Cross-selling in key accounts: Role of key account management approaches

This research examines how two dominant key account management (KAM) approaches—the one-face and one-voice approaches—affect cross-selling success. Drawing on a risk-based perspective of organizational behavior and using a multi-method design that combines a behavioral experiment and a survey, we argue that these approaches influence customers’ cross-buying intentions through perceptions of salesperson expertise and reliability. Results show that the one-voice approach enhances perceived salesperson expertise, whereas the one-face approach strengthens perceived salesperson reliability. Both perceptions positively influence suppliers’ cross-selling success, indicating that each KAM approach entails distinct advantages and disadvantages from the customer’s perspective. Survey findings further reveal a boundary condition: as sales cycle length increases, the positive effect of the one-voice approach on cross-selling success weakens. Overall, the study identifies key perceptual mechanisms shaping customer responses to KAM approaches and offers guidance for managers selecting appropriate structures for cross-selling contexts.