What makes an actually good account person?
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They are a partner on a team of solution providers and problem solvers. Not just a liaison or the gatekeeper of the relationship. (As many are) They are in it with you and understand the creative process. They know smart work takes a beat. They support, know when to stay away, translate client speak, bad requests. Prevent scope creep and not just worry about CYA. I can go on, and I'm sure others can elaborate. But you get the idea.
In short, not be a ‘Yes man’ to the client.
Possessing the ability to say, “no”.
Sometimes good ones are able to protect the creatives from unreasonable crazy asks
They are curious and interested in learning what’s involved in all the roles that touch the work, so they can be supportive stewards and advocates of the work vs an extension of the client.
- Understands the client’s business and treating it as if it were their own
- Looks out for the agency and the client
- Killer problem solver
- Ability to build strong relationships internally and with clients to gain and maintain trust. This really helps when pushing out of the box creative through
- Cares about protecting the creative team - will push back on client feedback, provide them enough time to do the work, etc.
- Honest, transparent, and positive person
- Clear communication with all parties to avoid confusion
- Asks the client key questions to help clarify the ask / brief before it gets to the creatives
- Understands what’s going on in all departments and works with the rest of the account team to ensure deadlines don’t overlap
- Can have tough conversations with the internal team and the clients
- Understanding everyone is human
Also they can get the client to buy more with smart new initiatives. Also their briefs are clear
They can sell work. Honestly that’s what it’s all about. The client relationship etc all ladders to that. A good account person will get a client primed for great work long before the presentation comes around.
Someone who listens to their team and doesn’t bend over for the client
There are a lot of good responses here. I've always thought of my role in account management, at the highest level, is to create conditions that allow good work to succeed. You do your best to deliver good outcomes for the client, the agency, and your team. And in terms of specific responsibilities, this could mean a lot of things depending on the account's needs. A good account person will identify those needs and find ways to fill those gaps.
You should feel like they work on your team, not the clients. The second that balance shifts, they’ve failed.
that they actually remember that they are on YOUR team, not clients team
When they don’t work on an account department.
Well, project managers don’t seem to exist anymore. So, good project managers.