If you’re wondering what does an account executive do all day in a successful agency management system — you’ve come to the right place. At Agency Management Institute (AMI), we’ve trained hundreds of account executives, helping them understand their role with their clients and within the agency.

To be able to perform the myriad of account executive tasks, a person must have proven or quickly demonstrable analytical, organizing, leadership, interpersonal, and oral and written communications skills, plus a solid understanding of marketing and advertising.

Oh yeah…and your account executives need to understand how your agency works and how your agency makes money.

This is certainly no job for the average beginner or for some lightweight, glib glad-hander who thinks that he or she can con his/her way through your world on a smile, a shoeshine, a few buzzwords, and a dazzling first impression. A good account executive is hard to find but is a huge benefit to your clients and your agency.

Here’s a quick overview of what I think an Account Executive should do in within an agency management system:

Big picture for an Account Executive’s clients:

  • Understand each client’s business goals and help them get there
  • Prepare an annual marketing plan for each client and individual campaign plans as needed throughout the year (with SMART goals)
  • Manage and strengthen (not merely maintain) client relationships
  • Propose, sell to the client, and oversee market, media, and other research studies as required
  • Continuously offer unsolicited ideas to increase the effectiveness of the client’s company and marketing activities

Big picture for your agency:

  • Understand how the agency makes money and how the account executive’s work contributes to the agency’s profitability through good management
  • Be an advocate for the agency whenever they’re out in public
  • Identify and cultivate new business opportunities (even if they’re just passing them along internally)
  • Periodically report to the agency president on the condition of the client-agency relationship and plans to improve it

Day-to-day for their clients:

  • Initiate, coordinate, and oversee all agency activities on behalf of the client
  • Manage day-to-day client-agency communication
  • Report progress and delays and make sure the client is always in the know
  • Maintain meticulous documentation of all activities on the client’s behalf

Day-to-day for the agency:

  • Closely control each client’s budget and timeline—to maximize ROI for both the client and the agency
  • Work with the internal team to exceed the client’s expectations and keep re-earning the client’s trust
  • Build up your team – celebrating successes and learning from the mistakes
  • Watch for signs of trouble and alert the leadership team early so you can make a plan

For themselves, the agency, and their clients:

  • Stay abreast of all developments in the client’s industry
  • Keep honing communication/marketing expertise and techniques which will serve both the agency and the clients
  • Network and connect — to serve your community, grow your influence and add value everywhere you go
  • Find out what re-fuels you so you can stay fired up and energized
  • Improve your presentation skills — for audiences big and small
  • Keep learning, stretching, and growing

 

Where Your Account Executives Can Learn More:

If you’re an account executive or have one on your staff, learn how to better answer the question ‘what does an account executive do?’ by checking out our AE Bootcamp workshops. We offer our “basic AE Bootcamp” for new account executives and our “Advanced AE Bootcamp” for your seasoned veteran account executives.

Both workshops are outstanding at helping your account executives become the effective AGI producers you need within your agency.

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