Agency account management—how to be seen as more than just a suit

Full disclosure: I’m in account management, which I think is the best job you can have at a creative agency. Not everyone agrees. “Let me get this straight: You don’t actually write the ads or produce them. So, what exactly is it that you do?” It’s a question every account handler will have been asked by a relative or friend at some point. As well as the slightly ambiguous nature of the role, there’s a lot of legacy negativity surrounding account management. It’s the one that comes with the most baggage—literally. “Bag carrier” is among the most offensive labels for our discipline. Another is “suit”—left over from the Mad Men era, where all it took to maintain a client relationship was to dress up, take them out for a martini and suck up as much as possible. Gen Z Career Forum Get practical advice on launching your career and excelling in the industry Register today Even being referred to as “the voice of the client” should send a shiver down the spine of any self-respecting account manager; can you think of anything worse than being regarded as a mere conduit? While anyone who has worked with (or indeed, is) a fantastic account person knows that this is all a load of rubbish from days gone by, there are some grains of truth. You can see it in the way some people in account management still behave. And in how some agency systems limit and relegate the role. I think account management needs a rebrand to be seen as the inspiring, fulfilling and influential role that it is. To make that happen, what do account people need to do each day so that clients and agency folk alike feel our worth? Be everything in lowercase One of the reasons I love this role is the variety of it and the different hats we wear. There’s no other discipline in an agency that touches strategy, creativity, production, finance, operations, new business, PR and other functions like account management does. To be a great account person, you have to be a bit good at all of these things: creative with a lowercase ‘c,’ strategic with a lowercase ‘s.’ You can’t just be the person who organizes or facilitates everyone else doing their jobs. You have to be in there with your sleeves rolled up to help all the disciplines. This can only happen if you can meet colleagues halfway—as a sounding board, a sparring partner or a source of inspiration. For clients, be a capital ‘C’ There is one area—their client’s business—where great account people must be the font of all knowledge. Get to know your clients as people and the business they’re in. Never stop asking questions about this. Not only does this make you an absolute partner (not a supplier) to your clients, but it also means you foster the empathy and understanding necessary for a healthy client and agency relationship. Be paranoid and ambitious in equal measure When you think about how many parts of the business we touch, you realize the difference between being great versus just being good. The best account handlers feel that responsibility keenly. It’s a heady combination of healthy paranoia and healthy ambition that drives a great account person. We should leave no stone unturned or questions unasked to help make everything the best it can be. The business of advertising and marketing is a team sport, but great account handlers have a very strong sense of responsibility for the whole. Collaborate until you puke Paraphrasing the excellent advice to “communicate until you puke,” I think the best account people know that relentless collaboration is where it’s at. No one is an island. I’ve seen it go wrong when account people feel like they’re the puppet master of the show. That’s their ego talking. NextGen Marketing Summit Join us for a crash course on Gen Z, DTC marketing and the creator economy Register today To be a great collaborator, you have to leave your ego at the door, be an active listener, be an active contributor and respect the expertise of all disciplines. Great account handlers aren’t just good at teamwork, they bring an infectious energy to the way they collaborate, creating high-functioning teams where everyone feels empowered and motivated to be their best. Be a fan and a scholar To truly add value in this role, you’ve got to love advertising. You’d be amazed how many people can coast along not being passionate about what we do. And that’s a major problem when you’re someone who is involved in every bit of the process. You can help and inspire clients, creatives and production partners alike if you not only love ads but understand everything about them. Go to school every day by absorbing all the latest work, have a view of it and be able to talk about it. You’ll be the person in the room who can chuck in some references that solve a niggle or spark the right conversations. Don’t ever underestimate the value of being a well-informed fan. This list is by no means exhaustive. There are other qualities all great account handlers bring to the role: brilliant organization, being great at relationships, an eye for the details and outstanding communication skills—the baseline of seamless account management. Instead, this list is about how to supercharge the role—and never be called a suit again. Super Bowl ad review The best and worst commercials from the Big Game Click here

Agency account management—how to be seen as more than just a suit

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