Welcome to Episode 74. I get to speak to a lot of account managers who work in creative agencies. And I get a lot of questions about how they can progress their career, how they can be better at the account management role, and some of the key things that are most important when it comes to being more efficient and more effective in the role. And I sometimes get people who are frustrated that they’re not progressing fast enough, that they really want to get promoted. Perhaps they’re at senior account manager level, and they want to go to an account director. So this episode is for you if you’re in more of a senior account management role position in an agency, and you’re looking to step up to raise your game.
Listen out for part two.
If you’d like help raising your account management game, then take a look at my Account Accelerator programme, where you work with me for nine weeks. I help you with the tools, strategies, and all the support you need to implement a repeatable and systematic approach to account growth for your agency. For more details, please visit the Training page.
And so you’re experienced, but maybe you’re looking for a promotion, you want to get recognised, you want to accelerate your career, perhaps you’re looking for a pay rise, or you’re looking for the next step up. This one is for you. And the main thing to say is that when you’re in a senior account management role, it’s less about delivery, and the day to day management of projects. And it’s much more about looking for ways to add value to the client, to help them be successful in their role, and to proactively look for ways to bring more ideas, to help them reach their targets and grow their business.
Also, delighted clients will inevitably introduce you to others in their business, they’ll also be more inclined to recommend and refer you to others in their network, for example. And that way, you’ll always be helping the agency expand their business as well. And if you’re desperate to be promoted, one of the sure ways of getting that promotion is to bring some more business into your agency. So that’s why that’s so important.
So at the senior account management level, it’s much more about developing your level of commercial acumen and understanding the client’s business and finding ways that you can really add value. This will also allow you to be able to forecast more accurately because, at a more senior account management level, your Bible is the forecast, you are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the forecast. So if this one resonates with you, then listen up, because hopefully, I might share some ideas for you.
The other thing to say is that at a more senior level, you’re also looking for ways to add value to your agency. So you could be watching what your competing agencies are doing and coming to your senior management team suggesting new ideas. For example, are they running events to attract clients? Is that something you could be doing? Are they putting out thought leadership pieces in the agency press that you could perhaps suggest your agency does. Perhaps there are new tools and technologies or processes that can make things run more smoothly in the agency that you could proactively suggest to your agency, or even a variation on what you’re already doing to tighten up those processes. So maybe you can suggest an improved client onboarding process, because you’ve been through so many now and you know where the holes are. Maybe there’s a new way to run post project reviews, or perhaps a new initiative to interview your top clients to gather feedback, or even a new project management system you’ve heard good things about. So these are ways to improve your agency, which will inevitably show that you’re really enthusiastic about working for the agency, it could even be ideas for ways to improve agency teamwork, or ideas for bringing the team together.
So taking the initiative, and contributing ideas will certainly make you stand out and show your agency how keen you are to develop with the agency. So I’ve come up with five key ways you can raise your account management game. And I hope that you spot something that you’ll be able to use or perhaps it’s a little reminder of something you haven’t done in a while. And this podcast is going to be in two parts. I’m going to give you five key ways and we’re going to start with the first two in this episode. And then we’ll complete the episode in part two with the other three. So I’ve used an acronym for this, RAISE, to spell out the five different ways that you can raise your account management game. And hopefully that’s an easier way to remember how to do it. So let’s start.
The first one is R which is R for research. So what do I mean by research? What I mean by that is adopting a research habit. And research really relates to understanding the client’s business, their industry, their competitors, their customers, and understanding your client as an individual. And understanding your agency’s industry business as well. So it’s really about raising your level of awareness of the external environment. I think at a junior account management level, you’re very absorbed in the day to day internal issues. So it’s getting stuff done on time on budget, making sure that all of those projects are delivered. And we tend to be very, very internally focused. But when you reach a more senior level, and particularly if you’ve got a pure account management role, rather than a hybrid role of Project Manager, it is about having that situational awareness and having that external perspective. And this is a great starting point.
So why is researching so important? Well, the more you understand, the more you can help. And the more you are relevant to your client, and your agency, as well. So, for example, if you want to be introduced to more senior people in the client’s business, you have to be able to talk their language. The higher up you go in the client’s business, the more their narrative is about their business issues rather than the projects or the tactics that are helping them achieve their business outcomes. So their language isn’t about tactics and projects, it’s more about business. Every survey that I’ve read, where they’ve conducted it among clients, and referencing the services that we provide as agencies, this gets cited all of time about the account manager’s general lack of commercial acumen, or perhaps our inability to leverage learnings from other clients to help your current clients, or this lack of situational awareness. So you really need to get visibility of the client’s goals, their challenges, and also their environment so you can ultimately identify ways to help them. So that’s where we need to start with our research.
You also need to understand what’s changing in your agency’s industry and keep ahead of trends. So, for example, if you’re working in a social media agency, for example, what are the hot new channels? What are the different functionalities that are beginning to emerge? And how could they benefit your client’s business? And how could they help your client reach their goals? Your client looks at you, who is the expert in this field, who’s working with all of these social media channels on an ongoing basis, you’re immersed in it. So you are the expert, and you are the one that they look to, to come to them with those new ideas. Once you’ve got to a senior account management role, you already understand how your agency works, you know its services and capabilities, how it operates the processes, you’ve probably written a million proposals and timelines. And you may even have been involved in pitching for new business as well, for example. But now in a more senior role, you need to carve out some time to look at the more external perspective, meaning look at where the client is now, where they’re going, and how you can help them get there. So how can you do that? Well, I’m going to give you a few ideas on where to start your research.
So the first thing you can do is download your company’s reporting accounts from their website. And that will give you a really great overview of where the business is at. And if you want to look at the executive summary or the chairman’s speech, it’s usually a good place to start and they will give you an overview of the client’s performance as a business and perhaps where their area of focus is going to be moving forward.
You can also look at the client’s business name on the Companies House website. Because often when they post their profit and loss accounts, there will be some narrative that’s attached to that, that you can have a look at. If you are working with a client that’s a publicly traded company, then you can also download the transcripts from the investors’ meetings that happen on a quarterly basis. And that really tells you about the company’s performance, but also where their growth opportunities are. Do they have a pipeline of new products coming through? Are they expanding to new markets, are they using new channels? You can also Google the Ansoff growth matrix. And that gives you a really good starting point for a matrix, which can be a tool for identifying where your client’s growth strategy lies.
Number three, you can ask to hold a quarterly business review meeting. And these are meetings where your client shares their goals. And you will proactively bring ideas to that meeting. Or you could also ask to be involved in their internal planning meetings. So that means you would be able to input your ideas earlier in their planning cycle. Now, this could be you as an individual, or if your agency has a strategic director, strategy director or a strategic planning team, then maybe it’s more appropriate for one of those members of those teams to attend those meetings. But holding quarterly business reviews, or asking to be involved in their internal planning meetings, make sure that you are there contributing ideas earlier in the process and continuing to get visibility, and staying close to your client’s business.
In terms of research, you can also request the client’s organogram to understand their company structure, and where all the individuals are placed. And also it helps you identify the relationships that perhaps would be beneficial for you to develop in the client’s business. And another thing to do is to find out about their financial year end, and what time of year they do their planning and budgeting, because ideally, you want to be there as early as possible with those ideas to add value to their business during that key time, because that’s where the business decides what their plan is going to be moving forward.
The next idea, number five, is set up Google alerts for your client’s company name, their product name, their competitor names, you can also read client industry magazines, and perhaps attend events, and then follow the company and their employees on social media. For example, the CEO on LinkedIn, and they’re often the first ones to inform everyone what their strategies are or celebrating success. So it’s a really good way though, I hope there’s some ideas there that perhaps you’re not doing that you could be doing. There are a lot more, but I just want to give you a starting point. So that you really do invest that time in researching the client’s business.
And I like to refer to the podcast that I have with Kate Whittaker. And it was Episode One, actually, if you want to look back at that, and Kate is the head of Corporate Communications at Dual corporate risks insurance. And she said one of the main reasons she chose her agency was for their in depth understanding of her market and the environment. So it’s not a secret that clients really want you to understand their business. And I remember when I was at Publicis, we even invited a couple of very friendly clients who we really loved to come in and give us a talk for an hour on what they do on a day to day basis. And all of the agency came so that they could understand and listen and hear it from the horse’s mouth. We want to walk in your shoes, we want to understand your world. And the only way we can do that is by taking the time to really understand it. Interestingly, I also have had Carey Evans and Simon Rhind Tutt on the podcast from Relationship Audits and Management. They’re superb episodes, there’s actually three in total. And I remember that having worked with and interviewed hundreds of clients, I think it was Carey that said that on average, a client spends 7% of their week dealing with all of their agency supply relationships. So if you imagine that your client, as well as you, have other agencies to manage, then you are a tiny speck, really. And we sometimes think our clients are sitting there and not responding to us, why?, why? Actually, it’s because they’ve got a million and one other things to do. So the more we can understand about their world, their environments, it makes sure that every time you have that interaction with the client, you are demonstrating that you’re interested and professional. So don’t be the type of senior account manager demanding a promotion when if the agency owner asks you what your what’s your client turnover or what’s your client’s growth strategy, or what are their plan, you just can’t answer. So really take an interest in your client’s business. And, yes, it might take time to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together, to do all of the things that I’ve just suggested. But putting aside maybe half an hour a week to just focus on that will really make you feel more empowered, and more prepared.
And what if you don’t do the research? Well, you are in danger of being perceived as just an order taker, you certainly won’t be able to shift the perception to trusted advisor with your client. For the shift to happen, it really starts with being more informed. Also, things change at the client’s company that might trip you up. For example, if you’re not following the CEO on LinkedIn, then perhaps there’s going to be a change in the C suite that you didn’t see coming up, you didn’t see an announcement because you weren’t taking an interest. And often when new leadership comes in, things change and that could include a review of their current suppliers. So you may be unexpectedly presented with an RFI, request for information, to repitch for the business, if they’re looking to make cost savings, or consolidate their supplier list. So that’s just one example, because I know this has happened to a few of my agency account manager clients, but that’s another reason why you want to stay current and researching. So that is the first step of our Raising your game. It’s the R, it’s the Research. So I hope that’s useful.
So step two of this five step process is A of RAISE. And it’s A for Ask. So what do I mean by ask? Well, this is about having superb consulting skills, and having the ability to ask fantastic questions, and to really listen, and have the confidence to ask more probing questions. And sometimes we’re told to push back on clients. But pushing back should be more about stretching the client to think more deeply. And listening is about before you get too excited and start talking at the client about you and what you’ve done and what you can do, you really take the time to go deeper with your questioning, so that you are truly diagnosing the client’s problem. Going deeper, really getting under the skin of the client and understanding what’s really going on. And Ask isn’t about asking questions that you could find out yourself. We’ve just talked about researching. There’s no excuse for really sloppy questions. How many offices do you have? I mean, a lot of this you could find out for yourself. So do your research first. But then when you are with the client, make sure that you’re asking really brilliant questions that make the client think about the answer. Because asking questions is about gathering information, but it’s also about the client turning to you and say, Well, I hadn’t thought of that. That’s a really great question, making them think, because that’s where you really do demonstrate how good you are. So, why is this important? Well, asking great questions and being consultative really positions you in the eyes of the client as more valuable. And this will ultimately allow you and help you to, for example, be invited to client planning meetings. You know, if you’re just talking about delivery, and oh, yes, that’s fine, I’ll get that done, how quickly do you want that? You’re not really showing up as a trusted adviser, you’re showing up as an order taker. So your client will respond with how they treat you. But being more consultative, asking those probing questions will mean you will be seen differently. And perhaps the client will introduce you to more senior people, or you’ll get referred to more of their people.
Let’s not forget that management consulting firms are very, very good at consulting, and they are excellent at what they call ‘landing and expanding’. If you’re not familiar with that term, then I’d urge you to go back to Episode 45, with Richard Long from earthware who has worked for both independent agencies, and management consulting firms. He talks about how they work and he talks about how well the consulting firms are embedding themselves in a client company. Once they win a piece of business, they actually infiltrate and they’re very good at asking questions, understanding the business so that they can identify other ways that they can add value. So we need to be doing the same thing with our clients, we need to be always diagnosing, always asking questions. So that we can get under the skin of the business and identify ways that we can help. So how do we do that? Well, for example, if a client comes to you with a specific brief, for a specific tactic of course, you want to be enthusiastic and take the brief and be efficient. But it’s your opportunity to ask more in depth questions. Because you’re A, demonstrating you’re interested in their problem and B, demonstrating you understand, there may be another way to execute on this problem. So rather than saying, absolutely, how quickly do you need this? It’s just slightly reframing it and saying, Thank you for the brief appreciate this opportunity. This is really exciting. Can’t wait to get going. Do you mind if I ask a few questions before we do? Or typically, in a briefing stage, we always ask questions so that we can understand the background to the brief, to see if there’s other ways that we can help you and add value with some additional thoughts, so do you mind if I ask a few questions? So that’s the starting point. And then you start probing, give me a bit more background about this brief? Why did you select this tactic as the solution? What’s the outcome you’re looking to achieve? How are we going to measure success? What business need is this solving? Would you like some other suggestions for how this could be executed or implemented? In terms of business importance, is this a key priority? You could ask do you have a budget in mind or should we bring you a few options? How quickly would you like us to come up with ideas? So we go into this in a lot of detail in the Account Accelerator training programme. And there’s a huge amount of questions that you can ask in a certain flow. So we have a questioning framework that you can follow, and some ideas for examples.
But I always like to quote Blair Enns, the author of Win Without Pitching and Pricing Creativity, two fantastic books, by the way, if you haven’t read them already. He says, as you get more senior, there is more tension in the client relationship, because you are challenging the client more than you ever have done. So when you’re very junior, it’s about let me get that done, how quickly do you need that? But obviously, as you get more experienced, you want to be able to leverage your experience and expertise to provide a higher level of service for your clients so that they really see the value. And sometimes that means challenging their thinking and making them think differently and that is really where you are going to differentiate yourself. So when is the right time to start asking questions? Well, as soon as you can start asking really better questions, it starts to build your confidence. So, practise a few questions that you don’t usually ask. I call it batting back, practise using the power of silence and batting back. And battling back means when your client says something, rather than saying, oh, yes, we’ve done that before, how good or how quickly do you want that? Just say, well, tell me a bit more about that. What else? There’s a great acronym TED, tell me more, explain to me or describe to me. And they’re three excellent types of questions that you can ask to really elicit more information, because information is power. And you’ll understand the real motivation for what the client wants. So, practise that. And I actually find reading coaching books help with consulting skills, because it really does help with your ability to ask questions, to pause, to listen, to ask another related question about what they’ve just said.
And also, I would really urge you to follow Dr. Laura Janusik. Dr. Laura Janusik, joined me on episode 26 of the podcast. And she talks about the science and the power of great listening, and how listening is actually a brain based activity. Therefore, you can’t tell if someone’s listening to you if they are just nodding or leaning forward or making eye contact, because it’s brain based. And so the only way I mean, you might be thinking about what you’re going to have for tea, what you’re going to buy on the way home for dinner. But you’re still looking and nodding and we’ve all done it. But unless you tell me, unless you repeat what I’ve just said, or you reiterate what I’ve just said, then I know that you’ve really understood and you’ve listened. So try repeating back what you’ve heard, to demonstrate to your client that you really understand what the client’s telling you.
So what if you don’t ask questions, and you’re not consultative? Well, it’s really about credibility. And if you are stuck at your current level, and you do want a promotion, then you may perpetuate this perception of you as an order taker, you won’t get promotion opportunities. There could be internally in your agency, the perception of value. And you won’t be able to forecast accurately, if you’re not looking at the opportunities in the next year, asking about the client’s business asking about the pipeline, identifying the work that you will be doing in the future, then you won’t be accurately forecasting when the work will be happening, which consequently, the agency won’t be able to plan resource, they won’t be able to hire. And that’s going to ultimately affect you as well because you won’t have the resources to support you. So asking great questions, being consultative is the second step of raising your account management skills game.
So I hope you’ve taken some ideas from that. I hope they’ve given you a couple of reminders of things to do. And I will finish this episode on part two, where we’ll come back with three other areas to raise your account management game.
