The Secret Lives of Account Managers

They aren't just the every day POC - they have superpowers

Author

Tim Kilroy
13 Nov • Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

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In Today's Edition

The Account Manager Isn’t There Just To Respond To The Client

Let’s clear up a common myth: an account manager isn’t just a client responder, here to keep clients “happy.” Nope. They’re the conductor of two orchestras—your client’s and your agency’s. 🎻🎷

Here’s the scoop:

• Voice of the Client: The account manager translates the client’s world—budget shifts, new product launches, changes in profitability—into actionable insight for your agency. They’re in tune with the client’s business realities and adjust the agency’s performance accordingly.

• Agency Orchestrator: They’re more than project managers; they’re pulling in the right “musicians” at the right times. Whether it’s the strategist or a subject matter expert, the account manager knows who needs to step in and when.

• The Client Relationship Strategist: They’re not just there to “do what the client says.” The account manager asks tough questions, aligning the client’s goals with agency capabilities and assessing when to push for upsells or a pivot.

An account manager isn’t about weekly check-ins or progress reports—they’re about harmonizing client needs with agency resources, so the music plays smoothly on both sides. They ensure both the agency and client are singing from the same sheet music, making sure every note is in sync.

Watch “The Account Conductor” on YouTube

News This Week

  • Meta Turns Dow The Personalization In The EU: Via Reuters, Meta is allowing much more control over personal info and therefore it will have less precise targeting. Good news for privacy hawks - bad news for marketers? Dunno. Timeframe for implementation isn’t clear, but given how much the EU bristles at Meta’s overreach, I am guessing sooner rather than later. On some days, it must suck to be Zuck.

  • Does AI Actually Stand for Agency Instability? Via the WSJ, AI is upending the time and materials billing practices of many agencies forcing them to think less about their hourly rates and more about value pricing. Huge agencies are very creative - but they aren’t very nimble. The entrenched time-tracking/billing industrial complex probably isn’t super happy about this - and neither are the billing people at these agencies. In some respects, I think it is good for the industry, but it will lead to future profit variability which may mean fewer private jets headed to Cannes in 2025.

  • WTF Salesforce? Via Bloomberg, Salesforce is hiring 1000 salespeople to sell AI agents. I don’t know, but it strikes me as hilarious. Can’t they just create a “Sell an AI Agent” Agent?

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