Hello, [FirstName].
Reading time: about 2 minutes, at most
What's it take to be a good account exec?
The answer is of course lots of things. But the intangibles listed below, reprised from one of our articles from several years back, are essential.
If AE's report to you, this could be the start of a performance review checklist. Or if you're hiring (as so many of our agency clients are these days) make sure before you sign somebody up they demonstrate a solid command of these basics.
All the best,
Joe Grant
joe@joegrantconsulting.com
P.S. - There are plenty of other ideas for AEs in the Articles section of our website at www.joegrantconsulting.com. Check it out.
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What's a Good AE?
An effective account executive needs a quiver full of talents:
Commitment
Good account people understand that trust is at the heart of business relationships both with clients and inside the agency, too. Make a promise - delivering copy and layouts on a certain date, getting a strategy brief to the creatives on time - then fail to deliver and you've wounded the relationship, sometimes irreparably. Don't make any commitment lightly, protect the power of your word, and never lie. Because once your behavior demonstrates casualness toward your commitments, you'll undermine your ability to do business from that point on.
Anticipation
It helps staying at least one hop ahead of your client if you're going to rise above being merely an account waiter. Anticipation is at the heart of strategic thinking. Discipline yourself to ask, "What happens if. . ." and unpredicted changes will be easier to swallow because, well, they're not quite so unexpected. Good account leaders plan for how they'll approach every situation from simple phone calls to presenting the next annual campaign. Anticipation illuminates opportunities you might not have thought of. It's an AE's essential skill.
Details
Ever work with someone who claimed, "I'm not a detail person"? It's hard holding a job if you keep blowing the details; eventually one of them will bite you in the tail. Learn to use common detail management tools: PDAs, calendars, lists, reminders. Maybe ask a detail-compulsive colleague which tricks work for him or her. Yes, when you get to the top there may be an assistant there to help relieve this tedium, but in the meantime there's too much at stake. Effective detail management is often the difference between good and great account people.
Empathy
This one's simple. How is what you do likely to make the other guy feel? Put yourself in their shoes - clarify expectations about performance, behavior, and outcomes in advance. And when you improve empathy you'll unavoidably improve listening skills. In agency/client relationships there's certainly room to improve listening, right?
Persuasive Writing
As obvious as the sunrise, this continues to be a major problem in our industry. Too many people simply don't write well! Better account people are always concise and provocative writers. Ask the best business writer you know to critique your stuff. There's always room to learn to write better.
Curiosity
In our experience top account people continuously improve their craft by reading books and articles, attending seminars, listening to tapes, and devouring how-to's. They don't say, "Haven't got time to read 'cause I'm too busy doing my work." Think about the logic in that sentence - what they're saying is they're too busy staying where they are to get ahead. High achievers know there's no end to active learning if they want to go up the next rung.
The above list is by no means exhaustive; high-performance account people draw on lots of skills. But, here's a final thought: the single most important skill you can have as an AE is good judgment.
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Ad Voyeurs |
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"Keen competition. . . long hours, including evenings and weekends. . . high earnings." The US Dept. of Labor has actually taken the time to explain advertising jobs! Cleared up many things I've wondered about. What a hoot, at Stats. |
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Bloggin' |
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Here's a good source of intelligent comments from people in our industry. You can sort topics like ad agencies, executive shifts, campaign launches, and similar topics. See AdJab. |
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Get Unstuck |
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Get your creative juices flowing again by visiting this fat resource for idea generation called IF! You'll find lots of inspiration separated by discipline, topic, and market sector. |
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Speeding |
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What if you could devour books and articles faster? Grab some good ideas on getting more from your reading - not just speed, retention too - at this helpful site. See Speed Reading Techniques. |
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Not Today |
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The dirty little secret we all share is procrastination. Come on - you put things off too, right? How about a website dedicated to the serious study of this very human foible. It's no joke and if you have a professional procrastinator on your staff, help may be right here at Procrastination Research. |
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Read On |
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For less than $10 annually you can have access to
330,000 e-books and .pdf articles to read on your PDA or computer. You'll never again be bored waiting in line. See World eBook Library. |
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About Grant Consulting
Grant Consulting, formed in 1992 by Joe Grant, is a consultative resource for advertising agency principals who want to improve their companies. The firm works exclusively with senior managers to help them discover and then reach their full potential. Copyright 2006 Grant Consulting Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. We encourage sharing in whole or in part if copyright and attribution are included. Contact us at:
Grant Consulting
239.394.8220
joe@joegrantconsulting.com
www.joegrantconsulting.com
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