Account manager (Accountmanager)
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An account manager is a relationship manager who represents the company he or she works for. This representation relates to the interrelationship between companies and/or relates to the relationship between the company and individuals. It is the account manager who monitors and maintains the relationship with other companies and/or individuals, so that they remain a customer of the company where the account manager works. In addition, the development of the relationship is part of the tasks of an account manager. The profession of account manager nowadays occurs in different ways and also has the name customer manager, relationship manager or the name relationship manager. The profession of account manager is a profession with many responsibilities, because relationship management is very important for companies. Result-oriented working plays a major role within the account manager profession. The profession of account manager should also be seen as fairly general, because account managers occur in different ways within all conceivable branches. Relationship management is important for almost all companies, organizations and institutions. Depending on the specific activities and responsibility as an account manager, an account manager will have to have at least an appropriate MBO education. The profession of account manager also occurs at hbo level. As described earlier, the profession of account manager can also occur under other names. In general, an account manager will have to have a commercial institution, despite the fact that an account manager cannot be regarded as a representative. An account manager is responsible for the further development of existing relationships. In practice, it is conceivable that an account manager can also work as a representative.
An account manager can therefore be seen as an intermediary between the customers and the organization for which the account manager works. Because account managers are very important for most companies, the profession can occur in practice at different levels. To make this difference clear, one often speaks of a junior account manager and a senior account manager. These two terms are usually used to make the difference between an inexperienced and experienced account manager clear. The responsibilities of a senior account manager are usually greater than those of a junior account manager, because the latter still needs to gain experience. The substantive work will generally not differ much. It is true that senior account managers have to deal with the important relationships. In many cases, a senior account manager can also be classified as a contract manager. As a contract manager, you are responsible for drawing up clear contracts. In other words, an experienced account manager will have more privileges than a junior account manager.
WHY IS THE ACCOUNT MANAGER IMPORTANT
Account managers are important to most companies because they specialize in relationship management. Relationship management is more important than ever today because customers and relationships can usually quickly switch to one of the competitors. Think, for example, of insurance companies that make plenty of offers for new customers. To prevent relationships from switching, the account manager can actively approach customers. If customers are well informed and therefore treated well, they will usually not just switch. It is up to the account manager to ensure that relationships have and keep this feeling. This certainly does not have to mean that the account manager calls the relations every week, but it can mean, for example, that the relations regularly receive an email with relevant information.
IS AN ACCOUNT MANAGER ALSO A REPRESENTATIVE?
An account manager is usually not a representative, but it can happen that both functions are combined. The professions of account manager and representative cannot simply be compared with each other, because an account manager is a relationship manager of existing relations and a representative is looking for new customers. Both professions have great commercial similarities with each other but are therefore not the same. Whether both professions are combined in practice depends on the company and the gravity of the position. If an account manager has to deal with large relationships and the interests are high, the profession of account manager is a full-time position. In these types of cases, there are usually separate representatives. An account manager who also works as a representative is sometimes called a hunter. Depending on the organization, an account manager can also work in the field. In some cases, an account manager can also work as a sales consultant.
TASKS AS AN ACCOUNT MANAGER
An account manager is responsible for managing a company's relationships. The account manager usually coordinates with the sales team to ensure they have the best chance of selling their product or service to the customer. The account manager must also understand what is expected of them by their customers. In general, an account manager mainly deals with existing customers. In addition to existing customers, a good account manager will also focus on potential customers. An account manager usually also has to deal with a sales manager.
IS THE PROFESSION OF ACCOUNT MANAGER DIFFICULT?
Account managers are expected to have a business degree and an understanding of the industry in which they work. They also need to be strong in communication and need interpersonal skills to be able to deal with their customers. Account managers must be able to easily empathize with the problems and issues of their customers. Dealing with business relationships usually requires a good commercial education. In addition, you usually have a wide range of tasks. In some cases, you can also be seen as an international account manager.
WHY IS AN ACCOUNT MANAGER IMPORTANT FOR AN ORGANIZATION?
An account manager plays a crucial role in the success of a company. If they are skilled, they can build strong relationships with their customers. This allows their business to stay connected to the customer once the deal is done. A good account manager must have excellent communication skills.
ACCOUNT MANAGER MEANING (IN SHORT)
An account manager is someone who works for a company to ensure that each customer's needs are met. In short, they manage the relationships between a company and its customers. Typically, this person focuses on maintaining existing relationships, while also seeking new prospects.
WHAT IS A KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER?
A key account manager is responsible for important business relationships. A key account manager is therefore not responsible for general customers. In some cases, a key account manager has only one customer. The key account manager position belongs to an experienced account manager.
WHAT DOES AN ACCOUNT MANAGER DO:
TRAINING TO BECOME AN ACCOUNT MANAGER
If you aspire to a career as an account manager, it is best to opt for the MBO junior account manager course at level four. This four-year MBO course is a great start to be able to work as an account manager. However, it is usually still necessary to follow a study at HBO level, such as the Hbo programme in marketing management or the HBO programme in commercial economics. Which hbo education fits best usually depends on the industry where someone wants to work. In addition, there are also plenty of external training institutes where you can follow a course. Accounting is also important as an entrepreneur.
COMPANIES WHERE AN ACCOUNT MANAGER CAN BE EMPLOYED
As an account manager, you can work for almost all types of companies within the business world, because most companies use account managers. Think, for example, of ICT companies, banks and marketing companies. But also think of insurance companies or leasing companies. In fact, you can work as an account manager for all commercial companies.
COMPETENCIES ACCOUNT MANAGER
As an account manager, it is important that you are customer-friendly, because you usually have a lot to do with customers. In addition, communication plays an important role as an account manager. General commercial skills should also not be lacking as an account manager. In this respect, negotiation can also be regarded as an important competence. Another important competence of an account manager, which should not be missing, is being able to network. Generally important words are insight, inspiration, management, motivation, perseverance, performance, stress resistance, independence, flexibility and initiative.
LABOUR MARKET PERSPECTIVE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AS AN ACCOUNT MANAGER
The labour market perspective for an account manager is generally good, if you have the right training. However, the labour market perspective can differ per sector, because certain branches make more use of account managers than other branches. In addition, the level of education and work experience usually plays an important role when it comes to a possible vacancy. The career opportunities should be seen in obtaining a managerial position, such as the position of department manager. Another possible follow-up position as an account manager can be the position of aftersales manager.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT AND SALARY ACCOUNT MANAGER
There are no specific examples of the terms of employment as an account manager, because as an account manager you can work for different types of companies in different industries. An account manager with a completed hbo education will usually earn a salary between 2000 and 3600 euros gross per month, depending on age, education and further responsibilities. As an account manager, it is conceivable that the salary may be higher if certain turnover goals are achieved by the account manager.
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