This series of articles looks at the world of the account manager.
This time we talk to Kelly Spence, Head of Client Services, We Are Social Australia.
How did you end up account management? Was it by design or a cosmic accident?
I started out client side working as a Marketing Executive on Nokia Australia. Like heaps of Aussies did the London thing and landed myself at a creative agency working on Nokia Global, and have never looked back.
Balancing clients’ objectives and creative vision can be challenging. How do you deal with that?
The two aren’t mutually exclusive. The bedrock of good work is a clear strategy rooted in a deep understanding of the client’s brand, objectives and challenges. However, that’s not discounting the need for a gut/human reaction; it either makes you feel something or it doesn’t. A great suit assesses work on both the functional (does it answer the brief?) and emotional (will it make the audience feel something?).
What strategies do you employ to clearly convey creative ideas to clients and address client feedback?
Clients aren’t just buying the idea, they are buying the agency’s confidence in it. You can only truly be confident in the work if you have a strong understanding of the client's business, audience and what they are trying to achieve. The same goes with feedback, a strong suit interrogates it based on knowledge and expertise – they don’t just pass it on.
How to build strong relationships with clients?
Being a good listener is underrated. Client and agency relationships don’t normally fall apart because of trust, it’s a breakdown of communication. The art of communication has taken a hit in the last few years and relationships have become more transactional with clients and colleagues. We need less zooms and more candid and frequent in-person chats.
Do you have any go-to tips for navigating challenging conversations with clients? And effectively selling an idea.
When it comes to challenging conversations I have a few rules: don’t panic, prepare and tackle it head-on.
Are there any emerging trends or challenges in the industry that account management teams should be prepared for?
In our industry, there is a lot of short-termism. Across the board clients, agencies and talent have become overly reactive and are very quick to jump onto the next trend or job. Truly great brands, agencies and talent are more astute, they play the long game, commit and strive for something bigger. Play the long game.
What advice would you give your younger self when you first started out in account service?
Nothing. I’ve gotten in my head before, questioned my role, was overly critical of others and scraped my knees. All my failures big or small have been part of the journey and my development.
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