This series of articles looks at the world of the account manager.
This time we talk to Madeleine Mann, Senior Client Director, UM Australia
How did you end up account management? Was it by design or a cosmic accident?
It wasn’t something I had initially set out to do. Once I had made Director – a career goal – in the planning and trading team I felt a little lost and unsure of what was on the horizon. I’ve always loved working with clients so when the opportunity came up to double down and manage teams and client relationships it was too good to resist. This role gives me the perfect opportunity to really focus on perfecting the core skills required for a client advisory role. As I continue to develop, I will step up and grab any opportunities available that will help me develop my core skillset.
Balancing clients’ objectives and creative vision can be challenging. How do you deal with that?
If you’re not achieving the clients’ objectives, then I would argue you’ve got the wrong creative vision. Great creative media ideas should always be linked back to answering the client’s objectives, otherwise the idea won’t fulfill the objectives.
It's worth noting that sometimes you can get tough client briefs with different objectives or asks, but that’s when it’s critical for account management to step in and work with the client – and the creative teams - to ensure everyone is aligned to the same vision and direction.
What strategies do you employ to clearly convey creative ideas to clients and address client feedback?
This differs from client to client, but it’s important to work with the craft specialists and view their ideas from the lens of the client; and critically to understand the client’s business, ambitions, and goals. I have found the best way to convey creative ideas and responses is to ensure we link back and demonstrate how our ideas will help meet the client’s brief/business objectives. Creating that strong story and what it will deliver back to their business, allows clients to also make the case back to their wider business and team. In the end that makes it easier to get the ideas off the ground.
When it comes to addressing challenging client feedback, I find a good relationship and having an honest, transparent conversation about the issue is paramount. Tackling the issues head on without delay is key. Pick up the phone rather than going back and forth via emails: make sure you totally understand the client’s concerns, which ultimately will allow you to get to a solution that everyone is happy with, much faster.
How to build strong relationships with clients?
Getting to know your clients as people, rather than just as marketers and showing them who you are in an authentic way is key. In my day-to-day role I focus on consistent delivery. We build or lose small amounts of trust every day through actions or inactions, so I try to just continuously deliver what I’ve promised and exceed expectations whenever I can. When I can’t deliver what I’ve promised, or there is an issue, I recommend being honest and upfront as quickly as possible. And of course, have a bit of fun and showing the client who I am helps build relationships quickly, I have also found joining the creative agency lead (in my case the lovely Claire Thompson) in a singalong of “I’m just Ken” from Barbie at the beginning of an Agency Village & Client WIP helps build rapport and morale within our partnership.
Do you have any go-to tips for navigating challenging conversations with clients? And effectively selling an idea.
It is critical to always make sure the client feels heard and understood. Sometimes things don’t go the way we plan - whether by human or machine error - that’s the reality of life but it’s important to understand these incidences have consequences that can be really frustrating to a client. Actively listening and effectively communicating that you’ve heard those frustrations is step one. Step two is coming to the table with a solution. Don’t call with a problem, call with a problem and a solution.
When selling in an idea my tip is to get excited – show the client why you love it, why it will work and that you are passionate about it. Enthusiasm is contagious – and if we aren’t excited about an idea, then why should the client be excited? Try not to overcomplicate the idea either, you risk losing or confusing the client. Don’t try and rush it! Practice selling your idea to your family, friends, and people who fit into the target demographic – the third-party lens test is always beneficial. If they get it, and they get excited, you’re on the right track. And as mentioned earlier, be sure to demonstrate how it links back to the brief and delivers the business goals – it helps justify the idea and gives it a purpose to exist within the plan.
Are there any emerging trends or challenges in the industry that account management teams should be prepared for?
The media landscape is constantly evolving – audiences, trends, and mediums available appear to change by the week. When working in client advisory roles we need to be across these changes. We need to be educated about what trends or new channels are the ones that can help achieve our clients’ goals vs what is just going to sound cool as a “first to market.”
Consider AI. There are already myriad of debates and conversations around how AI can be deployed and used in our industry – from the support and development of content, to optimising ad performance and project management. It’s still early days and agencies are all still finding their feet, but there’s no doubt it will be a great tool to improve efficiencies within agencies. As a client lead, it is critical we review AI work, insights, plans and projects – and apply a critical human lens before it reaches the client’s view. We cannot lose that human touch to our work – no matter what it is – because fundamentally, we are an industry built on driving connections with humans.
What advice would you give your younger self when you first started out in account service?
Relax. You can’t do your best work or thinking whilst operating in a heightened state of stress.
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