Krista: So you're telling me it's not all lunches and golf.
Jillian: No, Krista, you've been in an agency for like a decade. You knew that.
Krista: Did I? It's called a lead-in, Jillian. I'm sorry. I missed lunch.
Jillian: Aw, it's okay.
Krista: Thanks. Because my point is, account service is a very unique part of the marketing world. It takes poise and confidence to balance the pressure both internally and externally. On one hand, you're dealing with a client. Managing expectations, educating them on trends and best practices. But most importantly, delivering results.
Jillian: And, on the other hand, they're dealing with people like us, the creatives. Weird. But with us, you have to ensure you're providing the right context with briefs, delivering constructive feedback and empowering creativity within boundaries.
Krista: It's important to understand both sides in order to maximize your agency relationship.
Jillian: Because when you do well, we do well.
Krista: So today, we're going to look at how you can get the most out of your account manager.
Speaker 3: Got it!
Jillian: You've heard the phrase, sharing is caring, right? While it does warm the heart and help a toddler split a bag of cookies, but it also applies here. It's crucial for both sides of the relationship to share information with each other. Our account team asks a lot of questions. Like, a crazy amount. The reason isn't to annoy you, but to better understand your business and to apply a smart strategy against your goals.
Krista: You're the ones who live and breathe your business, not us. Think of us as strategic story tellers. But before we can tell your story, we need to mine the source. On the flippety ... On the other hand, nothing good comes from keeping secrets.
Jillian: I think you know what she's getting at. We're talking about budgets.
Krista: Yeah. It might as well be a four letter word.
Jillian: It's eight, Krista. It's eight letters.
Krista: Honestly, if you don't know a budget, giving us a range of what you can spend will save a massive amount of time. Us guessing on what your expectations are is never a good thing. All of our programs are extremely scalable and having an idea on your budget can help us develop the most efficient way to achieve your goals.
Jillian: Finally, today is about understanding the value that our account team provides. They're not just the middleman or pass through person. They work closely with all departments. Especially creative. They help review things from accuracy, message, branding, audience and goals before the work even hits your inbox.
Krista: And deadlines. Don't forget deadlines.
Jillian: Yeah. Deadlines can be a bi-
Frank: The Night King turns out to be Steve Harwell, lead singer of Smashmouth.
Jess: What are you doing?
Frank: Somebody once told me the world
Jess: The season ended weeks ago.
Frank: I don't even have HBO.
Jillian: Which is the most human thing about being human.
Krista: That, that was truly profound, Jillian.
Jillian: Thank you. And thank you for taking time out of your day to spend with us. Namaste
Krista: Don't you mean, "Keep it casual?"
Jillian: That's what I said.
Krista: Oh.
Episode 4 - Getting the Most Out of Your Agency Account Manager
Real talk: It's time to discuss the dynamic role of account service. As it turns out, there's more to the role than attending fancy lunches and answering daily emails (I KNOW - we're just as shocked).
Account service really comes down to two things. First, you have the client side that manages relationships, handles budgets and educates on best practices. Then, you have to deliver feedback, offer constructive criticism and deliver timelines to the agency's creatives.
So, how do they juggle the two? We're breaking down how to get the most of your agency's account manager.
Spoiler alert: Winter is coming.