This series of articles looks at the world of the account manager.
This time we talk to Natalie Clark, Yango – Client Solutions Director
How did you end up account management? Was it by design or a cosmic accident?:
Definitely the latter, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with my career, but I always had an interest in advertising as a kid. I could recite ads at the drop of a hat, one of my faves being Fabio for ‘I can’t believe it’s not butter!’. It was my mum who thought marketing could be a good fit for me and off I went to study.
I still wasn’t sure where I wanted to go within the marketing industry, so I did a couple of unpaid internships to get a taste for different areas and applied for different roles trying to get my foot in the door and finally landed an Account Co-ordinator role at Adconion Media Group. I was freshly 18 and still coming out of my shell, so it probably wasn’t until I made my next move to Mi9 (now Nine Entertainment) that I really started to find my groove.
Over time, I've built solid organisational skills, which provided me with a decent foundation to manage stakeholders' needs and expectations.
Balancing clients’ objectives and creative vision can be challenging. How do you deal with that?
I think the important thing here is to ensure we are communicating effectively with everyone involved from the client, to the creative and media agencies. It’s easy to get caught in the weeds or stuck on a really cool idea, but you need to take a step back consider the goal, what we are trying to do and what the end game is.
Often, we find creative, and media is briefed separately, and our responses may not always align which makes it tricky when it comes to activation. The goal is to to work collaboratively with our clients’ creative agencies to ensure that the big idea aligns with our media recommendation and that we are putting the best option forward to meet the client objectives.
What strategies do you employ to clearly convey creative ideas to clients and address client feedback?
For me this part is all about storytelling and taking the client on the journey. It’s important to show them how you got to where you did and that your idea wasn’t plucked out of thin air.
During a presentation to a client, I personally like to stop, check-in and make sure everyone is clear on our approach and on the same page, allow them to ask questions and take on their feedback. Leaving that part to the end means crucial points can be missed and your idea could sadly flop.
The follow up is also key here – ensure you have covered all their points of feedback and address any concerns they may have raised. This will make them feel heard, understood and will ultimately deliver the best result.
How to build strong relationships with clients?
The big thing for me here is building trust. There are a multitude of ways to do that e.g. taking them to lunch, getting to know them on a personal level and consistently delivering on the task at hand. However, I’ve found that being completely transparent and proactive with clients has led me to have some really strong relationships. It shows that you care about them and their business, and it’s a bonus if it makes them look good to their boss! They are then more likely to turn to you for advice, when they are asked questions they don’t know how to answer, when they have concerns, or just need help, and having someone’s back is a great way to build that trust.
Do you have any go-to tips for navigating challenging conversations with clients? And effectively selling an idea.
Firstly, things can easily be misconstrued over email so if you know it’s going to be a more challenging conversation, pick up the phone or pop in a time to meet them in person. Off the back of COVID-19, lockdowns and working from home full time, we struggled with that human connection. By making the time to sit down with them and discuss, you are showing them you are willing to commit your time, you are determined to find a resolution that works for both parties and you are committed to work with them to get there.
Make sure you are prepared, put yourself in their position and think about what their ideal outcome may be. Does that align with the ideal outcome for you? I’ve always been taught to deliver a solution not a problem, so give them options, make your recommendation on what you think works best and give them the power to decide.
Are there any emerging trends or challenges in the industry that account management teams should be prepared for?
I wouldn’t say its emerging as we have all known about it for some time, but third-party cookie deprecation is hot on everyone’s lips at the moment with August fast approaching. This is going to have a significant impact on digital campaigns, how we engage with audiences and how we measure success.
There is going to be more reliance on first- and second-party data to engage with valuable audiences. This can be a confusing topic for brand and advertisers so we need to ensure we are informed and can address these conversations with our clients and provide recommendations on the best solution for them and their business.
What advice would you give your younger self when you first started out in account service?
In the early days of my career, especially as a young female, I was sometimes hesitant to share my opinion, afraid it would be the wrong one, or that people wouldn’t care what I had to say. But great ideas can come from anywhere, so make sure you speak up and voice your opinion. In my case, I was often surprised at how my ideas and suggestions were received.
We aren’t saving lives so don’t sweat the small stuff. An old manager of mine actually wrote that on a post-it note and stuck it to my screen so I would never forget. We are all human and everyone makes mistakes, it’s just important to learn from this and move forward.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
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