The account manager's role is hard. Some argue it's the hardest in the agency.It involves dealing with constant requests and issues from:
- Clients
- Colleagues working on the account
- Agency leaders
Some days dealing with just one can be a challenge, let alone dealing with all three at once.
Let's explore number 3, the agency leader, in more detail.
There has been a consistent theme coming up in my Account Accelerator coaching group.The group comprises those responsible for client management and account growth i.e. MDs, CSDs, ADs and SAMs.It seems there are three "moments" when agency leaders might be inadvertently tripping up their account management team:
Moment 1: Passing the newly closed sale to the account manager (AM)
Information gathered during the new business meeting conversations isn't shared with the AM (who wasn't part of closing the sale).Potential trip up:
- AM asks the client the same questions already answered leading to frustration and a perception the agency lacks internal cohesion
- AM isn't updated on the client's pain points discovered during those key initial discovery phase conversations leading to extra time and effort for the AM to spot and address them. The pain point could have been a way for the agency to offer more services beyond the initially agreed scope (so the agency might be losing an additional sale too).
Moment 2: Maintaining contact with senior client stakeholders from closing the sale throughout the duration of the project or relationship
After the sale closes, agency leadership (and/or the new business team depending on the agency set up) doesn't maintain any contact with those senior clients who chose the agency.Potential trip up:
- Senior clients don't oversee the project and the AM is left communicating with a junior point of contact with no authority to make decisions about any additional ideas the AM might present. This creates a situation where the AM has to find (and establish a relationship with) senior client decision-makers again (who were probably involved in the new business stage but have disappeared from the day to day dealings regarding the project)
Moment 3: Setting the account forecast target and monitoring changes
Agency leadership sets the forecast target without input from the AM and the AM doesn't have authority to input changes to the forecast when a situation changes.Potential trip up:
- AM has an account growth target given to them rather than 'co-creating' one which means the AM feels they weren't consulted about it leading to a disempowered feeling and a general apathy
- AM discovers their main client contact is leaving and a new contact is joining leading to the agency subsequently being replaced by the incoming client contact's old agency - and this forecast 'red flag' isn't highlighted to agency leadership (the agency leader may have made a hiring decision based on the forecasted revenue).
I hope by highlighting these potential trip up moments, it helps you anticipate any gaps in your own internal processes.If you're looking for Account Management training to upskill yourself or your team, take a look at my Account Kickstarter, Account Booster or Account Accelerator programmes.
