Our take on the topic ‘Is the role of Account Management under threat?’

Our client services team are the backbone of the agency, the go-getters, the strategists, the analysists, the puppet-masters, the organisers, they’re the ones that keep the wheels turning and are so crucial to building and fostering relationships. We decided to get Amy and Laura’s perspective on this topic.

Amy Grigg’s view, Account Director:

“Creative minds indulge in their daydreams. When the mind is not actively working on solving specific problems or completing a set task it is free to imagine, create and dream big.

“The above statement sums up why great agencies need Account Managers.

By taking away the ‘problems’ we allow our creatives to truly thrive in doing what they do best. The same applies to our social, digital and photography specialist teams. The Account Manager steers the ship, organises budgets, timings and assures the client that all is going swimmingly, even when things have gone completely wrong and you’re secretly pulling an all-nighter.

What’s more, a Client Service team should be the heart of the agency.

We’re the negotiators, the ego-massagers, the realists and the cheerleaders. We’re the ones who know where the loo roll is (cue eye roll) and the ones who’re prepared to be on the front line, taking the flack when the client isn’t 100% happy.

In my opinion, great Account Managers come from creative backgrounds with a well-rounded skill-set. They know enough to be able to feed the creative process and have an opinion, but they are also strategically-minded. They’re thinking about what’s coming next and what more can be offered whilst the creative team are getting on with the task at hand. They know what the client wants, before the client even knows themselves and can persuade even the most tight-fisted of budget-holders to invest just that little bit more to truly deliver something exceptional.

Your Client Services team nurture the business and help drive it forwards – they know everything about everyone and are the go-to for gossip or moans. They’ve a helicopter view of resource, workload and finances and can tell you when somebody has a hidden skillset that needs to be utilised or has just lost their pet hamster and just need you to go easy on them for a day.

If you think your agency can survive without Account Managers, then you aren’t employing the right ones!”

Laura Duffy’s view, Account Manager:

“Focus is everything, allowing people to excel in what they specialise in, letting a creative be a creative, a copywriter excel in their craft. You wouldn’t expect a surgeon to book in his own surgeries. We’re the ‘go to’ for the client, a point of contact where all key information can be relayed and understood in the wider context of the brand. A good account team are cohesive, seamlessly make things happen and won’t overcomplicate the process but instead ensure the right people, information and involvement at the right time to budget and deadlines. Without this focus how can the creative team really produce their best work?”