Competency in managing strategic account relationships yields customers who are satisfied and see value, and, in turn, such customers reward their high-competency suppliers with their business. The evidence from our research is that there is a strong and actionable relationship between particular competencies important to business-to-business customers and the growth that is realized from these accounts – one part of the Relationship Advantage that is available to business-to-business suppliers. Companies that invest some of the payoffs from growth in actions to build even stronger competencies, by nurturing their relationship management competencies and enhancing their Relationship Advantage, can start a virtuous cycle through which the growth potential of their business-to-business relationships is realized year after year. In addition, these companies can incorporate these capabilities into their response to competition that attempts to win business strictly on the basis of price.

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Best-in-Class Behaviors in Business-to-Business Relationships