience desired. Because the

audience demographic will alter annually based on age, it is a challenge as key account

manager as to which customers to save, nurture and grow and the ones to let go.

This is what differentiates key account managers from salespeople, sales people would wish

to keep all customers for the sake of revenue streams at the expense of the blogs core

values, key account managers are tasked with deciding the most important customers

beneficial to the company’s overall sales strategy.

Sales MethodologyNSDB mainly operates online, therefore its primary method for sales is through inbound

selling. Inbound Sales is the process of focusing on individual buyers and their personal

needs, points of pain, frustrations and goals. As an Inbound salesperson, it is essential that

you prioritize the buyer's needs before your own (Marketing, 2016).

4 Customer Segmentation & Territory Management is outlined in Appendix 1.3 from Facebook Page Manager Insights.

For NSDB the customers have been segmented above, therefore the salespeople should

know the customer and be ready to provide them with the tools and information they need

in order to make a purchase of a product or service in a proactive manner (Marketing,

2016). Inbound selling is the constant stream of promotion through the use of blogs,

podcasts, eBooks etc.

Solution orientated selling can also occur as it is linked to inbound selling, this is due to the

relationship built between the company and its prospective client based on the information

gained from the buyer persona research. This gives the company the insight and ability to

produce a service or content directly desired or needed by the blog’s customer.

Effective Measures for the organisations sales strategies5

Based on the customer segmentation it is clear that the females ages 18-24 are the age

group most viable for the promotion and growth of the brand6. This demographic has the

most potential to support and help brand expansion from all platforms. As a group they can

grow with the company with greater amounts of staying power being from young, fresher

demographic.

Successfully sparking and maintaining their interest can be done using various online tools

and services;

Social Media Platforms

Blog Engagement

Makeup Lessons

Video Tutorials7.

In terms of social media, content can be created entirely based on the age demographic,

and the implementation of scheduling software and page monitoring software, such as

News-Weaver, is essential in terms of reach and content research. The use of the scheduling

software like Hootsuite can cover all social media platforms providing consistency to all

5 The breakdown of these sales strategy measures are outlined in Appendix 1.46 As a customer demographic they are the most tech savvy, social media orientated group.7 74% of all internet traffic in 2017 will be video (SYNDACAST, 2014).

range of followers. The introduction of sponsored social media posts can intermittently

boost reach and attract audience attention.

NSDB’s blog is the grounding for the brand, following is essential for this and the written

content should reflect the audience desired for the company, the growth of the blog is

directly linked to the success of the company. Graphic designers and web developers are

essential in this, memorable logos and website layouts are what make the overall customer

and follower experience stress-free. The existence of broken links and messy content deters

followers and loses appeal for the blog.

The introduction of SEO’s8, can boost traffic and activity on the blog, if the blog is easier to

find the more people will view it. Google Ads is a feature that can act as a revenue stream

for the growing blog, by advertising as part of the WordPress site, it can be monetized based

on sales from google directed from the link on NSDB’s blog page.

Based on the customer demographic, the proper organisation and coordination of

makeovers and makeup lessons provided by the company would bring considerable success

to the blog. The implementation of an online stress-free booking feature would greatly

increase appointments and page traffic due to the ease of access to the service. Phorest

booking software could be an option as well as a suitable appointment system.

Communication with the marketing department is crucial in terms of advertising the service.

Photography and photo editing software is essential in improving the overall aesthetic of the

makeup services and its subsequent service promotion.

Video Tutorials are key in terms of blog interaction, this can be done using Snapchat,

YouTube and Facebook live. Views are vital in YouTube and a fast growing fan basis is

greatly supported by them. Facebook monitors page popularity based on reach and video

views while Snapchat counts both snap views and screenshots. The introduction of video

amalgamates followers into the bloggers day to day lifestyle which can grow popularity and

overall company growth. Lighting, content and video editing software is paramount to the

successful interpretation of these so as to provide a professional, fresh environment that

people would return to time and again.

8 Search Optimisation Tools

Porter’s 5 Forces9

With reference to Porter’s five forces, NSDB has a strong sense of the relevant industry it is

in with national audience reach across Ireland. The customers/buyers have been

categorised accordingly so that content be created specifically to meet their needs.

However, competition is rife in the blogging world as every second person now has the

ability to create their own page. This is where niche marketing is important as it can create

barriers to the market place by finding a gap in the market with less competition resulting in

a larger following.

Competition in the market increases the bargaining power of both suppliers and the buyer’s

there is such a wide range of blogs that a buyer can pick and choose who or what they want

to follow based on content. Suppliers can do the same, supplying the more successful blogs

with products for content and advertising and neglecting smaller up and coming bloggers.

This again is where sales methodology and the buyer personas will tie in, having exact

knowledge of supporting buyers and suppliers of the company will create a better

relationship which would also add to a barrier in the market.

ConclusionFrom the analysis of Not So Dumb Blonde accounts, is it evident that the growth of the

interactive users & followers account segments are imperative to the continuing growth and

successes of Not So Dumb Blonde, organisational strategies and social media research is

fundamental in terms of nurturing NSDB’s relationships with their followers. The foundation

is present but relationships need to be formed and information is to be gathered to form an

attractive blogging niche with a rich following.

ReferencesGroup, R., 2016. What is Key Account Management. [Online] Available at: http://www.rainsalestraining.com/blog/what-is-key-account-management[Accessed October 2016].

Group, R., 2016. What is Key Account Management. [Online] Available at: http://www.rainsalestraining.com/blog/what-is-key-account-management[Accessed October 2016].

9 Understanding of Porter’s Five Forces in outlined in Appendix 1.4

Marketing, N. B., 2016. What is Inbound Sales. [Online] Available at: https://www.newbreedmarketing.com/blog/what-is-inbound-sales[Accessed October 2016].

NUMBER, S.-. M. Y., 2011. Key Account Management- Selection Criteria; Why it is important. [Online] Available at: https://salesbenchmarkindex.com/insights/key-account-management-selection-criteria-why-it-is-important/[Accessed October 2016].

Sales, N. B. U. M. a., 2016. New Breed Blog. [Online] Available at: https://www.newbreedmarketing.com/blog/what-is-inbound-sales[Accessed October 2016].

SYNDACAST, 2014. Video Marketing Statistics & Trends 2015. [Online] Available at: http://syndacast.com/video-marketing-statistics-trends-2015/[Accessed October 2016].

Tools, M., 2016. Pareto Analysis. [Online] Available at: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_01.htm[Accessed October 2016].

Website, C., 2013. David Braun Looking to the Future. [Online] Available at: http://successfulacquisitions.net/looking-to-the-future/[Accessed October 2016].

Appendix1.1 Not So Dumb Blonde- Key Accounts Breakdown

Figure 1 Segmented Blog Key Accounts

1.2 Pareto Analysis of Key Accounts

# Problem Cause Score

1 Lack of Traffic on the blog Depletion of followers & interactive users 30

2

Inconsistency throughout social

media platforms

interactive users not interacting with all available

platforms for the blogs 22

3

Lack of products for content

creation lack of external business endorsers 18

4

Not showing up on search

engines lack of advertisers and marketing 20

5 Lack of interaction on the blog lack of advertiser and marketing 12

6 Networking events lacking lack of external endorsers 10

7

Lack of instore makeover days

and blogger events lack of endorsers 10

8

Lack of face to face

communication lack of endorsers 6

9

Lack of appointment made for

makeovers

lack of followers of followers and interactive

users 10

Figure 2 Breakdown of Problems & Causes for Pareto Analysis for NSDB

Column1 Column2

Interactive Users and follower 60

Advertising & Marketing 32

External Endorsers 44

Figure 3 Key Accounts from Pareto Analysis

Interactive Users and fol-lower

Advertising & Marketing External Endorsers0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Pareto Analysis of Key Accounts

Figure 4 Graphic Display Pareto Analysis

1.4 Measures of Sales Organisational Effectiveness

Figure 5 Sales Organisational Effectiveness Mind Map & Breakdown

1.5 Porter’s Five Forces

Figure 6 Porter's Five Forces (Website, 2013).