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Account Manager

An account manager can be an incredibly rewarding position. These positions are for people with exceptional interpersonal skills and an outgoing personality. You will be responsible for making the organization’s top clients satisfied.

Qualities of Account Managers

While the roles and responsibilities may change from organization to organization, the core characteristics of an account manager remain the same. Some of these characteristics cannot be taught, but one thing is certain, you must be a team player. Very little about being an account manager is about you, but everything is focused on how to satisfy the client.

As previously mentioned, you must have outstanding interpersonal skills. You will be working with top-level employees in other organizations, as well as executives in your own organization. The way you present yourself is highly important. You must be able to handle stress well. This position is not all about long lunches or golf. It is highly stressful, so you must be able to work well under pressure.

The Advantages & Disadvantages

This position is one for people who enjoy entertaining and making other people feel comfortable. There are many advantages and disadvantages to this position. Some people may perceive an advantage as a disadvantage and vice versa; it is dependent upon the person. An account manager is often required to take clients to lunches, dinners, events, or travel to the client’s business for meetings. While these seem like incredible opportunities to some, others may view it as time they have to spend away from their friends or family. You also must be very careful in this position to adhere to strict government regulations against bribes and unacceptable gifts. The regulations are a lot more strict than you might imagine.

You will be kept informed by other departments of new products or services the company is working on to keep your clients excited and interested in your organization. At the same time, you must be well-informed of what your competition is up to. You must spend as much time learning about your competition to find ways to remain competitive within the industry, and to hold on to your clients. You must attend to every request of the client. If they need you in another state first thing in the morning to demonstrate how to use the new product, you should be there. If they want you at a lunch meeting when you already have plans with a significant other, you should be there. This is a position where you will be responsible for millions of dollars in an account. Your job is to make the client happy, which is often fun and exciting, but also extremely challenging.

An account manager is an exciting position with many perks and challenges. If you are able to read people well, have excellent communication skills and are willing to work non-traditional hours, this may be the position for you. So sign up today.