Creative Agency Account Manager Podcast

Welcome to Episode 62. Usually, I have podcast guests but thought I'd do a quick episode to share with you some best practice tips if you're in the account management role and you're looking to do a bit of relationship risk management.I believe there are a few 'red flag moments' that every agency account manager needs to be aware of, and look out for. These are, essentially, points in the relationship where your client relationship is at risk, and the account is at risk. And not only are 'red flag moments' important to try to anticipate but, when they happen, it's the account manager's job to act very swiftly, because you are responsible for the client relationship for not only the retention of but also the growth of the account. So, I've just got five examples of what I call, 'red flag moments'. I want to explain to you why I think they're important and share a couple of ideas for how you can either anticipate them, or tackle them.I really hope you find this useful and that it's given you some ideas for what you need to be aware of with your client relationship risk management strategy.If you would like to join my next Account Accelerator programme, which is all about client retention and growth, then please contact me at Jenny Plant on LinkedIn or send me an email jenny@accountmanagementskills.com. You can also find more podcast episodes with lots of valuable information on the main podcast page on my website: www.accountmanagementskills.com/podcast. Pick a topic that's most relevant to you right now and enjoy it. Please keep in contact with me and let me know what you'd like to hear on the podcast.

Welcome to Episode 61. Today's episode is about people and culture in a creative agency. It's particularly relevant if you're an independent agency owner because my expert guest, Sarah Brewster, Managing Director of Fresh Seed talks to me about why attracting and retaining staff is the biggest challenge in the industry at the moment.She shares:- some tips for how to recruit effectively- advice for navigating issues such as diversity and inclusion, safety at work and the Me Too movement - and why she's seen a loss of kindness post-pandemic. She also shares why IR 35 has had a huge impact on freelancing, plus ways to ensure equal pay across the business. This episode is jam-packed with tips. If you'd like to receive weekly updates and tips about agency account management, then please head over to my website where you can sign up for my weekly email and check out the details of my Account Accelerator training programme, which is designed to help agencies expand existing client business.

Welcome to Episode 60. The most downloaded podcast episode to date is still my first chat with Kate Whittaker, a marketer of 30 years who shared insight into what it's like being a client, and what clients want most from their agencies. If you haven't listened to that one already, I'd recommend you go back and have a listen (Episode 1)In this episode, Kate talks about what's changed for her since August 2020, which was when the pandemic forced us all to be locked down. She shares:what have been the biggest changes for her, her role and her organisation in the last couple of yearshow her needs have changed in terms of what she's looking for from agenciessome suggestions for how you can strengthen your relationships with clients while working remotely.And we talked about lots more.Understanding how to develop client relationships and grow accounts is essential for any agency account manager. And yet, too often, there is no real guidance on how to do it. So if you're in a client-facing role and you want to hone your account management skills, then check out my Account Accelerator programme. Many agency account managers have told me the biggest shift for them after my programme is a newfound confidence when handling client relationships.

Welcome to Episode 59. My guest for this episode is Peg Dougherty Marcus, Co-Founder of the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA).  Peg is, quite frankly, one of the most inspiring women I've met in a long time. She started her career in a healthcare communications agency and she was just 23. In this chat, we talk about why and how she started the HBA in 1977, despite every obstacle, and also in a dominating 'boys club' culture. She also talks about why women were scared to speak out about harassment at work, and whether she thinks things have changed today. She shares some really practical tips for women's safety when you're travelling or maybe entertaining for business. She's a passionate supporter of women in business, she's a natural connector, and she champions every woman who works in healthcare. If you're working in the era of healthcare, and you're not a member of the HPA, then you can go to their website and check out all the amazing benefits of joining. It's HBAnet.org.  I hope you find this chat as inspiring as I did because maybe it's going to inspire you to get involved in a relevant community that already exists for you in your area.  You might even think about gathering some of your peers together in the industry and starting your own. A couple of quick announcements. A quick reminder that my Account Accelerator training programme for agency account managers and directors starts on 10th of May 2022 and it's filling up quickly. So, if you'd like to join me, you can check out all the details on my website www.accountmanagementskills.com/training.  And you can book a quick call with me to check that it's a good fit for you. Secondly, my friend Tom Ollerton, owner of the AI-driven agency, Automated Creative, is looking for an account director. So if you fancy working for an AI-driven agency, and you happen to have some media buying experience, please contact Tom Ollerton on LinkedIn. 

Welcome to Episode 58. This episode is for you if you're wondering how an Account Director in an international network agency operates, and how they lead a team. Faizan Ali is an account director at VMLY&R, and he shares with me:- what makes a successful agency account manager- what each level of account management should do (account exec, account manager and account director)-  typical challenges you encounter in the role and some tips for how to overcome them. - why he likes to share tips about account management on LinkedIn- and his advice for anyone wanting to progress in an agency account management role. This is jam full jam packed full of tips, so I really hope you enjoy it. I'd also like to remind you that if you want to join me for my next nine week Account Accelerator training programme, it starts on 10th May 2022. I help you increase your confidence in the account management role. add more value to your existing clients in a repeatable way and grow your accounts. You get coaching from me, a system you can copy and adapt for your agency as well as the online programme to see if it's a good fit for you or your agency. You can find out more about the programme and book a 20 minute call with me by going to my website, www.accountmanagementskills.com. 

Welcome to Episode 57. What's the metaverse? How is it different to Web 3? What do agencies need to pay attention to? I chat to agency owner Ben Fryer from Diverse Interactive who has been helping his clients create virtual experiences for years. He gives us his take on the Metaverse and the opportunities for agencies of all disciplines.

Welcome to Episode 56. I chatted to the author of 'The Art of Client Service',  the legend that is Robert Solomon. If you haven't listened to his previous episode, number 46, I'd highly recommend you go back and have a listen because we talked about so many things relating to the account management role, including:-  why there are fewer account managers doing more with much less experience- why some people believe the account manager role is becoming extinct- and why often the work of great account management isn't recognised. In this episode,  Robert shares what to look for when hiring a great account manager, what he says to people who think the role of account manager is easy, and how to get respected by your colleagues as an account manager. And he shares some fantastic tips for how to manage challenging situations, which he's brought to life by telling a couple of his own account management stories.  As an account manager, I think you'll find this both informative and entertaining. If you haven't bought his book, please go and grab a copy of the updated third edition of The Art of Client Service, so many people in account management have found this book highly valuable. I'd also like to remind you that my next Account Accelerator training programme starts on 15th March 2022. The programme helps those in agency account management with a systematic approach to adding more value to your existing clients and growing the accounts in nine weeks. You join a group of peers in other agencies where you can share best practice, you get group coaching from me, as I walk you through the different strategies, plus access to an online programme so you can go through the content at your own at your own pace. So if you'd like a quick 20 minute call to see if it's the right fit for you or your agency team, send me an email to jenny@accountmanagementskills.com or book a call on my website www.accountmanagementskills.com. 

This episode is going to be particularly useful for you if you are managing your agency team remotely and want some tips and ideas for how to keep the team engaged. Today's guests Fiona Edwards and Katie Langdon have been running their very successful healthcare communications agency, Skin and Blister, remotely years before it became something we were forced to do in 2020 due to the global pandemic.They share:* Why they decided from the beginning to have this remote working model* The key areas they focus on to make remote working successful* Some practical advice and tips for you if you're struggling to manage your team remotelyand lots of ideas you may find useful for developing your leadership skills.I hope you enjoy my chat with Fiona and Katie and come away with some ideas for managing your team.If you'd like to receive weekly tips about agency account management and get notification of the topics I'm covering on the podcast then please sign up for my newsletter by going to the website www.accountmanagementskills.com.I am now taking bookings for my next Account Accelerator programme in March.  If you want to expand your current client relationships and you're working in agency client service, my Account Accelerator programme is designed specifically for you. By the end of nine weeks working with me, you'll have a repeatable client centric strategy and a plan to help add more value to the client business and increase revenue from existing accounts. Drop me a line at jenny@accountmanagementskills.com or find more details at www.accountmanagementskills.com/training

Welcome to Episode 54.  I spoke to Jessica Bowler and Iris Gatzweiler, two senior procurement clients who shared some insights into the pitching process. It's particularly useful for you if you want to know why clients typically pitch out for business, procurement’s role in the whole pitching process, how the brief is developed and some insight into how the final decision is made. There are also some shared examples of where agencies have performed particularly well in the pitch process. Don’t forget to go back to Episode 9, where Jessica and Iris talked about how to approach and develop relationships with procurement. And if you want to expand your current client relationships and you're working in agency client service, my Account Accelerator programme is designed specifically for you. By the end of nine weeks working with me, you'll have a repeatable client centric strategy and a plan to help add more value to the client business and increase revenue from existing accounts. Drop me a line at jenny@accountmanagementskills.com or find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennyplant/

Welcome to Episode 53. On today's episode we  talk about making client relationships more profitable.Business growth consultant, Chris Merrington, shares some golden nuggets of advice about how agencies can be more commercially savvy.We covered so many different areas including:What clients really value and how to talk the client languageWhy you need to raise your prices and how to do itWhy you need to establish and nurture senior client relationshipsand so much more...At the end of the podcast, Chris makes a special offer to send three copies of his book to 3 people selected randomly who sign up to his monthly bulletin. This offer is valid until the end of January 2022 (although we do say the end of the year, because we recorded this episode in December 2021).So I'm going to give you a spoiler and suggest while you're listening to this fantastic episode, you go to Chris's website and be one of the first to sign up to his business insights bulletin. Please email him at chris@spring8020.co.uk to let him know you've signed up as a result of listening to this podcast.  http://spring8020.co.uk/.