I was asked to write a blog on what makes a good account manager. It first takes clarification on what’s the difference between an account manager vs. sales representative. I see the job titles used interchangeably but in my mind, they are very different.
A sales representative focuses most of their energy on new business and “hunting” where as an account manager focuses most of their time on managing existing accounts “farming” and growing them with some expectation on “hunting”
For this blog, we will focus on account managers. I’ve done both styles of selling for 20+ years and one is not better than the other. However, some people are cut out better for one versus the other. Here is what makes a GREAT account manager in my eyes.
- Be responsive – Your livelihood is to service your clients and make them happy (or as happy as they can ever be) and we now live in the age of an “always on” workforce. If you can’t provide answers within a timely manner or respond within the business day you are showing your client that they just aren’t that important. It will open the door to competition and nobody needs any more of that!
- Be informed – Most account managers I know have anywhere from 5-25 clients (a manageable number). If you have more than that maybe you have an inside team or some form of sales support to help you out. Either way, it is your job to know everything about your client. This means reading the annual shareholder letter from the CEO if public, local news about the company, financial health if public, etc. The worst thing an account manager can do is view their client as a transaction and not as an extension of their team. The best account managers are in tune with the customer as if they were signing their paycheck (OH WAIT … THEY ARE!!)
- Be knowledgeable – Don’t confuse this with being an expert. Most organizations have product specialist or service offering experts. Your job as an account manager is to know everything “on the truck” well enough to identify REAL opportunities. This knowledge allows you to focus on QUALIFYING each lead or prospect to see if they are a fit for what you have before wasting anyone’s time on unqualified leads. I’ve seen way too many sales people and account managers think they have a lead or opportunity simply because they had a conversation with a decision maker.
- Be a storyteller – Facts tell and stories sell. We’ve all heard this and it’s true. The more stories we learn from our existing clients the more value we are to our clients. People relate to and remember stories. They won’t remember the speeds, feeds, iops, bandwidth, etc. They will remember how another company you helped solved a similar problem to theirs with your product and/or service. This also earns you trust with the client as they now feel as if they aren’t alone and that it’s not your first time helping someone in their situation.
- Be organized – This could be a blog in and of itself. I see this as not only being reliable and prompt with your schedule but also in your forecasting. Most people in sales put undue pressure on themselves at the end of a quarter or year due to being unorganized and letting things slip until the last minute. Missing deadlines starts to become the clients issue when you are putting them under pressure to do a deal on your timeframe, when if done correctly, the sale should happen smoothly and never under a rush. Do yourself a favor and keep up with small daily activities so that the well never runs dry and you don’t have to go into catchup mode.
- Be there – Be there even when there isn’t a deal on the table. If you only show up when there is a need what message are you sending? The only way to differentiate from the competition is to be of so much value that they refuse to look at your competition. This means doing lunch and learns, happy hours, dinners, and events even when nothing is on the table to discuss. This is where true business partnerships are formed and respected. They don’t really care how much you know, they want to know how much you care.
- Be real – Last point here is to be yourself. I can tell you from my years of experience and listening to my peer’s phone calls that if you are acting genuine and sincere it will show! I’ve seen everything from a weird voice to sound more professional, to simply being socially awkward when around your client from not being themselves. Business is all about relationships. I think everyone would agree that to bond and build a solid relationship we all need to be ourselves and the best professional version of ourselves when doing business.
On a final note, treat your clients and customers how you want to be sold to and managed. If it ever feels wrong or uncomfortable your best bet is to search for an alternative way that feels good for both parties. Here’s to finishing the year strong and making 2017 your best year ever!
Feel free to comment, like, or share if this provided any value for you.
If you know anyone that would make a great sales representative or account manager please let me know. We are always hiring top sales talent here at MatchPoint Consulting Group (www.matchpointcg.com) to service our clients better and to continue or nationwide expansion.