5 things every Account Manager should know
Written by Mihai Dragan on Tuesday, November 11th, 2008 ( 5 responses )
Tags: account management, account manager, Interactive Advertising, interactive agency business, tips
Being an Account Manager (or Account Executive) in an interactive agency is not easy. You have to deal with clients, creative people, sales people and pretty much everyone else. So – what does an Account Manager really have to know ?
1. You work for the agency AND the client.
Please notice I’ve put the agency first because that’s the people you work for. Do try to solve as many as problems as possible, serve the client as best as you can, understand as much as possible about the business the client runs and offer the best solutions. But … as a member of the agency you work for.
2. You manage an account, not the creative team
This means you are neither superior or inferior to the creative team. You are colleagues and part of the same team. You have the same goals but use different means of getting there. Let the creative management to the creative director. Feeling creative? Offer your feedback to the team but don’t force them to follow it.
3. Avoid conflicts at any cost
You do not want people being pissed of at you. Yes, I am being a little harsh but that’s the truth. An account manager’s main purpose is keeping things running smooth. Conflict does not define “things running smooth”.
4. You are the client and the agency
In front of the agency you represent the client. As the client is concerned you are the agency. Find a balance and try to offer the best of both worlds.
5. Know your client better than he knows himself
Try to find out everything there is to know about the business the client is in. Be proactive. Find solutions for the problems they had for years. Give them answers before they ask and always, always be prepared for the unplanned.
