As 2019 is closing, it's time to reflect on your successes and failures of the year so you can begin your plan for 2020. Before you get stuck in the hustle and bustle of a new Q1, get your plan for the year in place. What will you do, how will you grow, and what is your plan?
To help you prepare, you should be paying attention to what's likely to change for Strategic Account Managers (SAMs) in 2020. We saw many trends over 2019 that demonstrated a shifting in the industry. In 2020, we can also expect a further shifting. Take a moment to learn about the trends we can already see developing in strategic account management fields, and what we anticipate will happen across B2B industries over the next year.
Whether you manage accounts for a SaaS company, a marketing agency, or a startup raising capital, these account management principles apply universally. At Growth Turbine, we apply these same strategic relationship-building principles when helping clients navigate equity crowdfunding campaigns and performance marketing engagements.
Looking Ahead
No one can predict the future accurately 100% of the time. But, that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to look ahead and see what to expect. With years of experience working alongside SAMs everywhere, Growth Turbine tries hard to stay on top of new, developing, and continuing trends in the account management industry. Here's what we expect to see more of in 2020.
2020 SAM Trends
1. Increasingly Concentrated Revenue
In 2020, revenues from existing clients could make up an even larger part of your total revenues as a company. We learned in 2019 that existing customers create around 68% of a company's revenues, but this percentage is on track to increase in 2020. The concentration of revenue from existing clients versus new clients is likely to become further imbalanced, making the job of the SAM even more important.
The revenue concentration trend can also be seen working alongside the Pareto principle (AKA the 80/20 rule). It still remains true that close to 80% of your revenues come from 20% of your customers. However, it could become even more concentrated than 80/20 in the near future, as new customers become scarce and spend less, and existing customers continue growing through you.
This principle is equally powerful in investor relations. Companies running equity crowdfunding campaigns often find that their most engaged investors become repeat participants in future rounds. Building strong relationships with your early investors creates a foundation for long-term capital raising success, much like how SAMs nurture their top accounts.
Pro Tip: The 68% revenue concentration from existing clients reinforces a critical business truth: retention is more valuable than acquisition. This applies to customer management, investor relations, and marketing alike. Companies that invest in nurturing existing relationships see compounding returns. For startups, this means your early backers from a Kickstarter campaign or first equity crowdfunding round can become your most valuable long-term assets.
2. Relationships Remain Key
Coming into 2019, relationships with strategic customers have never been more important. As B2B marketplaces and new industries get more crowded, standing out means going above and beyond what your competitors are doing. You can only accomplish this by understanding your customers and acting in a way that will provide them the most value for their commitment.
Knowing your customers and considering them for the long-term will make a difference. Having a strong relationship with your strategic accounts is going to pay off even more in 2020 than it did in 2019 and before.
Transactional thinking may get you the sale in the short-run, but it won't bring you the long-term benefits you need to reach your goals year after year. Avoid getting sloppy. Keep up strong relationships with your customers that will stand the test of time. This isn't something new, but it's a trend that's gaining momentum and doesn't show signs of slowing down any time soon.
3. Growing Importance of Post-Sales Service
With an increasingly competitive marketplace also comes the need to increase your standards for acceptable business practices. You can't get away with forgetting commitments, neglecting after-sale service, or providing only the bare minimum.
Place a strong emphasis on the fact that you will fulfill your post-sales commitments. You won't leave your customers hanging when they need support or further service. There are an abundance of companies who pay more attention to pre-sales service in order to make the sale. Fewer concentrate on taking the best care of existing customers once a sale has been made. Excellent after-sales service will help you retain more customers and will set you apart from competitors.
If you don't follow through with what you're promised or agreed on, if you're lazy about maintaining your customers, or if you refuse to do more than what was explicitly stated, you may lose business. When you don't fulfill your contracts satisfactorily, your strategic customers may look for someone who will.
This post-sales mindset is exactly what separates successful crowdfunding campaigns from failed ones. Creators who keep updating their backers, respond to queries promptly, and deliver on time build the trust needed for future campaigns and equity crowdfunding raises.
Pro Tip: Post-sales service is where long-term business value is created. In crowdfunding, this translates directly to backer communication: update your backers every three weeks, respond to all genuine queries, never delay delivery without explanation, and thank every backer individually. Creators who excel at post-campaign communication see their backers become investors in future equity rounds and vocal brand advocates.
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Growth Turbine applies the same strategic account management principles to every client engagement. We build long-term partnerships focused on measurable results, whether you need performance marketing, investor acquisition, or brand strategy.
Schedule a Free Consultation4. Strategy + Big Data
Big data and analytics have been a growing trend in strategic account management over the last few years. In 2020, all that data you've collected has to serve a purpose, or it will be going to waste. Data collection and analytics are still vastly important, but this year you need to work on acting strategically based on the data you've collected.
Action is more important than all the data you could ever collect. It doesn't matter what you know if you don't act on it. Your dashboard could be giving you the best and most up to date information available, but you also need to learn how to respond proactively to what you're learning and to stay ahead of the data.
Create a strategy for managing and responding to your collected data. The information you're collecting only matters if you know how to use it to make great decisions. In 2020, your data-based decision making will play a key part in your success as a SAM. Everyone is collecting data from customers, but not everyone is using it effectively to make great decisions.
This data-driven approach is central to modern performance marketing. Tools like Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, and Facebook Business Manager give you the data, but the real competitive advantage comes from how you act on that data to optimize campaigns, improve targeting, and increase ROI.
Pro Tip: Data without action is just noise. The most successful SAMs and marketers share a common trait: they make decisions quickly based on data, test those decisions, and iterate. In performance marketing for equity crowdfunding campaigns, this means tracking traffic sources, conversion rates, and cost-per-investor in real time, then reallocating budget to the channels that deliver the highest-quality investors.
5. Co-Creating Value
Your largest customers have invested a lot into you. They are looking for the best possible results from using your products or services. As the SAM, your job in 2020 will be to learn how you can create win/win situations for your strategic customers. Find solutions that provide high value to both parties.
It's important to remember that your company has to be included in the solution as well. Retaining customers won't help your bottom line if you have to stray from your own goals in order to accommodate them. The best solutions benefit both sides. Mutual success is the name of the game for SAMs. If you can't provide value for your top customers and your own company in 2020, you could find yourself falling behind.
Look for these and other SAM trends in 2020. Stay sharp and make sure you're being proactive about the changes that may come in the future, rather than reacting to them slowly as they come.
The concept of co-creating value is fundamental to how equity crowdfunding works. Investors become stakeholders who want the company to succeed because their return depends on it. They purchase products, refer friends, and share the company's story. This is the ultimate win/win: the company gets capital and brand ambassadors, while investors get equity in a company they believe in.
SAM Trends Summary
| Trend | Key Insight |
|---|---|
| 1. Revenue Concentration | Existing clients create 68% of revenue; 80/20 rule becoming even more concentrated |
| 2. Relationships | Long-term relationship building beats transactional thinking; go above and beyond |
| 3. Post-Sales Service | Fulfill commitments; excellent after-sales service retains customers and beats competitors |
| 4. Strategy + Big Data | Action matters more than data collection; make data-driven decisions proactively |
| 5. Co-Creating Value | Find win/win solutions; mutual success benefits both SAM and strategic customers |
Pro Tip: These five SAM trends aren't just relevant for traditional B2B account management. They apply to any business relationship where long-term value creation matters. Whether you are managing investor relations for an equity crowdfunding campaign, building partnerships with marketing agencies, or nurturing a customer base for your eCommerce store, the principles of revenue concentration, relationship building, post-sales excellence, data-driven strategy, and co-created value will set you apart.
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Get Started TodayFrequently Asked Questions
What percentage of revenue comes from existing clients?
In 2019, existing customers created around 68% of a company's revenues, and this percentage was on track to increase further. Combined with the Pareto principle (80/20 rule), where 80% of revenues come from 20% of customers, this underscores the critical importance of strategic account management and customer retention over pure acquisition.
What is the Pareto principle in account management?
The Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, states that approximately 80% of your revenues come from 20% of your customers. In strategic account management, this means identifying and prioritizing your most valuable accounts, investing disproportionately in those relationships, and ensuring they receive the highest level of service and attention.
Why are relationships important in B2B account management?
As B2B marketplaces get more crowded, standing out means going above and beyond what competitors offer. Strong relationships with strategic accounts pay off through long-term retention, increased spending, and referrals. Transactional thinking may win short-term sales, but long-term relationship building creates sustainable revenue growth.
How important is post-sales service for account retention?
Post-sales service is increasingly critical for competitive differentiation. Many companies focus heavily on pre-sales to close deals, but fewer invest in taking care of existing customers after the sale. Excellent after-sales service retains customers, sets you apart from competitors, and prevents strategic accounts from looking elsewhere when commitments aren't fulfilled.
How should SAMs use big data and analytics?
Data collection alone is not enough. SAMs need to act strategically based on collected data, making proactive decisions rather than just monitoring dashboards. Create a strategy for managing and responding to data insights. Everyone collects data, but the competitive advantage comes from using it effectively to make great decisions about account priorities, resource allocation, and growth opportunities.
What does co-creating value mean in account management?
Co-creating value means finding solutions that provide high value to both your strategic customers and your own company. Mutual success is the goal. Retaining customers won't help your bottom line if you have to abandon your own goals to accommodate them. The best solutions create win/win outcomes where both parties benefit from the partnership.
What is a Strategic Account Manager (SAM)?
A Strategic Account Manager (SAM) is responsible for managing a company's most important client relationships. SAMs focus on the top 20% of accounts that typically generate 80% of revenue. Their role involves understanding client needs, building long-term relationships, identifying growth opportunities, and ensuring post-sales commitments are fulfilled.
How do account management principles apply to startups?
Startups can apply SAM principles to investor relations, customer management, and partner relationships. The core principles of revenue concentration, relationship building, post-sales excellence, data-driven strategy, and co-created value are equally important when managing backers in a crowdfunding campaign or investors in an equity crowdfunding raise.
How can I improve customer retention rates?
Focus on three key areas: (1) Relationship building through regular communication and understanding client needs beyond the transaction, (2) Post-sales service excellence by fulfilling commitments and providing ongoing support, and (3) Data-driven account strategy by tracking account health metrics and acting proactively on early warning signs.
What trends should account managers watch for?
Key trends include increasing revenue concentration from existing clients (68%+ and growing), the growing importance of relationship-based selling over transactional approaches, higher expectations for post-sales service, the need to translate big data into strategic action, and the shift toward co-creating value with strategic accounts rather than simply selling to them.
