Who is an account manager and how much does he earn?

The profession of account manager is a specialist and is typical for many areas of business activity.

This includes trade, advertising, real estate, and banking. Where an individual approach and work with corporate clients is required. The competent work of a customer service manager is the basis for a successful final enterprise in any business.

As a rule, a successful manager can occupy a leadership position in the future.

Types of Managers

During surveys, psychologists identified three types of managers:

• Melancholic manager. This type of employee is characterized by sluggish and drawn-out communication, which soon bores the customer and forces him to quickly complete negotiations.
• An erudite manager. This type of manager captivates with his awareness and knowledge in many areas. He amazes with the number of analogies he makes, analyzing the situation as he goes. The buyer or consumer can be calm in signing an agreement with such a manager.
• Executive Manager. He does not engage in amateur activities and does not bring creativity, observing the work regulations according to the instructions.

It is best if all three types of managers are involved in customer service work, but this is not always possible. Each of these types can find application in a certain area of ​​the company’s activity.

For example, for trading, the “executive” type of manager, who does not deviate from the established work regulations, would be appropriate. For service or repair companies with technical and mechanical goods, the type of erudite manager is suitable.

Having certain qualities, skills and education, the manager must convince the client to order a service or purchase a product. Since clients are very different, the approach to each should be individual. How the manager will do this - play on the client’s emotions or psychological factors - is his task.

Not many consumers know what they want, and it is important to quietly guide and push them to make a decision in favor of the company. For a customer service consultant, it is important to captivate and intrigue the person calling by phone, to convince him that this is where he will be helped and all his wishes will be taken into account.

Job description

The entire breadth of requirements for the functionality of a client manager is described in a document such as the job description of a client manager.

This document represents the detailed duties and powers of the employee. In addition, this document must indicate possible liability for improper performance of one’s duties.

General provisions

1. The manager is the top executive of the company.
2. The manager must have knowledge of economics, the basics of marketing, and the full range of goods and services offered by the company.
3. Be able to draw up a business plan, commercial proposals and contracts.
4. Be able to establish business contacts.
5. Know the etiquette established for communicating with clients.
6. Understand the basics of psychology and communication theory.
7. Appointment and removal from position occurs by issuing an order by the head of the company.
8. During the absence of this employee, all his functions and duties are performed by a person appointed by the manager.

Job responsibilities

1. Analyzing the target audience and identifying needs.
2. Developing methods for searching for potential clients and drawing up communication schemes with them.
3. Searching for clients using various methods.
4. Forecast of business reliability of identified clients and their security.
5. Organizing and conducting preparatory negotiations, clarifying their needs and preparing an offer.
6. Dealing with customer objections.
7. Concluding contracts on behalf of the company.
8. Maintaining contact with all existing clients.
9. Development of individual proposals for promising customers.
10. Establishing feedback with customers (taking into account complaints and suggestions).
11. Formation of a client base.
12. Analysis and accounting of the work of competitors.

Rights

1. Determining the most convenient forms of working with clients and methods of establishing business interaction.
2. Management of funds issued for entertainment expenses.
3. Signing documents within the framework necessary to perform functional duties.
4. Familiarization with all documents related to his rights and obligations.
5. Request and receipt of all necessary documents and information related to the performance of the manager’s duties.

Skills and qualities

Candidates for the position of manager or customer service consultant may have requirements for special education, secondary or higher professional education.

Depending on the activity and profile of the company, either economic, legal, or psychological education is required. Many companies attach great importance to the professional growth of their specialists, providing them with the opportunity to regularly attend specialized trainings and courses. In modern times, business seminars and coaching, which are held directly on the company’s premises, have become popular.

But the standard knowledge required is:

• management theories and marketing fundamentals;
• basics of administration;
• the activities of the enterprise and the characteristics of the services or goods offered;
• drawing up business plans, contracts and various documents;
• ability to develop and conduct presentations;
• regulations of the company;
• basics of current legislation;
• basics of psychology of relationships and business etiquette;
• foundations of modern connections and communications.

A customer service manager must be sociable and have good erudition, be able to play with turns of phrase in a conversation with a potential buyer, be able to persuade and listen, while showing politeness and tact. For this reason, the manager is required to:

• performance and stress resistance;
• non-conflict;
• ability to negotiate over the telephone;
• process information and make quick decisions in non-standard situations;
• good learning ability and desire for career growth;
• ability to work in a team adhering to company regulations.

A good manager must also have a presentable appearance, business style in clothing, charm and the ability to “play” in the interests of the company in controversial situations.

Rights

The Customer Service Manager has the right to:

3.1. For all social guarantees provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation.

3.2. Independently determine forms of work with clients and ways of establishing business connections.

3.3. Manage the financial resources entrusted to him for entertainment expenses.

3.4. Sign and endorse documents within your competence.

3.5. Receive information about the activities of the organization necessary to perform functional duties from all departments directly or through the immediate superior.

3.6. Submit proposals to management to improve your work and the work of the organization.

3.7. Get acquainted with draft orders of management relating to its activities.

3.8. Improve your professional qualifications.

3.9. Inform your immediate supervisor about all shortcomings identified in the course of your activities and make proposals for their elimination.

3.10. Require management to create normal conditions for the performance of official duties.

3.11. Other rights provided for by the labor legislation of the Russian Federation.

Profession: Customer Service Manager

A customer service manager, also called an account manager, is an advertising agency specialist who ensures constant contact with existing clients, finds new ones and regulates the work of agency departments on orders.

He creates conditions for completing tasks, helps maintain good relationships with customers, seeks a personal approach to them, and promotes products.

He is an intermediary between the company and the client, organizing the processes for creating and promoting advertising campaigns.

Responsible for working with clients and in this profession personal characteristics such as politeness, sociability, and responsibility are of great importance.

Necessary skills for work

He must have organizational skills and be able to organize the work of specialists responsible for the project.

He must be able to work with large volumes of information, set priorities, know the basics of marketing, inspire colleagues, be able to plan both his own work and the work of all departments of the company, take responsibility for decisions made, be able to negotiate, and be stress-resistant.

He needs to be prepared for the fact that sometimes the working day may drag on until late in the evening and sometimes he will have to work seven days a week.

He must have an analytical mind.

A representative of this profession is obliged to do everything to ensure that the client remains cooperating with the company and recommends it to his friends.

Specialists work in sales and marketing departments of various directions - in trade organizations, in production, banking institutions, advertising agencies, IT companies.

This profession appeared in Russia in the late nineties and is now widely in demand.

The specialist's responsibilities include:

• Support of existing clients;
• Compliance with the terms of the contract;
• Increase in sales;
• Looking for new clients;
• Conduct of negotiations;
• Records management;
• Debt collection;
• Analysis of competitors' activities;
• Establishing long-term relationships with the customer;
• Development of a work plan and monitoring its implementation.

He must:

• Have a higher education;
• At least one year of experience working with clients;
• Be able to write and speak correctly;
• Know basic computer programs.

The profession allows you to develop and grow professionally, gain experience and explore new types of business relationships that exist in the company, and study the features of commercial activity.

Good specialists do not graduate from universities; they need to be trained. Economic or philological education + personal qualities are a good basis for work.

An account manager should essentially be an advisor and like-minded person to the client. Such a specialist must love advertising and be inquisitive. He does not create anything, but is a transmission link between the client and the agency and helps in creating the desired product.

If an advertising campaign does not achieve the desired result, the manager is largely to blame. This means that he did not finalize something, did not fully understand what the client wanted and could not convey this to the agency, could not organize the work correctly, remove all unnecessary things and sell the result to the client.

His task is to protect the interests of the company before the client and, conversely, the interests of the client before the agency.

A specialist has a busy working day. He has to process large amounts of data. During the day, a large amount of correspondence comes and goes, he has to conduct negotiations and answer phone calls.

And anyone who can maintain this pace in the first year or two of work will eventually become a good professional.

The agency has two options to get a competent specialist - either grow him or lure him from another organization.

It is much easier for a client to find a competent specialist - he can read reviews about his work and, if he is satisfied with everything, enter into a contract with the organization in which he works.

You can work as an account manager in a company as long as he can pay attention to customer problems. And when he cannot do this, he goes into the planning sphere.

How to become a sought-after specialist

To become a highly qualified specialist it will take approximately three years or more.

During this time, you will gain enough experience to become an expert in this area. This will be facilitated by regularly improving your professional skills - studying specialized literature, participating in master classes, webinars and coaching.

A good professional must not only win people over, but also retain them.

Such a specialist in the organization is considered the most important figure and is its face.

In any business there is a lot of competition and the winner will be the one who provides quality services and provides good service.

The main task of such a specialist is to maintain friendly relations with the client even after the order has been submitted, so that he returns more than once.

Advantages of the profession:

• Experience in communicating with audiences is gained, which can be used in the future for career growth;
• Useful connections are accumulated.

Flaws:

• Irregular working hours;
• You have to interact with people of different professions - copywriters, programmers, analysts, advertising developers, so a specialist may experience professional burnout;
• Responsibility for the results of the work of other specialists and multitasking create a large load on the nervous system.

You can learn about the work of a sales manager and how to attract clients by clicking on the link

Profession client manager

A customer service manager or, more briefly, a client manager is a specialist who interacts with customers of a store or company at all stages of service provision. Such specialists often first attract buyers themselves, tell them about their services, conclude a deal, or sell a product. In fact, they become the face of the company with which customers associate it in the future.

The position of client manager is most often found in trade and service industries, and sometimes in marketing and advertising companies. Similar titles (these are the same profession):

• account Manager;
• client support manager;
• account manager.

An account manager's salary consists of a fixed salary (usually a very small one) and a percentage of sales or completed deals. There is no upper limit; income actually depends on your ability to sell. This approach to calculating remuneration should motivate specialists to work more actively, but in fact it creates high competition between colleagues within the same company.

Some companies appoint key account managers. These specialists work with corporate or very important customers for the company. This type of position is considered more advanced; it is usually filled with employees with impressive experience or who have proven themselves well in the field.

Client support manager or client manager - a job for sociable people

Functional responsibilities of a customer service manager

The service manager solves a huge list of tasks. High competition in the market, when sellers of similar goods compete in marketing and service, make this profession in demand and key for such companies. By supplying the same products, stores strive to outperform competitors precisely through high-quality interaction with the customer audience.

What exactly an account manager does in the workplace largely depends on the industry. Typical responsibilities of a Customer Relationship Manager:

• searching for potential clients, developing a database, “cold calls” (sometimes these are handled by a separate search specialist, but most often the positions are combined);
• informing potential and existing customers about products, services, new features and product benefits, promotions and discounts;
• product demonstration;
• receiving incoming calls, letters, messages in chats and social networks of the company;
• work with objections;
• selection of the optimal product, service option, tariff, taking into account the maximum benefit to the buyer and the company;
• building customer loyalty, identifying additional needs and creating interest in the company as a whole;
• conclusion of transactions, sales support;
• preparation of reports;
• analysis of the effectiveness of different methods of interaction with clients;
• development of new service options, cases, methods;
• studying the successful practices of competitors.

Let's look at an example. The LED lighting store has an acquisition and service manager. The main part of the day he interacts with the incoming flow of customers: he greets them, identifies their needs, helps with the choice and accompanies them until the purchase. During “dead hours,” for example during the day on weekdays, he additionally calls the database of potential clients and also replenishes it by finding suitable contacts on social networks. Every day he fills out a progress report in an online spreadsheet.

From the example it follows that the work of any account manager involves several areas: customer service itself, as well as several accompanying actions - search, attraction, analysis of service methods, reporting.

The list of responsibilities of a client manager depends on the area of ​​work

Requirements for a candidate

Requirements for support managers rarely relate to education and are grouped around specific skills and qualities. Some employers require a university degree in management or marketing, but in reality this has little value.

Experience in sales will be an advantage, but the field is not important. Service and interaction methods are approximately the same in all industries.

The following characteristics are fundamentally important:

• communication skills, sociability, ability to win over the interlocutor;
• knowledge of the company’s product and the industry as a whole (the ability to quickly learn and remember new information);
• knowledge of sales techniques;
• PC at user level;
• ability to quickly and unobtrusively identify client needs;
• attentiveness;
• goal-orientated, results-oriented.

In some cases, it is required to know English and own a car. A neat appearance, charisma, and good diction are welcome. This profession requires constant interaction with people, that is, it is more suitable for extroverts.