Account Manager

ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT, A CAREER WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE AT ITS HEART

Account managers oversee and develop portfolios of clients - from SMEs to the biggest corporations and institutions - in order to sell them products or services. They often specialise in a given sector (e.g. insurance, banking, construction and civil engineering, IT, etc.). Bringing on board new prospective clients and supporting their existing customers are how they spend most of their days. 

Sectors: banking, finance, insurance, construction and civil engineering, property, urban planning, industry, agriculture, chemistry, etc.

Monthly gross salary of a junior account manager: €2,000 - €3,000

Synonyms: business manager, business management executive, business engineer, SME business manager, technical sales manager

The life of an account manager...

Identifying their client’s needs

Regardless of the sector they work in, first and foremost, account managers need to understand and identify their client’s needs in order to put forward relevant solutions.  

Proposing relevant solutions 

Once their needs have been identified, account managers have to convince their clients that the solutions their company can offer are the best way to proceed. 

Monitoring projects

True project managers at heart, account managers oversee the smooth running and monitoring of a wealth of different projects, from negotiating contracts at the very beginning of the relationship all the way through to invoicing for the services they’ve performed. 

Building customer loyalty

As trusted client advisers, account managers need to be able to anticipate and respond to any requests that may come their way. They may also have to travel frequently to various locations to meet with their clients and prospects. 

Signing new clients

Beyond constantly managing their client portfolio, account managers need to bring on board new customers all the time. 

Required skills

• Ability to listen and communicate

• Sales in your blood 

• Ability to work as a team

• Understanding the art of negotiation 

• Able to work independently

• Confident writing sales pitches, as well as more technical and financial material

Typical educational background

• Business studies

• Various industry-specific technical backgrounds

• Masters

• Advanced business or technical skills and experience always useful, e.g. managing sales departments, sales techniques