“I don’t know how you did it, but the two people who returned from your advertising agency account executive training are not the same two people I sent. They’re ready to take on the world. Both have delivered incredible results in the last few weeks, getting stalled clients off the dime and bringing new revenue into the agency. Thank you!”
AE Bootcamp: Turn Your Account Executives into Confident, Profit-Driving Client Leaders
A two-day, roll‑up‑your‑sleeves workshop that teaches account managers and AEs how to lead clients, grow accounts, and protect margins—without burning out the team or themselves.
Who This Is For
AE Bootcamp is designed for:
- Account coordinators, account executives, and account managers who are ready to step up from “order taker” to strategic partner.
- Senior AEs and account supervisors who need a reset on expectations, profitability, and leadership.
- Agency owners who want a stronger, more proactive account team that can grow existing clients by at least 10% a year.
If they touch clients and budgets, they belong in this room.
The Problems This Solves
Let’s be honest: most AEs were great at relationship-building long before anyone taught them agency math, scope control, or how to have tough conversations.
Send your team if any of this sounds familiar:
- Clients love them, but they give away strategy, time, and profit in every email.
- Projects are delivered, but scope creep, write‑offs, and “we’ll eat it this time” are the norm.
- Your AEs are stuck in traffic-cop mode instead of acting like business advisors.
- The creative team is frustrated, your AEs are fried, and everyone is blaming “unrealistic clients.”
Bottom line: you’re spending a lot of payroll on people who are not yet running their book of business like owners. AE Bootcamp fixes that.
What They’ll Learn
Over two packed days, your AEs will learn how to:
- Own their role as “eye of the storm” – understanding what clients, the internal team, and you (the boss) really need from them, and how to be the calm center instead of part of the chaos.
- Lead richer client conversations – using “rich vs. right” language shifts, active listening, and email/meeting etiquette to build trust instead of defensiveness.
- Communicate like a pro – from agenda‑driven meetings to clear, concise, on‑point email that focuses on next steps, deadlines, and expectations.
- Master agency math – AGI, COGS, ideal 55/25/20 model, what’s truly an AGI expense, and how a single 5K write‑off can require 89K in billings to replace.
- Price and scope with confidence – using the “magic of three” for pricing, better scope documents, and change orders that stop the quiet bleeding.
- Grow existing clients by 10%+ – identifying opportunities, pitching new ideas, and becoming the thinking partner clients say they want in the AMI Agency Edge research.
- Protect profit on every job – estimating wisely (1.3–1.5 multipliers), tracking AGI, managing scope creep, and using daily timesheets and huddles to keep work on track.
- Work better with the internal team – writing stronger briefs, running traffic/status meetings, and being the advocate creatives are actually happy to see coming.
- Manage time and energy – using tools like the Eisenhower Matrix, time blocking, batching, and realistic prioritization to get out of constant firefighting mode.
- Manage up and earn trust – asking for responsibility, bringing solutions instead of problems, and showing you they can be trusted to run their book like a franchisee.
They leave with practical tools they can use their very next day back at the shop.
How The Two Days Work
This is not a death‑by‑PowerPoint situation. It’s interactive, candid, and grounded in the realities of agency life.
Over two days, we:
- Map out what clients, teams, and owners really expect from account service.
- Break down real numbers so AEs feel what a write‑off or over‑service does to your P&L.
- Work through live exercises on scope documents, contact reports, status reports, and marketing plans.
- Role‑play tough conversations (pushback on budget, misaligned expectations, late work) using “rich vs. right” language.
- Build a personal plan for each AE to grow their existing accounts and sharpen their skills.
They also leave with a template email to you—their boss—outlining three specific changes they plan to implement in the next week, month, and quarter so you can see immediate ROI.
Outcomes You Can Expect
After AE Bootcamp, you can expect your AEs to:
- Think and act more like business owners, not order takers.
- Talk confidently about money, scope, and value with clients.
- Grow existing clients instead of just “servicing” them.
- Reduce write‑offs, over‑servicing, and last‑minute fire drills.
- Advocate for better, stronger creative—and help the team actually get it approved.
Your clients get a stronger strategic partner. Your team gets a better leader. You get more profitable, stickier accounts.
What’s Included
- Two full days of live training with an experienced agency owner and veteran account leader who lives this stuff every day.
- Workbook and tools: templates for scopes, briefs, status reports, time management, and profitability tracking.
- AMI research insights into what CMOs and decision‑makers say they really want from their agencies.
- Post‑workshop action plan email template for participants to align with their leadership.
- Certificate of Completion: AE Bootcamp from Agency Management Institute, suitable for HR files and professional development tracking.
Ideal For Agencies Who…
Download the workshop syllabus here.
Format, Dates, and Investment
- Format: In‑person, two consecutive full days
- Location: Denver
- Certificate: Issued upon full participation in both days
Pricing and upcoming dates are listed on this page—seats are limited to keep the room interactive and personal.
Call to Action
Bottom line: if you want AEs who can calm the storm, grow the business, and always be at the bottom of your “who’s stressing me out” list, this is the fastest way to get there.
Workshop Schedule
Day One: 9am-5pm
Day Two: 9am-3pm
Lunch provided both days.
When and Where is the Workshop?
The workshop is in Denver, CO at the Tivoli Student Union (Auraria Higher Education Center).
Click here to Register Online – April 20 & 21, 2026
Click here to Register Online – October 12 & 13, 2026
Tuition: $2,195 for the first attendee and $1,995 for each additional attendee. AMI Members get a $300 discount on all seats.
Tuition price per person includes all meeting materials, and lunch both days. Travel, accommodations, and other meals are not included. Our cancellation policy is here.
Meet your Instructor: Lori Highby
Money-back guarantee: if you are not completely satisfied with this account executive training for any reason, just call or send us an email, and you will be refunded 100 percent of your tuition – no questions asked. In all the years we have offered this workshop, no one has ever asked for a refund.