What Highly Successful Account Managers Do Every Day

DOT & Company

28 Jun 202110:55

EducationalLearning

32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThe 'Happy Clients Podcast' by Dot and Company offers insights into the daily life of a client account manager. It highlights the importance of day planning, achieving 'inbox zero', effective project management, celebrating team wins, and keeping the team updated. These practices are key to the success of client account managers in delivering a premium client experience and maintaining smooth agency operations.

Takeaways

💼 A day in the life of a client account manager involves balancing multiple accounts and prioritizing tasks effectively.
📅 Planning and organizing the day start with reviewing the calendar, especially for meetings across different time zones.
🌍 Working with clients in different time zones requires prompt morning updates to ensure smooth communication and project progress.
🔥 Checking for urgent issues or 'fires' first thing in the morning helps manage unexpected tasks effectively.
📧 Achieving 'inbox zero' is crucial for ensuring all tasks are completed and no client requests are missed.
🔄 Effective project management often involves 'nagging' or following up with clients and team members to keep projects on track.
🏆 Celebrating wins and sharing positive feedback strengthens team morale and keeps everyone motivated.
📊 Keeping the team updated on the status of projects and client relationships prevents miscommunication and ensures smooth operations.
📝 Internal daily updates or 'pulses' in communication channels like Slack help agency owners stay informed without micromanaging.
🤝 Successful account management involves a combination of meticulous planning, proactive communication, and fostering a collaborative team environment.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of this episode of the Happy Clients Podcast?
-The main purpose is to give a glimpse into the day-to-day activities of client account managers and how they are trained to be successful.
What are the initial steps a client account manager takes to plan their day?
-A client account manager starts their day by looking at their calendar, prioritizing tasks, and planning out their meetings, often starting with a review of ongoing projects and current priorities.
How do client account managers handle working with multiple agencies in different time zones?
-Client account managers prioritize tasks based on time zones, ensuring they address urgent matters for agencies in earlier time zones first, and then manage their day according to their schedule.
Why is achieving 'inbox zero' important for client account managers?
-Achieving 'inbox zero' ensures that nothing falls through the cracks and helps client account managers stay organized and efficient, allowing them to be confident that all tasks are addressed.
What role does project management play in a client account manager's daily routine?
-Project management involves keeping clients and team members on track with deadlines, ensuring projects are progressing as planned, and maintaining communication to avoid any lapses or delays.
How do client account managers handle potential 'fires' or urgent issues that arise overnight?
-They start their day by checking emails and slack channels for any urgent issues that need immediate attention, ensuring that any 'fires' are addressed promptly to maintain smooth operations.
What is the significance of celebrating wins within the team for client account managers?
-Celebrating wins helps build team morale, fosters a positive work environment, and ensures that everyone's efforts are recognized and appreciated, which is crucial for maintaining motivation and collaboration.
How do client account managers keep the team updated on project statuses?
-They use tools like daily pulses or end-of-day updates to provide a snapshot of current project statuses, ensuring transparency and keeping everyone informed on progress and next steps.
What strategies do client account managers use to balance flexibility and structure in their workday?
-They plan their day as much as possible while staying flexible to adjust to unexpected changes, allowing them to manage multiple accounts effectively without being overwhelmed.
How do client account managers differentiate between nagging and project management?
-Project management involves proactive communication and follow-ups to ensure tasks are completed on time, whereas nagging implies unnecessary or excessive reminders. Effective project management is seen as supportive and necessary for meeting deadlines.

Outlines

00:00

📅 Daily Life of a Client Account Manager

This section introduces the topic of the podcast, addressing common questions about the day-to-day activities of client account managers at Dot & Company. It emphasizes the importance of prioritizing tasks, handling multiple accounts, and balancing various responsibilities throughout the day. The hosts discuss the importance of meetings, color-coordinating calendars, and managing time zones effectively to ensure all clients receive adequate attention.

05:00

🕒 Planning and Flexibility in CAM Work

This part of the podcast focuses on the necessity of planning and flexibility in managing different agencies. The hosts highlight the need to be fluid in time management, especially when dealing with agencies across various time zones. They also discuss the importance of checking emails and Slack channels first thing in the morning to address any urgent issues that may have arisen overnight, ensuring that the day's tasks are managed efficiently.

10:01

📧 Achieving Inbox Zero

The hosts stress the importance of reaching 'inbox zero' by the end of each day, ensuring that no tasks fall through the cracks. They discuss strategies for maintaining an organized inbox and prioritizing tasks to achieve this goal. The conversation includes practical tips on managing emails and setting realistic daily goals to maintain productivity and efficiency.

📊 Project Management and Accountability

This segment explores the role of client account managers in project management. The hosts explain how a significant part of their job involves chasing down tasks and ensuring project deadlines are met. They differentiate between nagging and project managing, emphasizing the importance of accountability in maintaining client relationships and keeping projects on track.

🎉 Celebrating Team Wins

The hosts discuss the importance of celebrating team successes and sharing positive feedback from clients. They highlight the role of client account managers in fostering a positive team environment and keeping remote teams motivated. Sharing wins and recognizing individual contributions are presented as key factors in building a cohesive and productive team.

📈 Updating the Team

In this section, the hosts talk about the necessity of keeping the team updated on project progress and client statuses. They suggest methods for providing regular updates, such as daily pulses and end-of-day summaries, to ensure transparency and prevent misunderstandings. The importance of clear communication and proactive updates is emphasized to maintain team cohesion and client satisfaction.

💡 Five Essential Tips for CAM Success

The podcast concludes with a recap of the five key tips for successful client account management: planning the day, achieving inbox zero, project managing effectively, celebrating team wins, and keeping the team updated. The hosts reiterate the importance of these practices in maintaining productivity and ensuring client satisfaction, encouraging listeners to implement these strategies in their own work.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Client Account Manager

A Client Account Manager (CAM) is a professional responsible for maintaining and enhancing relationships with clients, ensuring their needs are met, and their accounts are managed effectively. In the video, CAMs are described as handling multiple accounts, prioritizing tasks, and being flexible to accommodate different client requirements.

💡Prioritizing

Prioritizing refers to the process of arranging tasks in order of importance to ensure that the most critical activities receive the most attention. The video emphasizes the importance of prioritizing tasks for CAMs, as they often juggle multiple accounts and responsibilities simultaneously.

💡Meetings

Meetings are scheduled gatherings where participants discuss and address various topics or issues. The script highlights that CAMs start their day with meetings to coordinate their tasks, plan their day, and address any immediate concerns with their clients and team members.

💡Time Zones

Time Zones are geographical regions where the same standard time is used. The video mentions the challenge of managing clients across different time zones, requiring CAMs to be aware of and adjust their schedules to ensure timely communication and support for all clients.

💡Inbox Zero

Inbox Zero is a rigorous approach to email management where the goal is to keep the inbox empty or nearly empty at all times. The video discusses how reaching inbox zero is crucial for CAMs to ensure that no tasks or client communications fall through the cracks, thereby maintaining efficiency and reliability.

💡Project Management

Project Management involves planning, executing, and overseeing projects to achieve specific goals within specified constraints. CAMs in the video are described as wearing the project management hat, meaning they often have to chase updates, ensure tasks are completed on time, and keep projects on track to meet client expectations.

💡Celebrate Wins

Celebrating Wins refers to acknowledging and appreciating the successes and positive outcomes achieved by a team. The video advises CAMs to share and celebrate wins with their team to foster a positive work environment, motivate team members, and reinforce the value of their collective efforts.

💡Daily Pulse

The Daily Pulse is a quick, regular update that provides a snapshot of ongoing tasks, project statuses, and priorities. In the video, it is mentioned as an internal practice where CAMs share a brief overview of the day's activities with their team to ensure everyone is informed and aligned.

💡Flexibility

Flexibility in this context refers to the ability of CAMs to adapt their schedules and approaches to accommodate changing priorities and urgent tasks. The video underscores the need for CAMs to be flexible to manage different client needs effectively throughout the day.

💡Accountability

Accountability means being responsible for one's actions and tasks. CAMs must ensure that they follow through on commitments, manage client relationships effectively, and keep all stakeholders updated on progress. The video emphasizes the importance of accountability in maintaining trust and efficiency in client account management.

Highlights

The podcast episode aims to provide insights into the daily life of a client account manager and their training to be premium client-facing.

Client account managers (CAMs) often juggle multiple accounts, requiring meticulous daily planning and prioritization.

CAMs' days typically begin with meetings, which are color-coordinated and strategically scheduled to manage time effectively.

The importance of being flexible in daily planning to accommodate impromptu tasks and meetings is emphasized.

Account managers must consider time zones when working with international agencies to ensure effective communication.

Checking inboxes and Slack channels first thing in the morning helps CAMs to identify and address urgent issues promptly.

Achieving 'Inbox Zero' is crucial for a CAM to ensure no tasks are overlooked and to maintain efficiency.

Project management is a significant part of a CAM's role, involving constant follow-ups and ensuring projects stay on track.

The difference between nagging and effective project management is highlighted, with the latter being essential for client satisfaction.

Account managers are responsible for keeping clients informed and feeling valued, even when managing behind-the-scenes tasks.

Celebrating team wins is identified as a key aspect of enhancing team cohesion and boosting morale.

Community management and sharing successes across the team are vital for remote work environments.

Regular updates on project status are necessary to prevent misunderstandings and to keep the team informed.

The 'daily pulse' technique is introduced as an effective method for internal communication and project tracking.

Account managers are encouraged to be proactive and transparent with their team to foster trust and efficiency.

Five key practices for successful account managers are outlined: planning, inbox management, project management, celebrating wins, and team updates.

Transcripts

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