How account management is evolving

I've spoken to quite a few agencies recently who call their account managers 'client strategists' or 'client partners'.

Most (but not all) have separate project management teams responsible for service delivery.

This leaves the client strategist to focus on relationship building/expansion, account strategy & growth and forecasting/securing future work.

When it comes to growing an existing client, if your role is a hybrid AM/PM, it's hard to find time to think about more solutions and services beyond the current scope when your job is to also deliver high quality work on time and on budget (with all the inevitable firefighting that entails). 

AM/PM role

If you're curious about how these two separate roles work together, I've published two podcast episodes where I've interviewed the AM/PM teams in two different agencies: 
1. How AMs and PMs work together in an internal comms agency 
2. How an AM and PM work together in a digital agency

Evolving role of account management

I think a title change is one positive step in the right direction for agencies who want to invest in increasing client retention and growing existing accounts (cheaper and easier). Separating the PM role from the AM is another one. Also AI is making agencies more efficient but most importantly it has the potential to free up account managers to spend more time deepening client relationships, flexing their consultancy skills and proactively providing more value to clients.

If agencies want to be seen as valuable client partners (and not order takers), it's important to elevate the client facing team from 'just' delivering projects to helping clients solve more of their business problems.

This means understanding the client's world better and thankfully there are many AI tools for client research including Google's Notebook LM which is a free way to store all sources about the client's business in one place - and then quickly pull out useful information.

For example, ideally account managers should all have this basic information at their finger tips:

• How is the client's company performing financially?

• What products/services do they sell? What's their top selling product/service?

• Is the company a charity, a privately owned Ltd/LLC, PLC etc?

• What's the company's financial year end? [TIP: if it's December, you need to be inserting yourself into their budget planning conversations by latest September]

I've mentioned before in a previous email that creating a folder in NotebookLM for every single client is a good idea. Here's a quick 2 min video tutorial for how to upload resources if you haven't used the tool already:

Here’s a selection of prompts you can use with Google's Notebook LM to quickly uncover strategic growth plans and priorities from your client's publicly available materials: 

Strategic Growth and Expansion

1. "What are the company's stated business objectives or strategic priorities for the next 12-24 months?"

2. "Has the company mentioned any upcoming product launches or plans for new market entry?"

3. "Are there references to growth or innovation strategies, such as sustainability, digital transformation, or customer experience improvements?"

Product and Market Development

1. "Is there mention of planned product improvements, line extensions, or innovations specifically related to water softening technology?"

2. "Has the company indicated intentions to target new customer segments or demographics within the UK?"

3. "Are there recent partnerships, collaborations, or acquisitions that might suggest strategic market moves?"

Marketing and Brand Priorities

1. "What marketing campaigns or themes has the company been emphasizing recently?"

2. "Have they highlighted specific customer pain points, trends, or competitive pressures that could signal opportunities?"

3. "Is there any stated intention to reposition or rebrand products or enhance digital marketing channels?"

Financial and Investment Insights

1. "What areas of investment or expenditure is the company planning to increase according to its annual report?"

2. "Has the company announced specific revenue or market share targets?"

3. "What recent investor or analyst presentations identify key strategic opportunities or risks?"

Sustainability and Regulatory Drivers

1. "Is the company proactively addressing environmental regulations or sustainability commitments relevant to water softening products?"

2. "Are there any government or industry policy changes referenced that could impact their product offering or market strategy?"

Competitive Analysis

1. "What does recent company communication highlight about competitive threats or gaps they aim to address in the market?"

2. "Are there mentions of differentiating features or benefits they’re emphasizing versus competitors?"

Leveraging your existing relationship and services

1. "Based on our existing services (website updates, email campaigns, event banners), are there strategic goals mentioned in their documents that align directly with opportunities for digital or content marketing support?"

2. "Are there indicators of a greater need or focus on customer engagement and education, potentially through digital or email marketing channels?"

 You'll start looking, sounding and acting like a consultant when you're able to quickly access the most relevant information about your client's business so you can initiate relevant conversations about ways the agency can help.