Effective Work Sample Exercises for Hiring Top Key Account Managers

Key Account Managers serve as the critical bridge between your organization and your most valuable clients. They don't just maintain relationships—they strategically nurture and expand them to drive mutual growth. Finding the right person for this pivotal role requires more than reviewing resumes and conducting standard interviews; it demands seeing candidates in action through carefully designed work samples.

The best Key Account Managers blend strategic thinking with exceptional relationship skills, analytical prowess with persuasive communication, and proactive problem-solving with adaptability. Traditional interviews often fail to reveal these complex competencies in action. Work samples, on the other hand, provide a window into how candidates actually approach the real challenges they'll face in the role.

By implementing the work samples outlined below, you'll gain invaluable insights into each candidate's ability to develop strategic account plans, navigate challenging client scenarios, identify growth opportunities, and collaborate effectively with internal teams. These exercises simulate the day-to-day responsibilities and challenges of a Key Account Manager, allowing you to assess candidates based on demonstrated skills rather than self-reported abilities.

Moreover, these work samples create a two-way street—candidates gain a clearer understanding of the role's expectations and challenges, helping them determine if the position aligns with their skills and career aspirations. This mutual assessment leads to better hiring decisions and improved retention rates.

The following four exercises are designed to evaluate the essential competencies of successful Key Account Managers: strategic thinking, relationship building, problem-solving, and communication. Each exercise includes detailed instructions for both your company and the candidates, ensuring a consistent and fair evaluation process.

Activity #1: Strategic Account Planning Exercise

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to analyze client data, identify growth opportunities, and develop a strategic account plan—core responsibilities for any Key Account Manager. It reveals their strategic thinking, analytical skills, and ability to align client needs with your company's offerings.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a fictional but realistic key account profile including: company background, current product/service usage, historical spending patterns, industry challenges, and growth potential.
• Provide 1-2 pages of account information, including relevant metrics and potential areas for expansion.
• Include information about your company's products/services that could address the client's needs.
• Allow candidates 24-48 hours to review the materials and prepare their account plan.
• Schedule 30 minutes for presentation and 15 minutes for questions and feedback.
• Prepare specific questions about their strategic choices and prioritization decisions.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided account information and develop a 12-month strategic account plan.
• Your plan should include: account goals, growth opportunities, potential challenges, action steps, and success metrics.
• Prepare a 15-minute presentation outlining your strategic approach.
• Be prepared to explain your rationale for prioritizing certain opportunities over others.
• Consider both short-term wins and long-term relationship development in your strategy.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the presentation, provide one specific piece of positive feedback about an aspect of their strategic thinking or approach.
• Offer one constructive suggestion for improvement, such as an overlooked opportunity or alternative approach.
• Give the candidate 5-10 minutes to verbally revise their strategy based on the feedback, noting their adaptability and receptiveness to coaching.

Activity #2: Client Relationship Challenge Role Play

This role play assesses a candidate's ability to navigate difficult client conversations while maintaining and strengthening the relationship—a critical skill for Key Account Managers who must handle challenging situations while preserving client trust.

Directions for the Company:

• Develop a scenario involving a dissatisfied key client facing a specific issue (e.g., service disruption, unmet expectations, pricing concerns).
• Create a brief for an employee who will play the role of the frustrated client, including background information, specific complaints, and emotional state.
• Provide the candidate with basic information about the client relationship and the general nature of the issue 30 minutes before the exercise.
• Schedule 20 minutes for the role play and 10 minutes for feedback and discussion.
• Observe how the candidate balances addressing the client's concerns with maintaining the relationship.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the client information provided and prepare to handle a challenging conversation.
• Your goal is to address the client's concerns while preserving and strengthening the relationship.
• During the conversation, demonstrate active listening, empathy, and problem-solving skills.
• Work toward a resolution that satisfies the client while aligning with company policies and capabilities.
• Be prepared to think on your feet as new information may emerge during the conversation.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide specific feedback on one relationship-building technique the candidate used effectively.
• Offer one suggestion for improving their approach to the difficult conversation.
• Allow the candidate to re-approach a specific part of the conversation implementing the feedback.
• Note their ability to incorporate feedback and adjust their communication style accordingly.

Activity #3: Cross-Selling Opportunity Analysis

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to identify and pursue growth opportunities within existing accounts—a key driver of revenue expansion for Key Account Managers. It reveals their product knowledge application, strategic thinking, and persuasive communication skills.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a detailed profile of an existing client, including their current product/service usage, business challenges, and growth initiatives.
• Include information about your company's full product/service portfolio, including solutions the client isn't currently using.
• Provide this information to candidates 24 hours before the exercise.
• Schedule 30 minutes for the candidate to present their cross-selling strategy and answer questions.
• Prepare specific questions about their prioritization and approach.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the client profile and identify 2-3 high-potential cross-selling or upselling opportunities.
• For each opportunity, prepare:
• A business case explaining how the additional product/service addresses a specific client need
• Potential objections the client might raise and how you would address them
• A communication plan for introducing and advancing the opportunity
• Prepare a 15-minute presentation outlining your cross-selling strategy.
• Be ready to explain your rationale for prioritizing certain opportunities over others.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide specific feedback on one aspect of their opportunity identification or value proposition that was particularly strong.
• Offer one suggestion for strengthening their approach to overcoming potential client objections.
• Ask the candidate to revise their handling of a specific objection based on the feedback.
• Note their ability to adapt their approach and strengthen their persuasive communication.

Activity #4: Internal Collaboration Simulation

This simulation assesses a candidate's ability to coordinate with internal teams to solve client problems—an essential skill for Key Account Managers who must navigate their organization to deliver solutions. It reveals their communication, leadership, and problem-solving abilities.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a scenario involving a complex client request that requires coordination across multiple internal departments (e.g., product, implementation, finance, legal).
• Prepare role descriptions for 2-3 employees who will play the roles of internal stakeholders, each with different priorities and constraints.
• Provide the candidate with information about the client request and the stakeholders they'll need to engage.
• Schedule 30 minutes for the simulation and 15 minutes for feedback.
• Observe how the candidate balances client needs with internal realities and builds consensus.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the client request and prepare to lead a meeting with internal stakeholders to develop a solution.
• Your goal is to align the team around an approach that meets the client's needs while respecting internal constraints.
• During the meeting:
• Clearly articulate the client's needs and the business impact
• Facilitate discussion to identify potential solutions
• Address concerns from different stakeholders
• Build consensus around a path forward
• Establish clear next steps and responsibilities
• Be prepared to handle conflicting priorities and perspectives.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide specific feedback on one aspect of their facilitation or consensus-building approach that was effective.
• Offer one suggestion for improving their handling of internal stakeholder concerns or objections.
• Ask the candidate to demonstrate how they would implement this feedback in addressing a specific challenge from the simulation.
• Note their ability to adapt their approach and strengthen their internal leadership skills.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should we allocate for these work samples in our interview process?

Each exercise requires approximately 45-60 minutes, including preparation, execution, and feedback. We recommend selecting 1-2 exercises most relevant to your specific needs rather than attempting all four. The Strategic Account Planning Exercise and Client Relationship Challenge are particularly revealing for most Key Account Manager roles.

Should we use real client data for these exercises?

While using disguised real data can make exercises more authentic, it's important to protect client confidentiality. Create fictional clients with challenges and characteristics similar to your actual key accounts. This approach maintains confidentiality while still testing relevant skills.

How should we evaluate candidates across multiple exercises?

Create a standardized scorecard aligned with your key competencies (strategic thinking, relationship building, communication, problem-solving). Rate candidates on specific behaviors observed during each exercise rather than general impressions. Have multiple interviewers evaluate the same exercises to reduce individual bias.

What if a candidate has limited experience with our specific industry or products?

Provide sufficient background information about your products/services and industry context before the exercises. Focus your evaluation on the candidate's approach, thinking process, and transferable skills rather than specific industry knowledge, which can be acquired through training.

How can we make these exercises fair for remote candidates?

All these exercises can be conducted virtually using video conferencing tools. For role plays and simulations, ensure all participants have clear instructions and stable connections. For presentation-based exercises, allow candidates to share their screen or send materials in advance.

Should we share these exercise details with candidates before the interview?

Provide candidates with general information about the types of exercises they'll complete and any preparation materials 24-48 hours in advance. This allows them to showcase their best work while still testing their ability to think on their feet during interactive portions.

The right Key Account Manager can dramatically impact your company's client retention and revenue growth. By incorporating these work samples into your hiring process, you'll gain deeper insights into each candidate's capabilities and fit for this critical role. Remember that the best candidates will appreciate a thorough process that demonstrates your commitment to excellence.

For more resources to enhance your hiring process, check out Yardstick's AI Job Description Generator, AI Interview Question Generator, and AI Interview Guide Generator. You can also find more information about Key Account Manager roles in our job description guide.

Ready to build a complete interview guide for your Key Account Manager role? Sign up for a free Yardstick account today!