The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the current state of key account management at a business-to-business training company in the Helsinki metropolitan area and suggest improvements which could potentially lead to more business. The investigated company operates worldwide and has existed in Helsinki for over twenty years. To gain insight into the current situation, the theory of key account management was studied, and a survey was completed by company X’s managing director, account managers and clients. Handling the clients in the training industry is crucial to success. In the case of Company X client satisfaction is achieved through key account. Assigning key account managers ensures that there is regular contact with the clients and their evolving needs are met. As the business-to-business training industry is so competitive it is important to establish good relationships and achieve customer retention. The questionnaires that were distributed for this thesis were adapted to provide accurate and relevant information from three different groups. These were the Managing director, account managers and clients of Company X. The questionnaires were distributed via email at the beginning of 2012. A combination of action research, and quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in the study. The research was successful in determining the current situation with regard to the key account management and related processes of Company X from the perspective of both company and client. Detailed information is provided in the thesis. It was found that the clients of Company X are happy with the standard of service provided to them by Company X and that the relationships are strong. The views of the managing director and key account managers varied slightly from each other. This discovery leads to the conclusion that the key account management could be improved through training in local business law and a deeper knowledge of the industries in which their clients operate. Training Company X should invest more in their employees, provide more training and increase confidence levels. It appeared from the research that the account managers currently underestimate the importance of the relationship with the customer, which can lead to the situation where the customer could feel like he or she is being taken for granted. The number of key accounts is low so the loss of key accounts would have a severe impact on the company.

Key words: Key account management, business to business, customer retention