Reality Check: Musings from a Transplant Account Manager

Hi, that’s me, Kara, deep in thought figuring out how to be the best account manager I can be. It dawned on me recently that I’ve learned a great deal about how to be a better account manager as I transitioned into this role from a project manager role. I wanted to take this opportunity to share these lessons with you and hopefully provide you with some insight into how you can be the best account manager ever.

If you’d like the cliff notes and to skip over the amazing story I have to tell, no worries I’ve summarized my learnings here:

Learn humility
Say sorry to your team and clients when things don’t go as planned.

Trust your team (and let go)
Delegate and follow up, don’t be a helicopter manager.

Keep it positive & keep it progressing
Let your team vent, but don’t linger on the negatives. Push them to find a solution and end on a positive note.

Go the extra mile
Reach out to your team members who are having busy weeks to see how you can help. Follow up with clients in a regular cadence to keep them informed on the bigger picture.

Build REAL relationships
Get to know your clients outside of the project at hand. Implement your own “favorites survey” to get to know your clients on a deeper level.

When I first started my career as a project manager in the creative space, I realized quickly that I could have the best of both worlds. I could still work in a creative agency, surrounding myself with incredible work AND I could feed my need for organization, delegation, and problem-solving.

So, what’s my story? Well, I spent 5 years in project management and throughout that time I realized I had a passion for the operational side of the business and I aspired to, one day, help run the agency I was so passionate about, ThreeSixtyEight.

Like fate, my direct manager came to me at the end of 2019 to tell me about the organizational shift coming to our agency. With this new organizational layout, I was being asked to step into an account management role.

At first blush, I dreaded the idea of account management. Having to sell to clients was nowhere on my list of things I’d like to do anytime soon, and for those who know me personally and have seen my professional history, perfecting the aspect of client relations was something I had struggled with. But my manager made it clear why he needed me in this role. If I were to help run the agency one day, he had to know I could run and manage multiple accounts and help grow the company. Logically, it made sense, and it annoyed me that it made sense (I’m an ESTJ on the Myers-Briggs Personality Test, so logic works strongly with me).

True to who I am, I jumped right into finding resources, organizing, systemizing, and completing all the tactical measures I needed to succeed at this job. I figured, if I can create the perfect rhythms and systems for myself, there’s no way I won’t succeed at this job. WHAM! That’s the sound of me getting smacked squarely in the face with reality.

While the organizational measures I put into place were and are very helpful in keeping me on task, there are things that I have learned throughout the last eight months of being an account manager that can’t be learned in a perfectly organized fashion. It’s taken experiences and advice from others to truly learn what you’d call the “soft skills” of the job. And those soft skills are what make me a succeeding account manager.

Say you’re sorry, and not just to your clients, but also to your team. Own up to the mistakes that might have been made instead of battling about something that will end up taking away from your time and energy. A sincere apology when things didn’t pan out the way you promised goes a very long way.

Let go. Whew, this was (and still continues to be) a tough one for me. But in the moments where I’ve trusted my team, I’ve never been disappointed. Delegate the tasks or priorities for your team and follow up. Don’t micromanage as this isn’t conducive to you or your team learning how to be the best versions of yourselves.

There’s always going to be a time where things don’t go the way they were supposed to, leaving you and your teammates annoyed and frustrated. It can be cathartic to vent, but don’t let it get out of hand. Too much venting could lead to resentment of the client or fellow teammates, and that’s not the atmosphere account managers should ever breed. Allow room for venting, but make sure to keep it moving towards a solution and always end on a positive note.

Always be on the lookout for ways that you can go one step further for both your client and your team. Become a resource that your clients and your team always think of you when they are in need of help. When I notice a team member is having a busy or stressful week, I reach out to see if there’s anything I can do to help lighten their load. And every couple of weeks I send my clients an email simply asking if there’s anything I can do for them, even if it’s not project related.

Clients shouldn’t be “just another account”. They are real people, and forming real relationships is vital during the life of the work and even after. Find ways to connect with your clients outside of the work. Ask them about their lives, hobbies, favorite activities. At ThreeSixtyEight, we implemented a “favorites survey” that we send out when we sign new work. It’s a simple form with a series of questions about their favorite foods, shows, desserts, and even how they like their coffee. Clients have loved the personal touch and know that we truly want to get to know them.

Over the last eight months, I’ve realized that there’s more to being an account manager than selling to clients. It’s about serving your clients and building deep relationships. It’s about supporting your team and ensuring they are able to produce the best work for the client. By no means am I an expert on how to be an account manager. But since transitioning into account management, I’ve realized how important the “soft skills” are to doing the job well. This new role has pushed me outside of my comfort zone and allowed me to learn things I wouldn’t have had the opportunity had I stayed where I was.