A good account executive makes a big difference
Published on 03/06/1997 under Ad Management
Whether you work for an advertising agency or the in-house advertising department of a large corporation, if you're in the account service group, your performance can have a huge impact on the success or failure of your entire agency team. Since I've viewed this situation from both sides of the agency/client fence, and have spent a considerable portion of my career in various account service positions, I have developed a long list of do's and don'ts. Here is the executive summary:
1. Think like a marketer
Your clients will respect you a lot more if you make an effort to understand the issues that are important to them. You don't have to be as knowledgeable as they are, you just have to cultivate a layman's (I prefer "Lamons") view of how things work and why.
For sure, you need to know the products and services you are assigned, inside and out. There are no shortcuts here, you just have to roll up your sleeves and jump into it with both feet. Study the literature. Take plant tours. Go to tradeshows. Watch videos. Take salespersons to lunch and pick their brains.
The worst thing you can do is act like you understand when you don't. I've found that people are willing to spend as much time as you need orienting you the first time, but if they discover you asking the same questions weeks later, they'll soon be back to doing things themselves without asking for your help. Don't fake it.
It's also important to know which companies are considered competitive and start collecting information on them. Study their ads, send for copies of their literature, observe their tradeshow strategies, etc. Sometimes you'll pick up on strategy changes before anyone else does.
Get in the habit of routing competitive information to key client contacts. Don't over do it. Only use this technique when you have something interesting to pass along. If you're not sure it's relevant, call first and ask. Then offer to drop a copy in the mail if your contact expresses interest.
2. Provide good direction
Your creative and media staff will jump through flaming hoops for you if they have faith in the direction you provide. Know "why" something is to be done, as well as "what."
Be able to separate the key or essential messages from secondary ones. Many clients (i.e., marketing or sales managers) want to tell the whole story in every communications project. After rattling off a dozen features and benefits, they're likely to answer your question, "which of these is most important?" with, "they all are!" Don't accept this for a minute. Keep probing and questioning until you start to get a feel for which ones are key and which aren't.
Another valuable talent for good AEs is the ability to spot a photo opportunity when you see one. Copywriters and art directors don't have the luxury of seeing all the things you've seen. They really want you to tell them what you think might work for visuals, even if they act like they don't.
(I know this sounds silly, but creative people always groan when an account person suggests a photo or illustration idea. But even as they are rejecting your "stupid" idea, they are springboarding to something they think might be better. If you don't prime the pump, they're stumped!)
3. Fight for adequate time and money
If you're constantly getting dumped on with last second projects, that's a definite danger signal that something is wrong with your client relationships. Time is an essential element in doing good work. Maybe you're not thinking ahead and asking for the assignment early enough.
Another limiting factor is money, or the lack thereof. Good AEs know what things cost and work hard to get clients to accept or agree to realistic budgets.
I've said it before, but time, money and direction are the three things that impact most on an agency's work. Make sure your team has plenty of each, and then insist that they "knock one out of the park" every time up.
4. Track program results
Accountability is very important in today's business world. Be interested in how things turn out, even if your group was only involved in part of the total program. If your client refuses to spend money on tracking research, find a way to track it anyway.(Sometimes your trade publication reps can help.)
Early in my career, I was cautioned to not put too much importance in isolated bits of research data. Now, with so many inexperienced managers making naive decisions that negatively impact their company's marketing communications programs, I'd counsel that any data is better than no data. Do whatever it takes to get the right decisions made.
5. Be organized
Know where information is stored. Take extra time to develop a system that works for you so that when clients call with a question, you can put your hands on the answer in nothing flat.
The flip side of this is that you never seem to have the answer, or that it takes an incredibly long time for you to call them back. Sooner or later, they stop calling.
6. Get your clients to like you
They don't have to be your best buddy, but it is important that they enjoy your company. One of my first mentors, Marvin McQueen, put it this way, "When you stick your head in their office and say hello, they look up and smile."
This is very important, because there's an unwritten law in business that especially applies to agency/client relationships: people don't have to work with people they don't like. In the short term they may put up with you, but eventually they figure a way to work with someone they like.
That's the way the Account Service ball bounces. With some practice, maybe you can get it to bounce your way.