I used to be an account man once, I still am, and proud.

Some lessons from the heart.

At almost every agency on the planet, I would bet that the one thing that you keep hearing about is the “negative” point of view towards those who they call “client servicing”. I despise this description completely, and believe that this very labeling has led to the current mundane behavioral change, and forms some of the reasons our business has lost some of its value to others. They are often called names, not pleasant ones, paper pushers, bad suits, waste of space and what have you. The days where this department had a much more elevated status have diminished. That’s the truth.

But Account Management as I want to call it is not dead yet, but it needs immediate cardiac rehab if its going to survive. As planner turned suit, and now CEO, I have a personal point of view on the importance of good account management for our business and some humble heartfelt advice. Hence using cardio lingo makes sense here to set the context.

An electrocardiogram as most know, also called an ECG, is a test that detects your heart’s electrical activity, it shows how fast your heart is beating, whether the rhythm of your heartbeat is steady or irregular.

Account mgt has had an irregular heartbeat for a while now which has caused the function to perform at sub-par levels, and the industry in general has not conducted regular ECG’s to ensure all impulses are functioning properly.

Account mgt as a culture has become more redundant over the past many years, its simply not pumping the energy needed for an agency to function in its true form.  And this makes me very sad, as the role has immense importance; not just for the creative product; but also for client management, product integration, growth, relationships, and the reputational excellence of the agency.  

I have had the privilege to work with some brilliant planning and account mgt women leaders throughout my career. Between them and over the years on the job; I have learnt all that I know today. And so I wanted to outline some pointers that have worked for me.  I do believe that if these basics are applied today, a lot of the arrhythmia that this function is experiencing can be rectified and the entire organ salvaged. But time is of the essence.

1- You are not servicing. You are consulting. Act accordingly. 

A fundamental mental shift that we need to overcome. A great consultant has a very deep understanding of what works and what doesn’t work for its business. In essence they are category and subject matter experts; and this means the way they think, feel, do is rooted in product knowledge and expertise. Effective consultants anticipate problems vs. simply reacting, and help their clients navigate through challenging points in the partnership. A consultant speaks with clarity, authority and experience. A consultant looks at a client's business with a broader view of its industry and competition, and it then marries that analysis with business and communication principles. Today, we desperately need these qualities in our agencies and our account mgt folks need to talk, act and represent this culture. No more lip-service. We are all seeing the invasion of the consultancies in the creative space and festivals, and enough opinions are commenting on this. Agencies have the creative culture that can best produce the best creative ideas; where we lack is the consultancy mindset and DNA. We need to now act the part in the business department so we can compete and take the game.

2- “Yes” may not be the best answer. 

Please don’t be a YES Man. And don’t try to be one. Nobody will respect you and you will find yourself isolated by all, including the clients you want to please. Have a point of view, be honest, don’t be agreeable with everything people say; because if people wanted a parrot in that role; it would have costed much less on SRS and saved so much hassle. Account mgt folks are there to be consultants and provide sound and honest advice. You are the expert, experts do say “yes”; but they have reasoning for everything. Make sure yours stacks up with every answer and justify the “why”. 

3- Don’t disown the strategy, it’s your baby, care for it.

Good planners are my favorite type of agency folks, they are true Unicorns in our business. They identify truth’s coming from all walks of life; cultural, societal, business, political, artistic, historic, cinematic, scientific, academic and eventually create a strategic way-in to solve a business, communication and brand challenge. They help package the creative idea and ensure it stays honest to the challenge at hand. It’s a truly unique and beautiful process and the good ones do this brilliantly, with soul. Planners are whole brain thinkers. They are constantly on the look out. They read, watch and are curious about life. They are creative as much as every creative should be. They are marketing scientists and analysts, they are artists. They also tend to create beautifully designed and crafted power-point decks and frameworks. Now, everything I have just covered should be the job description of a competent account management professional. But sadly today, a planner is the only person showing heart and taking ownership of these tasks. Hence clients always want more of the Account Planner Vs Account Manager. Account people should own the strategy like a planner and not pass the buck; or they will become redundant in the new agency model. Redundant.

4- It’s all about grounded relationships. Do you own a solid one with your C-Suite client and partner? 

Good account leaders provide great air cover for the team and agency as a whole. They ensure the relationship they hold with the clients carries weight and importance. They invest time into creating great relationships that are based on trust, open dialogue, respect, honesty, loyalty, good content, added value and more. These relationships take effort, but are needed more than ever. There should be no debate when it comes to the value great account management brings to your client relationships, we just need to make sure we exercise this basic courtesy properly. In today’s business world, clients buy relationships and people Vs. the agency label. They buy into the shared vision you create together. I am confident of this. It proves that our business is still human. But our relationship with the client must be based on solid thinking, creative counseling, and go way beyond a lunch, dinner and a glass of wine. 

5- What’s the name of this guy that manages an orchestra?

An orchestra conductor faces the ultimate leadership challenge. Creating perfect harmony without saying a word; and that’s a very hard task. This mastery can only be achieved if the person who is conducting knows all the instruments and tunes being played by his or her orchestra. In addition the orchestra must have total faith and respect in the conductor’s knowledge and leadership ability. So great account leaders should be talented maestro’s that understand the dynamics of all the different departments in their agency, understand the challenges, and ensure they create a floor where each competency can play their role in harmony and transparency. They also know what competency needs to come into the mix; play “ the note”, and exit. This harmony management is what agency integration is all about. The analogy of the melody is our version of the creative idea; and we are all there to manage the brand. We don’t serve anything; we manage everything.

The best Account leaders have an uncanny ability to know what each discipline will add to the creative process and make them work together in peace. If this role is fulfilled properly, and its starts with the quality of the account mgt person, it will lend itself to the most magical piece of music; and the opposite is also true. Today the latter is what clients are hearing most and complaining about; disintegration starts and ends with Account mgt. Period. 

6- Share the love of labor. It makes a huge difference. 

This one is about teamwork. What I hate more than anything is when the bad account guys float a brief on the last day of the week; 5pm, and ask for it to be delivered on the first day of the week. Hang-on, does that mean that you have just annihilated someone’s weekend? I think you just did and chances are its more than one person across the creative and strategy functions.

What’s worse is when account management go-off, have their weekend; even post their weekend selfies on instagram and really rub it in. Unintentionally. But this is unacceptable for many reasons. First and foremost, do your job properly. A weekend is a weekend for clients and agency. If you are unable to have that great relationship with your client partner and unable to manage such incidents from happening, then what value are you adding the brand and agency?  99% of clients wont like their weekend to be spoilt, so why are you nominating and volunteering the weekend of your colleagues? Now lets say that for whatever reason weekend work is needed, it’s a pitch, or a project that needs a weekend to be finished; it happens, but at least don’t let the creative folks go through it alone. Show up on that weekend and be present through out. Inspire them; roll up your sleeves and brainstorm with them, do whatever it takes to show solidarity. Its what makes the difference between the great suits and the ones that are detached. It creates a cultural bond that will stand the test of time and ultimately help you and the creative product of the agency. So next time you hit the last day of the week, and you’re about to do what I have just outlined; think twice. Enough is enough, in a proper and respectable agency everyone needs to be involved in the creative process, including account mgt.  So cancel your weekend plans and tuck in. 

7- Why are you not carrying a portfolio of your work?  Where is your passion for what you do? 

Account management should carry a creative portfolio. As an account mgt person have you not had any involvement in that last campaign you did? I am 100% sure you have. The proper account person has managed the client relationship through out; managed expectations on timings; managed to ensure a great brief is formulated; has helped on the insights and more. These are very important tasks. So why is it that you don’t  share and take your final work around? All account management folks must carry a creative portfolio. It’s a big deal. It shows your passion and love for what you do. And we so desperately need more account management with passion and love for this business. We are in the business of creativity, and its good to remind yourself of that constantly.  

8- Hydrate your mind, be curious, and seek the righteous path of continuous learning.

If you want to be interesting, be interested, were the words of the great David Ogilvy. When was the last time you were interested in reading a proper book, or an article on HBR, FastCompany, Economist, Vice, or Mashable? My final word is really about intellectual hydration. I don’t just mean water as its good for the heart and please drink more, I mean the account management folks in our industry today need to hydrate their mind, read, upgrade their skills, and remain informed of business, society and future. That’s what a consultancy mindset is all about. Good Planners read all the time as it helps them with inspiration. Creative guys also look for inspiration from all walks of life. So what are account management folks doing to hydrate their minds and stay ahead of the game?  Intellectual hydration as I want to call it, is a choice that you need to make to ensure you remain relevant and integral in this ever-evolving industry. Don’t get comfortable. Be curious. Read anything and everything, and make certain you can carry a multi-faceted discussion with your client the next time you meet. It will go a long way and put you on the path of becoming the “most interesting account person in the world”.  

Now over to you.

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