Account Managers’ Five Essentials for Success

The Critical Player

There is a position that is important to every executive in any company that does business online, from the Head of Sales to the Head of Operations, from the Head of Finance to all the Account Executives and the entire Business Development team. This position becomes the face of the company to many customers. Everyone in the company relies on this one person and needs them to be consistent and effective in “saving” each client with which they interact. The focus of company success in this case, and our article, is the Account Manager.

In advertising and marketing, the Account Executive “hands off” the client to the Account Manager (AM) immediately after a sale. The AM leads each company’s formal on-boarding process: welcoming the client, establishing campaign visibility KPI reporting, as well other functions. That said, there are 5 things that the best AMs need to master in order to succeed every time they are working with clients. (Or as per our analogy, whenever they are on the pitching mound for their company.)

1. Thoroughly Understand The Customer and Their Goals.

It is surprisingly difficult to nail down exactly what a client’s goals are. Many clients haven’t reduced their aims down to realistic and meaningful metric goals. To really understand what each client is looking for, especially for a test campaign, start by understanding the client’s business. In essence, you need to understand as much about a client’s company as your own.

2. Reassure Everyone that They Are In Charge and Know What Needs To Be Done.

Once the AM begins to lead the opening conversation by asking “smart” questions, they establish who is really in charge. The subtle dance is the one where the AM is reactive to the customer while leading the service delivery, remembering that most customers want to be able to turn over the responsibility for their campaigns to an expert instead of having to micromanage the details. This is best done by sharing with the customer the kinds of clients you/your team has worked with that had similar goals and/or marketing challenges. Stories about how you have succeeded in similar situations in the past – especially when told with confidence – will go a long way toward getting the customer to put their faith in you.

3. Negotiate How They Will Define Success Each Week/Month of the Campaign

First impressions, whether in social situations or in the first week of a new campaign, are extremely powerful. Therefore, AMs need to grab the opportunity and need to pitch a winning game. But, to do that consistently, the AM must properly set the client’s expectations every week. To do that, the AM must let the client hear the thinking behind their plans. When clients do not see underlying strategy, they begin to question and doubt every move, like a nervous team owner with an uncertain general manager. But when they understand the thinking behind the moves, they are more open to accepting realistic results that each week.

4. Find A Way To Make An Unhappy Client Happy

Eventually, even the best AM will encounter an unhappy client. By the time the unhappiness emerges, it is often too late to backtrack to determine what really went wrong. The best strategy is take full responsibility for all errors. Just as importantly, this is the time to introduce a new strategy or optimization tactic. If you find a balance between these two, great things can happen.

5. Sell The Client On Trying Something Else

When an AM handles a campaign, they can sometimes increase that customer’s media spending. To do so, it is important to establish that you can be trusted with a smaller budget. Suggesting increased spending before earning that trust does not work. The customer becomes suspicious that the AM’s only interest is self interest. Timing in sales, like pitching, is everything.

About the Author

Steve Bookbinder, CEO and lead trainer for Internet Advertising Institute has over a decade of experience selling online media, search engine marketing, and advertising. He has written and co-written more than 25 books, articles and audio training programs, and is most recently the author, with Jeff Goldberg, of How to Be Your Own Coach.To read more about the topic in this article or explore the online training courses visit http://www.InternetAdvertisingInstitute.com

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