Related Posts
When you ask the intern to take meeting notes

Has anyone else ever dated a coworker?
More Posts
What is a look back analysis?
Additional Posts in Account Management
New to Fishbowl?
Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.





Being an account manager can feel like a punching bag role, and honestly, it’s not sustainable unless you set clear boundaries. I’ve stopped sugarcoating things with clients and started being upfront about what’s out of my control. Same with internal teams—I remind them that I’m the messenger, not the miracle worker.
It’s an impossible role, honestly. Especially these days, now that whole business model basically doesn’t work anymore but we’re made to act like it does and if it doesn’t, you’re the problem. The sooner you realize this, set appropriate boundaries and stop taking BS from all directions, the better for your mental health.
This approach is not without its risks against the irrational expectations from agency leadership nowadays, though, who continue to fight tooth and nail against the inevitability of the industry’s decline. So ultimately, you want form an exit plan from advertising. It’s just good sense in terms of planning for the future.
That’s the job. Especially in more day to day roles, then as you get more senior, same thing with the bigger problems but it’s easier because you already know how to “fix it”. You’re a manager of clients and teams, which is basically “people”. People have a variety of personalities and beliefs, and figuring out how to read those people will make it easier to fix the issues. If you’re looking for value, being a fixer is super valuable. Eventually you’ll learn how to get ahead of those problems so they don’t happen, and learn the value of caveats.
I know it’s not what you wanted to hear, but think of it this way. If you are being entrusted to “fix it”, that means people see you as someone who can, and someone who can lead the charge. It’s. Tough role, but what you learn from it crosses boundaries to life on how to manage problems
I feel like we are punching bags more than ever.
Clients are showing less respect for agencies and our relationships are becoming more transactional.
Now we just get beaten down by clients until we say yes to crazy demands.
Leadership doesn’t push back on clients as they need the revenue more than ever before.
Leadership just bends over. No matter how crazy the client’s being, if what they’re alleging is patently untrue, even if it’s as they pull more and more budget from us, leadership is all about just how many ways can we say we’re sorry and how can we demonstrate that we’re overcorrecting for a non-error. We treat every routine disagreement like it’s crisis management. Sometimes it feels like we have lost all power and dignity in the relationship. It’s less partnership and more vendorship every year.
I feel this so much—it’s the downside of being the middleman. What helps me is focusing on the wins, no matter how small—like when a client is genuinely happy or a project goes smoothly because of my coordination.
I guess because I assumed that would be the case going in, I'm able to shrug off a lot of histrionics. Often it's just people playing some role they think they need to play. And it's not impossible to come up with something that smooths over whatever crisis has erupted. If I took it all to heart it would be maddening, but I have somehow learned to take it all in stride.
I feel this so much on big production projects especially, when I’m communicating all the producer/creative decisions that I’m not always privy to. Ugh. I have no good advice other than hang in there, OP.
It’s tough for sure. I found that over time I developed a healthy disconnectedness from how other people react to the facts presented to them. And that’s how I think about it, “just the facts, Ma’am.” I presented them their options along with the budget and timeline ramifications based on how they choose. And their choice is their choice. Before they make the choice they have to make they may get emotional, but I don’t apologize or get frustrated in response. I just focus on the answer I need. I’m steely. I’m fuckin Steely Dan.
I used to be in account management and I’d really love to get back into it, any suggestions?