Account manager

An Account Manager is a person who works for a company and is responsible for the management of sales and relationships with particular customers. An account manager maintains the company's existing relationships with a client or group of clients, so that they will continue using the company for business. The account manager does not manage the daily running of the account itself. They manage the relationship with the client of the account(s) they are assigned to. Generally, a client will remain with one account manager throughout the duration of hiring the company. Account managers serve as the interface between the customer service and the sales team in a company. They are assigned a company's existing client accounts. The purpose of being assigned particular clients is to create long term relationships with the portfolio of assigned clients. The account manager serves to understand the customer's demands, plan how to meet these demands, and generate sales for the company as a result.

Key accounts provide the most business because they contain a small number of clients which contribute a large portion of the company's sales. According to research, sales from a company's key accounts have increased from 23% in 1975 to 60% currently.

The responsibilities of an account manager can vary depending on the industry they work in, size of the company, and nature of the business. Each customer account can vary in demands and an account manager may work with brand managers for one account and a media department for another. Account managers usually report directly to the account director or agency director of the activity and status of accounts and transactions. An account manager may also manage a single account or a variety of accounts depending on the requirement of the company. Although the responsibility can vary between companies and between accounts, there are a shared set of common responsibilities which are as follows:

When account locations do not overlap the account manager can be placed at the divisional, district, or territory level. When a sales team has a senior sales manager, the account manager coordinates sales accounts from other departments or specialties. In this scenario, the sales team will work under the direct supervision of influencers and deciders instead of with a buyer.

Global account managers and national account managers may work together in a hierarchical or matrix structure. The trend is to move responsibility for the major key accounts to the global level.

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