Where does one start and the other end, and can we actually separate these two if we want to do business successfully?
What is Account Management
Account Manager is a person responsible for maintaining a trusting relationship between a client and an agency. He is the key person for understanding a client’s product/service and should have a strategic approach to the development of its campaigns. This person is actually a client’s representative at the agency and at the same time an agency representative at the client’s organization.
And what about Client servicing
Client servicing, on the other hand, is a top-level skill every Account Manager needs to strive to. The main job of an Account Manager who wants to be successful in Client servicing is to keep track of market trends, the industry and the client’s competition and needs to know how to utilize all this information to the client’s advantage. He is responsible for cooperating with the agency team to develop creative ideas and strategies for campaigns relevant to the client, to manage day-to-day operations/projects and to work on building a long term client/agency relationship.
Client servicing in a nutshell
To evolve to a Client servicing level, one must never stop learning, reading and asking the right questions. I understand this can be a real challenge when it comes to balancing everyday work. What does it mean and how to achieve this level of expertise? Here are some key points.
Going that extra mile
Everyday work is very important for building a long-term relationship with a client. Nevertheless, it is equally important to spare a certain amount of time on a daily basis to go that “extra mile” for every client besides everyday routine and projects. This “extra mile” includes seeing an overall picture of brand/service, researching and analyzing the current situation and coming up with ideas on how to improve your client’s performance on the market.
Attention to detail
When it comes to ideas and projects, if it seems or feels off then it probably is. If you wouldn’t buy it why should someone else? That’s why every campaign and communication needs to be carefully planned and analyzed so it can show the advantage of a particular product or service to the consumer and satisfy their wishes or needs, which is the ultimate goal.
The importance of teamwork
A crucial fact that needs to be said is that Client servicing is not a one-man job — it’s teamwork. Without a capable, supportive and dedicated team there is no successful client/agency relationship. In the world of short deadlines and ever-increasing scope of work,
Accounts who work in agencies tend to overload themselves with everyday routines and projects without involving the whole team, which is never good for the client nor for the agency. These cases happen because of short deadlines where Accounts often believe they will save time if they do the job by themselves instead of sharing the load with the rest of the team.
Key expertise
An Account professional needs to have a wide knowledge of the advertising industry and human behavior.
Below is a short description of basic skills and knowledge for this occupation:
- Presentational skills
- Communication skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Research skills
- Psychology (how to approach to consumer/client/team)
- Good knowledge of design and content writing
- Strategic planning
- Analytical skills
- Budgeting
- Negotiating skills
- Financial administration
- Organizational skills
To conclude
When it comes to being a good Account Manager, there shouldn’t be a line between account management and client servicing. An Account who understands this can make all the difference in the successful promotion of a product or a service.
If a client has an Account Manager on whom he can rely on in any given moment, who has a deep understanding of the product or service, then you have a win-win situation which will surely bring extraordinary results. If you’re looking for your own Account Manager or partner agency, contact us! 🙂
