I have been in account management for over 10 years and I still have a great passion for my job and here's why. Being an account manager sounds easy doesn’t it? Well it’s actually a job that comes with lots of responsibilities. To name a few: you are a strategist, a planner, a sales person, a project manager, a relationship manager, a crisis manager. I could go on. I‘m going to give you my top tips for being a great account manager within the marketing world….

Be a good communicator...talk more! Emails are a fantastic tool for certain work but you will get more insights from your client if you actually talk, whether that’s on the phone or in person. Relationships will be stronger if you aren’t the person at the end of a computer.

Immerse yourself in your client’s business...as they are now part of your business. As a marketing account handler, you can't market a product, campaign or an event if you don't know the business that you are talking about. You have to know all the ins and outs, get under the skin of what you are marketing to gain confidence in what you are trying to achieve.

Don’t be one of your client’s suppliers...you are a part of your client’s business. It's your job to make your client’s life easier. Clients should see you and the business you work for as an extended arm of their business; an outsourced marketing department and never a supplier.

Be the person that takes the pain away...don’t give problems to your client without solutions. Be the person that will help with whatever you are capable of. Never just do what's in your 'job description'. If the client needs help with something that wouldn't normally sit within your remit then do it anyway, you never know you might learn something new. A helping hand goes a long way! 

Be the person they can trust...produce good work on time and on budget. Be as transparent as possible. Gaining trust from your client doesn't happen over night, you have to work hard to gain it!

Challenge...your client. They’re using you for your expertise, so you should use your experience and past knowledge to challenge projects/briefs. If you don't challenge then you aren't the expert so why should they use you? Always offer an alternative strategy if you feel it will have a better return for your client.