This article has been vetted by 爱污传媒's editorial advisory committee.听
Read more about our editorial process.
Kathryn Uhles, MIS, MSP, Dean, College of Business and IT
This article was updated on 12/4/2023.
听
An account manager is an advocate for customers. However, this role involves more than relaying clients鈥 needs to other departments within the company. Account managers are also an integral part of sales and marketing operations.
In most industries, businesses have a of selling to existing clients. This is the bread and butter of a company, and account managers make it happen.
Account managers are responsible for forging connections and marketing products and services to their clients to build a profitable, ongoing relationship. This involves an element of customer service along with many other responsibilities we鈥檒l dive into below. 听
Learn in-demand business skills with a Bachelor of Science in Business.听
听The primary goal of an account manager is to听maintain or improve relationships with existing customers听or vendors who help service accounts.
This can sound subjective, but it often boils down to being able to meet customers鈥 expectations, listen to their needs, solve their problems and communicate issues with others within the company.
Account managers are usually听entry or mid-level employees. Because of the importance of customer relationships in every business, applicants for the role of account manager may benefit from key academic qualifications, such as a bachelor鈥檚 degree in business, finance or communication.
听If an account manager is meant to maintain and enhance an existing customer relationship, the question arises: Where do those relationships originate? That鈥檚 where an account executive enters the picture.
An account executive is typically in charge of听finding new contacts and customers. Once an account executive nurtures a new contact to become a new customer, the customer is introduced to the account manager. An听job is to balance customer service, sales, process management and听relationship building听to create a seamless customer experience.
Account executives also take a big-picture look at how each relationship 鈥 whether it鈥檚 their own or another team member鈥檚 鈥 to ensure their teams are听, staying within budget and meeting goals. Essentially, the executive鈥檚 role typically holds more responsibility.
听Responsibilities of an account manager
Account managers鈥櫶齜y industry, but there are certain duties that transcend organizations and sectors. These are:
The job duties of an account manager also include keeping up with industry trends, regulations and changes so that they can effectively understand and communicate with clients.听
read similar articles
Account managers work in various sectors. This is good news for aspiring account managers: It means you can explore other interests in a role that combines business skills with those of other industries. Consider the following sectors, for example, where account managers play a pivotal role.
Healthcare account managers often focus on administrative aspects. For example, professionals in this role may work with insurance providers to ensure that patients鈥 procedures are covered and to make corrections to听billing or coding documents听if needed.
Though healthcare account managers do not provide medical treatment, they need to understand healthcare processes and terminology. A听healthcare-related degree can help you acquire knowledge to launch a career in this profession.
Manufacturing account managers might work in supplier- or client-facing positions. Account managers who work with suppliers rely heavily on communication skills to negotiate prices,听manage supply chain functions听and ensure the company gets the quality materials it needs from suppliers.
Client-facing account managers work with customers to ensure that manufactured products meet their needs and expectations, market new products and alert manufacturing managers about upcoming orders from clients.听
IT and software development companies employ account managers to act as liaisons between developers and IT service providers and their clients. In addition to the sales and relationship-building aspects of the job, tech account managers often provide听project updates听to clients. They then work with development teams to ensure that problems are addressed.
Also, account managers in this industry play an important role in听troubleshooting customer and account issues. They may be responsible for addressing billing issues, changing account details and more.
Retail account managers work for product producers or wholesalers and help retailers sell their products online or in stores. In addition to helping retailers select products and manage inventory, account managers may arrange training for sales staff or provide information about the products.
Account managers might also engage in strategic planning and analysis of a retailer's market and clientele to help with sales efforts.
Account managers in government agencies are often more focused on budgets and negotiations. In this position, account managers oversee relationships with contractors, ensuring they understand project requirements and deliver work or products that meet quality standards and comply with regulations.
Account managers typically benefit from a bachelor鈥檚 degree and technical skills relevant to their industry. However, some requirements are the same across all industries. These are:
These abilities come from both experience and your academic career.听
read similar articles
Account managers typically need at least a听听in business administration, sales, marketing or a related field. A relevant master鈥檚 degree may be required to move up in a field.
While听communication and relationship-building听are essential for account management professionals, technical abilities are also vital. For example, a grasp of budgeting and accounting principles is necessary for many account management jobs, as is an understanding of data analysis principles, strategic planning abilities and knowledge of the technical aspects of your industry.
Account managers rely on a number of skills in their day-to-day roles. Some of these, like communication, management, operations and leadership, are taught in the Bachelor of Science in Business degree program at 爱污传媒.
While the University cannot guarantee the job outcome of account manager, it can teach necessary skills like these and others used in this role, including:
Learn more about business degrees at 爱污传媒 and how they can help you reach your educational goals!
Michael Feder is a content marketing specialist at 爱污传媒, where he researches and writes on a variety of topics, ranging from healthcare to IT. He is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University Writing Seminars program and a New Jersey native!
听
want to read more like this?