WHAT DOES AN ACCOUNT MANAGER DO?

Published: Nov 04, 2023 - The Account Manager cultivates a robust network within the retail sector, staying abreast of market trends to seize opportunities efficiently. Utilizes Salesforce to manage acquisition pipelines and refine pilot phases for newly onboarded clients, setting critical performance indicators to solidify foundational partnerships. Leads internal project teams, ensuring high service standards and strategic partnership development to drive business growth and client satisfaction.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Account Manager

1. Account Manager Duties

  • Networking: Create a strong network within the retail market and be aware of market developments to grasp opportunities.
  • CRM Management: Use Salesforce in order to execute the acquisition pipelines and optimize pilot phases of newly acquired clients.
  • KPI Setting: Set KPI’s together with clients for the pilot phase such as liquidity to set the base of a strong partnership.
  • Client Feedback: Provide updates and feedback of (new) clients for the optimization of product and processes.
  • Opportunity Management: Follow-up (automated) opportunities within portfolio to boost business.
  • Revenue Generation: Drive revenue through new business, reactivation, cross- and upselling.
  • Client Service: Provide high service to make sure (new) retail clients have the best experience and are able to use Temper the right way.
  • Partnership Development: Setting up partnerships and campaigns for referrals and retail clients.
  • Business Planning: Create monthly, and quarterly plans on expected new business and new pilots.
  • Trend Recognition: Recognize industry trends.
  • Data Analysis: Analyze data to translate client performance and customer requirements into expectations as well as actions and plans.
  • Pilot Evaluation: Evaluate pilots with new clients.
  • Leadership: Provide internal leadership on an account or projects, including publication planning, meetings and events, digital.
  • Relationship Building: Develop and maintain strong working relationships with team members/freelancers and other third-party suppliers to provide coherent, high-quality client service.
  • Editorial Support: Develop strong relationships with the editorial teams to support them in quality delivery and ensure smooth running and optimal communication within the extended team and with clients.
  • Team Management: Manage, lead and motivate Client Services team members, adhering to Company policies and procedures.
  • Project Management: Develop and maintain project critical paths, ensuring all resources are in place to meet delivery milestones.

2. Account Manager Details

  • Direct Reporting: Reports directly to the Commercial Director.
  • Client Support: Provides professional and courteous support for clients and external suppliers through phone or email communications, resolving tickets or calls, and timely escalating complex concerns to the Account Manager.
  • Policy Adherence: Is acquainted with team policies and procedures to ensure accurate delivery of clients' orders, branding, and specifications at high quality.
  • Product Knowledge: Acquires fundamental knowledge in products and procedures relating to external supplier guidelines.
  • Communication: Communicates client information, concerns, or requests frequently to the relevant Account Manager or internal teams.
  • Professional Development: Participates in cross-training and actively seeks further knowledge about clients, systems, products, and processes to enhance customer relations.
  • Relationship Management: Establishes and manages relationships with potential and existing customers.
  • Sales Negotiation: Negotiates and closes deals with customers.
  • Issue Resolution: Resolves technical and business issues.
  • Customer Monitoring: Monitors customers’ accounts to retain them.
  • Market Expansion: Reaches out to new markets and discovers new business opportunities.
  • Opportunity Development: Collaborates with marketing and sales to identify and leverage new opportunities.
  • Team Management: Manages a small team of employees.
  • Project Leadership: Is responsible for project management and provides all relevant job information to clients and the agency team.
  • Integrated Communication: Understands the agency’s integrated offerings and has a deep understanding of all aspects of communication development and production.

3. Account Manager Responsibilities

  • Client Management: Operating as the lead point of contact for any and all matters specific to a client’s account.
  • Relationship Building: Building and maintaining strong, long-lasting client relationships.
  • Best Practices Implementation: Utilize industry best practices, techniques, and standards throughout execution of client projects.
  • Client Communication: Maintain relationships with clients and keep clients informed of progress of projects.
  • Solution Delivery: Ensure the timely and successful delivery of solutions according to a client’s needs and objectives.
  • Project Scheduling: Responsible for ensuring the scope and direction of each project for a client is on schedule.
  • Sales Collaboration: Collaborate with sales team to identify and grow opportunities.
  • Issue Resolution: Assist with challenging client requests or escalations.
  • Key Account Management: Operating as the lead point of contact for dealers and key accounts.
  • Field Tracking: Setting up field tracking and reporting system.
  • Competitor Monitoring: Monitoring and reporting competitor activities in the country.
  • Action Planning: Creating necessary action plans.
  • Stock Tracking: Supporting warehousing (stock tracking, etc.) and other tasks as per company requirements.
  • Market Understanding: Builds a thorough understanding of the client’s business and how it operates within the market it exists in.
  • Client Engagement: Starts to develop trusting client/agency relationships by efficiently meeting the day-to-day client needs.
  • Community Building: Build up restaurant community (Proactive reach-out & build events).
  • Outstanding Review: Review and resolve outstanding.

4. Account Manager Accountabilities

  • Account Management: Manage a portfolio of accounts to achieve long-term success.
  • Prospecting: Prospect and close new opportunities in the area of transport & logistic service providers.
  • Lead Identification: Identify new leads and follow up as appropriate using CRM tools.
  • Business Development: Generate new business using existing and potential customer networks.
  • Portfolio Management: Plan and manage personal business portfolio according to an agreed market development strategy.
  • Product Management: Manage product/service mix, pricing and margins according to agreed targets.
  • Customer Relations: Act as the point of contact and handle customers’ individual needs.
  • Status Reporting: Report on the status of accounts and transactions in cooperation with the internal sales assistant.
  • Marketing Support: Support marketing activities such as product launches, promotions, advertising and exhibitions.
  • Target Setting: Set and track sales account targets, aligned with company objectives.
  • Market Analysis: Collect and analyse market-related information.
  • Performance Improvement: Suggest actions to improve sales performance and identify opportunities for growth.
  • Team Coordination: Lead the process of integrated work and manage effective relationships across agency multi-disciplinary teams.
  • Strategic Thinking: Develops presentation skills, how to think more strategically and will own all tactical briefs.
  • Procedure Compliance: Ensure that agency systems and procedures are followed.
  • Resource Utilization: Utilize agency resources appropriately and efficiently.
  • Financial Management: Successfully manage the monthly financial processing including estimates, purchase orders and JDRs.

5. Account Manager Functions

  • Relationship Management: Serve as a trusted adviser and strategic partner by managing relationships with customers in APAC.
  • Client Relationship Building: Build excellent relationships with existing accounts.
  • Customer Insight: Identify customer needs and opportunities, offering solutions based on Surecomp's products and services.
  • Customer Liaison: Act as the customer focal point for all activities with Surecomp, including implementation, sales, finance, etc.
  • Sales Enhancement: Upsell and cross-sell to current customers, including product upgrades, training, and service opportunities.
  • Customer Satisfaction: Develop initiatives to increase customer satisfaction and retention.
  • Proposal Management: Manage the proposal process.
  • Market Awareness: Stay current on products, services, and industry trends.
  • Client Presentation: Develop and perform presentations to clients about products and services.
  • Reference Acquisition: Obtain references from customers.
  • Sales Forecasting: Create sales pipeline and forecasting information for management.
  • Account Management: Manage vertical key accounts by developing and maintaining positive business relationships with various stakeholders within customer organizations to increase the share of wallet of key accounts.
  • Growth Strategy: Execute a business strategy for growth across product lines in assigned market segments.
  • Business Development: Plan and execute business development activities for assigned key accounts.
Relevant Information
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