The job title might confuse you. After all, it appears self-explanatory. Account manager equals a person that manages accounts. However, that is not what it entails. An account manager is not concerned with the day-to-day running of accounts.
Instead, they are responsible for strengthening a company’s relationship with its clientele. Basically, an account manager is charged with ensuring the clients keep making use of the company’s products and services by regularly catering to their needs.
An account manager is a person tasked with managing sales as well as maintaining relationships with customers. Note the emphasis on the word, maintaining. That is, an account manager isn’t tasked with building new relationships but managing old ones.
Although if an account manager brings new customers, it’s highly unlikely that the company would turn them down.
As you must have seen repeated several times, account managers are for relationship-strengthening. This is why a client is typically assigned to a particular account manager. These relationships are built over time and are too complicated to just keep rotating managers.
The role of the account manager is basically a mashup of that of a salesperson and customer service representative. If you are a people’s person, then the role of the account manager suits you.
Duties of an Account Manager
Now that you have an idea of who an account manager is, it is only right you learn what they do. At the basic level, they connect the consumers to the sellers (the company). But there’s more to them than acting as liaison officers. An account manager does the following:
Creates deals with customer accounts, including strategically pitching
Negotiates contracts that favor both the clients and company
Creates and keeps up long haul associations with accounts
Ensures requested goods and services are delivered to customers
Imparts customer needs and requests to manager organization
Figures and tracks customer account measurements
Oversees ventures inside customer connections, attempting to complete customer objectives while meeting organization objectives
Develops and works on business growth with existing customers
Works closely with other members of staff designated to the account to ensure synchronization
Works together with the sales team to conduct outreach programmers to expand clientele
Manages the accounts of various customers simultaneously and seamlessly
Tracks customer exchanges
Tends to customers’ requests and problems
Requirements for an Account Manager
If you wish to pursue a career in account management, the following list is an accumulation of what hiring managers look out for during recruitment:
Experience relevant to account management, Key Account Management, sales management, and so on
Track-record of relationship building and maintenance with customers
Ability to provide services to multiple clients simultaneously, while still paying strict attention to details and achieving results
Excellent listening, negotiation, and presentation skills
Excellent verbal and written communications skills
Bachelor's Degree in Business administration or any relevant field
5+ years of marketing experience
Ability to use digital web tools
Experience in any target-driven and goal-centered organization
Possession of interpersonal skills
Ability to collaborate with sales, marketing, and other teams
Knowledge of website development, marketing, measurement and analytics, content management, digital marketing, and internet technology
Excellent time and project management skills.
What are the Top Skills an Account Manager should have?
The above-stated duties are not easy to fulfill. You would require a particular set of skills to not only perform them but to also bring results. In addition to the soft skills, you will also be required to be vast in the following you’re interested in account management:
Prospecting Skills
Teamwork
Planning
Attention to Detail
Interpersonal skills
People Skills
Initiative
Customer Focus
Emphasize Excellence
Manage Multiple Projects
Multitasking
Communication skills
Display empathy and emotional intelligence
Negotiation skills
Solve problems
Strategic thinking
Account Manager Salary
Account management makes up for its strict entry requirements with its attractive pay. In addition to your basic salary as an account manager, you would also be given bonuses, commissions, and profit-sharing based on performance.
In South Africa, the average salary of an account manager is R274,675.
Read more about the job description of an account manager here
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