everything you wanted to know about account management
DESCRIPTION
Account Management Basics from a Media GuyTRANSCRIPT
All you ever needed to know about Account Management
All you ever needed to know about Account Management(from a media guy)
Be Professional• Be respectful of people’s time: Show
up to meetings on time, end on time• Be present, be engaged – not
checking email, phone or doing other work in the meeting– Computers closed (unless you are
taking notes)• If you can’t make a meeting, give a
reason as to why, in advance• Splel check. Small errors can distract
from the bigger picture of what you are presenting/communicating.
(Strong) Relationships
• Be honest, communicate often– If you have a solid foundation,
and have build trust, it is easier to have the difficult conversations when you need to
• Celebrate the “wins” and openly talk about any issues
• When communicating, consider your tone. Often, email correspondence can be misinterpreted
No One Has All the Answers
• Learn to say: “I don’t know, but I can find out”– Answer questions that you know, but don’t
fake it if you don’t know– *Give a date as to when you will get back to
them with the information• Always look to deliver the message in a
positive light– “I’m happy to do that but I’ll need to
reprioritize this to a later date…”
Communication• Touch base regularly with your account teams
and/or clients; develop an ongoing dialogue• Email is no substitute for face to face
conversation– Get up, walk over to their desk, speak in person
• Don’t assume that someone else is taking care of something. If you are on point, you are accountable
• If you are unclear ask – internal teams first, if no luck ask the client
• Document phone conversations with follow-up email and clear action items– “Thanks for speaking with me today… we agreed
that I would do XYZ by Friday and you would provide me with ABC by Tuesday…”
You’ve Got eMail• Who needs to be included in your response?
– Use “Reply All” sensibly• When differences of opinion arise in email –
connect face to face• Be thoughtful when you send emails. Avoid
shooting off quick messages• If you anticipate a few questions, collect
them all into 1 email• Organize the email so it is clear and concise
– A. – B. – C.
• Splel check and reread the email (out loud) before you send it
Sharing is Caring
• Share what you know and find with the team and clients– Makes us all smarter and
demonstrates thought leadership
• But before you do, add commentary - show how it applies or could apply to a client’s business– Demonstrates understanding and
provides business value
Dates ensure things move forward
• Provide dates and timelines – it aids in prioritization and keeps the team accountable. If the client doesn’t provide one, ask for one
• If you aren’t given a delivery date, ask for one/or recommend one
• Always give a date as to when you will follow up or what the next step is and when
Prep for Meetings
Share…in advance when possible, always at the start of the meeting
Agenda / ContextPurposeOutcomesPre-meeting requirements
Where is your meeting?
• Many times meetings occur at the client location– Be present whenever possible
• Customary for us to travel
– Use v-dash access to determine client and room availability
• Do you have travel time baked into your schedule?– Is it during rush hour?– Who is traveling with you?
• Do you have a room booked?• Do you have a dial in number?
In Meetings
• Be present – if you are going to be in the meeting “be in the meeting”
• Limit phone usage (phones down)• Take detailed notes for yourself -
designate a scribe if necessary• Determine action items• Assign responsibility and delivery
dates
Post Meeting (TPS Reports)
• Capture notes and send out a conference report to attendees (especially clients) - at minimum, document your “to-do” list with dates and send to participating parties and stakeholders• All decisions should be
documented and filed for future purposes