I've always maintained that not enough is written about account management. This is, of course, a shame because without finely-tuned account management, the hopes of getting to, and especially maintaining, great creative work is futile.
A while ago I wrote a post highlighting some general principles of Account Management. And I still hold the opinions expressed there. But I found myself adding to this the other day... A more tactical list of things to think and do if you work in account management today. And I wanted to share.
So, for what it's worth, here are 9 things I believe all account people need to do be sure they're doing right now:
1. Crave The New Stuff
As a group, account management must get better about discovery... Get out there and experiment with the new stuff. Especially online. Be first. It's fun. Don't wait for others to tell you about things. Besides, if you are going to lead clients into the new world of media (search & share, transparency, innovation) you must experiment with things yourself.
2. Keep Your Focus On Loving Great Work
Great account people salivate when they see great work. Average account people don't. (Actually, if you don't salivate when you see great work, perhaps Account Management isn't for you.) Never forget: When it comes to agency/client relationships it's all about the work and the business results that come from it. Great account people study fantastic creative from around the world and they can quickly recite the agencies who create the good stuff.
3. Move Quicker, Be Specific
Shorter emails. Shorter conversations. Concise PowerPoints please.
4. Embrace Change and Uncertainty
Predictability is a luxury of the past. The account person of 2009 must love constant change. Each day must truly be entered with a sense of excitement about what could happen and what new ideas are needed. (If you need inspiration, read this Robert Bly poem from time to time.) Also, you never know what the blogosphere or Twitter hold in store for your brands... It's exciting times, 24 hours a day.
5. Think in Shades of Gray
In the old days, marketers had to live with creative decisions for a very long time. Entire campaigns--typically consisting of TV, print and outdoor--were created to be "this year's campaign," which meant a bad copy line would be tied to a brand for eons. Because of this, agencies and clients had to be very strict and oftentimes over-think creative application. Answers were either black or white.
But the web has changed all that. Not only can we alter things immediately and bring new ideas to life in a matter of seconds, but the attention span of the consumer is tiny. We all must not be so strict with ideas. They should be malleable and ready for refinement by consumers, clients or fellow marketing partners. Champion the thinking that creative solutions today are shades of gray.
6. Have a Sense of Design
This goes on every list I ever make about Account Management... Always take the time to make your presentations LOOK GOOD. Yes it adds extra time but it will pay off. No one expects you to be Helmut Krone, just have a sense of pride in the design of your stuff. Read this. Take cues from things like this.
7. Talk More
In business today more and more people are spending entire days leading from their computer through some combination of email, IM and social media. Resist this. Subjectivity requires human-to-human contact. Get up, walk around, talk to people. And please don't ignore the phone. (It's kind of funny: we have cooler and cooler phones, but we use them less and less to actually talk.)
8. Always Be Reachable & Don't Be So Serious
Consumers interact with brands 24 hours a day. This means clients are always working. And this means great account people are always working. But being reachable on Saturday night comes with the ability to have more fun with colleagues and clients when they call or reach out in social media. Embrace this. Have fun with situations. Business must not entirely cease to have a sense of humor. And regardless of economic conditions, I feel we are genuinely close to this happening.
9. Study Account Planning and Business Consulting More
I feel Account Planning is as vibrant as it's ever been. Added to this, agencies are also looking at business consultants to join their teams. I think this is great. But the likihood of most agencies having the financial ability--or the consistent workload--to have an entire department of business consultants available is slim. Therefore, today's account executive should study each of these disciplines as much as possible. To add the most value, think less like an account executive and more like your own unique hybrid blend of planner and business consultant.
