6 QUALITIES OF AN EXCELLENT ACCOUNT MANAGER

6 QUALITIES OF AN EXCELLENT ACCOUNT MANAGER Holding an Account Manager (AM) position at an agency is no easy task. Everyone wants everything from the account team right now. Some Account Managers are analytical geniuses. Others have exceptional diplomatic skills. Whatever the style, great Account Managers share a wide range of capabilities.Here are the 6 qualities we believe every great Account Manager always has: 1. Know All Your Stakeholders Serving clients is critically important — that goes without saying. But a top AM understands that clients are just one of their key stakeholder groups. Clients may sit at the top of the priority list, but they're still just one of many groups that need attention. AMs also have to meet the expectations of agency leadership, and then there's the internal team — planners, creatives, producers, and so on — the very engines that keep the agency running. Think of clients, agency leadership, and colleagues as the legs of a chair. If any leg is shorter than the others, the whole business loses its balance. There are many people, many expectations, and many demands that AMs must juggle — which is exactly why this comes first. A great AM knows how to apply every quality on this list to all the groups they serve. 2. Communicate Effectively Communication is about both sharing and listening. Great AMs are quick and consistent in passing along important information — whether that's updating clients on campaign progress, briefing colleagues on client context for a project, or reporting on key accounts to leadership. They also listen far more than they talk. They ask questions to understand what's really going on. And they don't wait for others to come to them. Great AMs are genuinely invested in everyone's success — they proactively break down barriers and make people want to open up to them. No one likes uncertainty. Effective communication means expectations, priorities, and goals are always clear to everyone involved. 3. See Both the Big Picture and the Fine Print A great AM knows what matters — whether they're looking at the broad landscape or the smallest detail. They understand the market and the varying business objectives of each client. They have a clear view of where each project stands and how it's being executed and measured. They can also quantify the value the agency brings to the client — and vice versa. Even when they don't have every data point memorized, they always know exactly where to find it fast. Information is power. A great AM — one who works persuasively and efficiently — can identify problems before they happen and anticipate success while a project is still in motion. Knowing the details of what's happening makes for far more effective communication. 4. Be Willing to Get Your Hands Dirty The best AMs don't just manage clients. They've spent years in the trenches of marketing, having personally conceived and executed campaigns. They have track records that earn them real credibility and respect. They keep that hands-on spirit alive by staying current on marketing trends and their clients' industries — staying in sync with colleagues to understand how the agency operates and where the real challenges lie. An AM will struggle to convince clients without genuine experience and practical know-how. Any AM who wants to be taken seriously must bring real hustle and real work — not just relationships. 5. Avoid the One-Size-Fits-All Approach Because a great AM brings deep knowledge and broad experience, they have no interest in recycling the same idea across multiple clients. They take time to research each client — their industry, core consumer issues, brand personality, messaging, and goals. They guide their clients rather than simply manage them. And because the marketing world never stops changing, a great AM knows how to position their agency effectively and deliver creative solutions that help clients genuinely stand out. Agencies need to stand out too. A creative AM elevates the agency's value by demonstrating to clients that innovation and expertise are always evolving — never standing still. 6. Earn Respect Respect is the foundation of every strong relationship. Before an AM can get people to move in the right direction, they need to invest time in establishing their credibility, competence, and integrity. A great AM understands the motivations and concerns of both their team and their clients. They know how to build solid relationships with everyone around them — and they protect those people from being put in positions that exceed their capacity or that can't realistically be delivered, whether on the client side or internally. When an AM has a wide network built on genuine trust, their influence grows — with both colleagues and clients. That influence can resolve almost anything, from getting clients to align with realistic project timelines to securing the right resources for the team during execution. A Great Account Manager Wins New Business These qualities are especially powerful because together they create more value well beyond the day-to-day. When combined, they make AMs exceptional partners — ones who can spot opportunities for the agency to serve clients in new ways. In turn, they're also able to grow budgets and deepen existing client relationships. Clients always want more partners. But the best AM makes clients feel confident that this is the only agency they'll ever need. Huỳnh Ngọc / Brands Vietnam Source: Jami Oetting / HubSpot