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The KAM Club Podcast - Real Talk for Key Account Managers

The KAM Club Podcast - Real Talk for Key Account Managers

Written by: Warwick Brown
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About this listen

 The KAM Club Podcast is real talk for real key account managers. Cut through the BS to grow client revenue, reduce churn and build your career. Warwick Brown delivers 25 years of hard-won key account management wisdom in 15-minute episodes tackling real challenges - difficult clients, internal politics, revenue pressure. No fluff, just practical strategies you can use immediately. 📧 Sign up to the free Account-Minded newsletter: https://accountminded.me 💬 Get in touch: hello@thekamclub.com 🎧 Show Notes https://podcast.thekamclub.comWarwick Brown Careers Economics Personal Success
Episodes
  • What to Do Right Now So January Doesn't Destroy You

    What to Do Right Now So January Doesn't Destroy You
    Dec 18 2025

    Let's be honest. Every December, we tell ourselves the same story: "I'll use the holidays to get ahead, and January will be different." Then January rolls around, and we're exactly where we started, only now with added pressure and regret.

    Sound familiar?

    Join us as we break this cycle with a smarter approach that requires just one or two days of focused work. No marathon sessions, no guilt-inducing to-do lists—just three strategic moves that'll set you up to start 2026 strong while actually enjoying your downtime.

    Because working smarter beats working harder every single time.

    Special Note: This episode includes "Christmas For One," an original song written by Warwick and brought to life with Suno AI. It's a heartfelt reminder that however you celebrate the holidays—crowded or quiet, with others or solo—what matters is carving out time for yourself.

    Highlights

    • (0:00) The December Trap: Why that "head start" you promise yourself never materializes—and how to break the cycle.
    • (2:34) 1. Know Your Renewal Risks: Spend 90 minutes identifying which accounts are actually at risk in Q1 and Q2—before January chaos hits.
    • (4:05) Risk Signals to Watch: Look beyond obvious contract renewals to spot early warning signs like quiet contacts, lower transactions, and weak relationships.
    • (5:10) 2. Map Your Relationships: Get real about who matters in your top accounts and how strong those connections actually are.
    • (6:24) Find the Weak Links: Identify the people you've been avoiding or neglecting—they're your priority outreach for the new year.
    • (6:45) 3. Professional Reflection: Take honest stock of what worked in 2025 and what didn't—not for your manager, but for you.
    • (8:34) Pick One Habit: Choose one simple, specific thing to do differently in 2026 (and actually stick with it).
    • (9:23) You're Done: Once you've completed these three things, you can coast guilt-free through the rest of the holidays.
    • (10:44) Christmas For One: A personal reflection on celebrating the holidays solo, plus an original song about finding peace in your own company.


    Your Game Plan to Own January

    • Block 90 minutes to review your accounts and identify renewal risks for Q1 and Q2
    • Pull up your CRM and look for risk signals beyond obvious contract expirations
    • Map key relationships in your top 5-10 accounts and identify weak links
    • List what worked about how you operated in 2025 and what didn't serve you
    • Choose one specific habit to start in 2026—keep it simple and actionable
    • Give yourself permission to coast once this strategic work is done


    Resources

    Suno AI Music App - Create your own AI-generated songs

    Join The KAM Club - Global community for key account managers


    Want more strategies like this?

    Join The KAM Club a global community for key account managers packed with training, templates, coaching, and expert playbooks to help you grow accounts with confidence.

    Did this episode resonate with you? Why not pay it forward and share it with your network on LinkedIn.You're not trying to start January as a different person. You want to start January with one clear thing you're going to do differently and that actually sticks.
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    16 mins
  • Your Main Contact Leaves. Now What—Does Your Account Leave Too?

    Your Main Contact Leaves. Now What—Does Your Account Leave Too?
    Nov 6 2025
    The stronger your relationship with one champion, the more vulnerable your account becomes. Intimacy creates dependency. Dependency creates risk. And most of us don't realize we're building a time bomb until it explodes. When your champion leaves—and they will—you'll either have a succession-proof account strategy or you'll be starting from zero with someone who's never heard of you. This episode is your insurance policy.Highlights(0:00) The Single Point of Failure: Why your strongest champion relationship is actually your biggest vulnerability.(3:03) Champions Plural, Not Champion: Map your stakeholder landscape systematically—decision makers, influencers, users, technical evaluators, budget holders, and future leaders.(4:44) Role Knowledge Over Personal Relationships: Build a role knowledge map for each critical function. People come and go. This knowledge transfers.(6:29) The Golden Opportunity Window: When your champion tells you they're leaving, they become your most valuable asset for introductions.(8:28) The Internal Successor Fast-Track: If an internal candidate is likely to take over, reach out immediately—don't wait for official announcement.(9:20) The Nightmare Scenario: New contact from outside with zero relationship history. Your immediate priority: relationship triage and reframing your value.(10:48) Reframe Your Value Prop: Don't reference the old relationship. Focus on what you can do for them and the problems you solve.(13:05) Institutional Relationships Over Personal Ones: Embed yourself into their business processes, not just personal relationships. Make removing you require changing how they work.(15:35) The Emotional Trap: Your attachment to the old champion can sabotage the new relationship. Keep it "friendly, not friends."(18:11) The Mindset Shift: Don't view champion succession as a threat—view it as an opportunity for account breakthroughs.Your Quick-Start Succession-Proof PlaybookImmediate Actions:Calculate Your Risk: For each key account, what % of access flows through 1-2 people? Over 50% = danger zone.Map Your Stakeholders: Identify decision makers, influencers, users, technical evaluators, budget holders, and future leaders. Don't just know people—know their roles and functions.Build Your Champion Network: Strategic (senior-level), operational (day-to-day), technical (product expertise), and future champions (rising stars).Embed Into Their Systems: Identify 3 business processes where you could become systematically embedded—not just a vendor, but part of how they work.Prepare Your Reframe: If your champion left tomorrow, what would you say to their replacement? Practice positioning your value around their problems, not your old relationship.When You Get Advanced Notice:Activate your departing champion as your asset (they've got nothing to lose)Request warm introductions to their successorDocument everything they know that isn't written downWhen It's a Surprise:Relationship triage: Who else in the org knows you?Reframe your value prop immediatelyFocus on what you can do for the new contact, not what you did for the old oneResourcesBook: The Relationship Roadmap by Peter BeaumontA practical guide for strategically building and maintaining business contacts.Show Notes & Transcript: podcast.thekamclub.comJoin the KAM Succession-Proof Crew🔥 Want the full stakeholder mapping framework, transition scripts, and war-gaming templates? Join The KAM Club—your global community with live coaching, playbooks, and the complete succession-proof toolkit.📋 Stuck navigating a leadership transition right now? Attend Open Office Hours (Tues/Wed) for 1:1 troubleshooting with Warwick on your specific succession challenges.The stronger your relationship with one champion, the more vulnerable your account becomes. Intimacy creates dependency, and dependency creates risk.
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    21 mins
  • Not Your Mess, But Your Problem: The Account Handover Rescue Mission

    Not Your Mess, But Your Problem: The Account Handover Rescue Mission
    Sep 11 2025

    Inheriting a chaotic account feels like being handed a sinking ship—you didn’t cause the leaks, but everyone expects YOU to bail it out. This isn’t about fixing someone else’s mistakes; it’s about launching a strategic rescue mission to transform disaster zones into loyal, high-growth partnerships.

    Join us as we deploy a field-tested playbook to triage relationships, uncover hidden landmines, and turn “inherited nightmares” into career-defining wins. No blame, no burnout—just actionable tactics to reclaim control.


    Highlights

    (Key insights with timestamps)

    • (0:00) Negative Credibility Launchpad: Why inheriting a mess means starting below zero—and how low expectations are your secret advantage.
    • (1:47) The No-Blame Reset: Why trashing predecessors backfires (and how to say "That’s on us" without owning their mistakes).
    • (5:25) Detective Mode Activated: Cut through emotional fog by separating facts from frustrations—plus a 2-column template to uncover reality.
    • (8:24) Micro-Wins Strategy: Rebuild trust with 3 stupidly small promises kept perfectly in week one (no heroics needed).
    • (11:58) The 90-Day Rescue Blueprint: Stabilize, improve, and grow—exactly how to phase your comeback and make clients co-authors of the fix.
    • (15:24) Teamwork Trap: Why "I’ll handle it" sets you up to fail (and how to mobilize allies without overpromising).
    • (17:47) Disaster-to-Legacy Play: Document your turnaround to dodge repeat fires—and turn crisis credentials into career gold.


    Your Handover Rescue Roadmap

    Cleanup Playbook

    • Week 1: Make + keep 3 tiny commitments (e.g., "I’ll call at 10 AM Tuesday").
    • Detective Work: Map what actually happened vs. perceptions using a simple 2-column template.
    • Recovery Plan: Identify 3 critical issues to fix first—get client sign-off before acting.
    • Exit Strategy: At 90 days, formally close the "hyper-care" phase with client agreement.
    • Document Ruthlessly: Turn lessons into a blueprint for future handovers or promotions.


    Resources

    • Video: How to Deal with Another Key Account Manager's Mess at Work
    • Show Notes: KAM Podcast AI Chatbot (Ask Qs + get transcript via ChatGPT-5)


    Join the KAM Comeback Crew!

    🔥 Want the full handover checklist? Join The KAM Club—your global community with live coaching, templates, and playbooks to turn account nightmares into legacy wins.
    🎧 Stuck in a handoff horror story? Attend Open Office Hours (Tues/Wed) for 1:1 troubleshooting with Warwick!


    Because the best account managers aren’t born—they’re forged in fire.

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    20 mins
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