What is an Account Manager?
An Account Manager is employed to maintain good relationships with their company’s clients, in order to retain business. It is usual for a single Account Manager to handle the same client account for the duration of their business, to ensure consistency and a high level of service for the client. An Account Manager will be responsible for building strong, secure relationships with stakeholders and customers, responding to queries quickly, and they may also prepare sales and performance reports.
There are a number of different roles within Account Management ranging from Account Executive, through Senior Account Manager up to Head of Account Management. The seniority of the role is usually defined by the level of accounts they manage, and the management responsibility. The more senior the Account Manager, the bigger the accounts they manager. Some larger organisations will have Regional Account Managers, for different areas of the UK, this is common where there are a large number of smaller accounts. Other suppliers have National Account Managers responsible for accounts across the whole country, more common in the FMCG and consumer durables sector.
The common thread through all of these roles regardless of their seniority, is a willingness to meet and understand the needs of clients and provide a high level of service. Account Management roles usually require some of the following skills:
- The ability to network internally and externally.
- Attention to detail, and the ability to pre-empt scenarios.
- Great communication skills, somebody people like to see and want to deal with
- Building and sustaining relationships, an ability to grow and expand accounts.
- Confident and outgoing, happy entertaining customers.
- Organised, good time management.
- Excellent customer service and dispute resolution skills.
- Confident negotiator.
Responsibilities of an Account Manager
Account Management is an amalgamation of customer service and sales. An Account Manager may work with other teams, such as sales and marketing or creative teams, to produce deliverables for a client. They often create reports, presentations, pitches and proposals as well as responding to questions and queries from their assigned clients. They have to manage clients’ time and budgets and monitor spending, so it’s fair to say it is a busy and varied role.
Recruiting for Account Management
Recruiting for Account Management roles is an area that we understand well. We know exactly the types of candidates that will make successful Account Managers those that won’t. Flexible, adaptable individuals who can multi-task and communicate well, flourish in Account Manager roles. Many graduates become Account Executives and eventually move up the ranks to become Account Managers and directors. Having customer service experience ability or experience is a big advantage for aspiring account managers.
A candidate’s personality, positive attitude, and demonstrable previous performance plays heavily into their suitability for Account Manager roles. We understand how to recruit this type of role into any industry sector be that engineering, software, FMCG or technology. If you are looking for a recruitment agency that understands how to attract the very best Account Managers and Directors to your organisation, give us a call for a confidential, no obligation discussion.