EP 478: Everything agency owners need to know about their account executives with Lori Highby

Dec 2, 2024

In this discussion, Lori Highby, an expert in agency operations and instructor for AE Bootcamps, dives into the pivotal role of account executives. She highlights the importance of clear communication and the need for agency owners to support AEs in achieving their goals. The conversation covers the challenges AEs face, the integration of AI in their roles, and the value of collaborative learning. Highby emphasizes that a strong focus on professional development and recognition fosters a thriving agency culture.

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INSIGHT

The Importance of AEs

Account executives (AEs) are crucial for client retention and growth, serving as the heartbeat of most agencies.
Without strong AEs, agency owners often get pulled back into daily tasks, hindering their strategic focus.

ADVICE

Standardize Communication

AEs struggle with client management, time management, and team management, all rooted in communication issues.
Standardize internal and external communication guidelines to address these challenges and improve efficiency.

INSIGHT

Assumptions in Communication

AEs often rely on their natural communication styles, leading to inconsistencies and misunderstandings.
This lack of standardized communication can negatively impact client relationships and overall team performance.

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Account executives are critical for agency profitability and success. Without them, we wouldn’t have anybody responsible for building deeper trust with clients and growing their accounts.

That’s why we’ve brought Lori Highby on the show this week to share everything she knows about the account executive role. Some of you might recognize her from the AE Bootcamps she teaches at, and she’s here to bring that wisdom to the greater AMI community so we can better understand just how important our AEs are for agency success.

As someone who has an inside look at how AEs think and the questions and concerns that are always in their heads, Lori is the perfect person to share them so we can learn how to better support our AEs.

We cover everything from the expectations in an AE role, how agency owners can better communicate their goals and expectations to AEs, recognizing their hard work, and supporting their goals and aspirations within their role so they can also grow with the agency.

This episode is packed with incredible insights, so we hope you can take some of these topics and use them to better understand and support the AEs in your agency.

A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

Recurring struggles that account executives face and are looking for guidance about
The importance of standardized communication on the team and with clients
Helping AEs level up their soft communication skills
Supporting your account executives’ eagerness to learn and level up
The importance of AEs knowing agency math and using it to determine profitability
What AEs really want from agency leadership
Take more time to recognize and appreciate your account executives’ hard work
How to find more moments for recognition on your team
What AEs love about their jobs
How to support and encourage your team in leveling up their skills
How agency owners can amplify AE success in the agency