Account Managers connect our clients with our product teams through frequent, strong communication channels.
But what do Account Managers do for our clients, and for Sonin, that makes their role vital?
We met up with our Account Director, Tim Moore, to find out and to uncover how he perceives Account Management.
What is Account Management?
Tim: Account Management looks slightly different in every business. Some business structure Account Management closely with Sales, others align more closely with Project Management. Our version falls somewhere in the middle of these.
As we grew as an organisation, we recognised the importance for Sonin’s Account Management processes to be a standalone service – not falling under Sales or Operations. Account Managers at Sonin understand the client as well as possible and understands the projects almost as well as the Project Manager. It is the conduit between client and Sonin. We work as the client’s representative in Sonin, and Sonin’s representative to the client.
As a service, we are the first to meet with the clients and start building relationships. We are in frequent communication with the client to understand their business, their needs, goals, pain points and changes. As the projects gain momentum, the Account Manager is on-hand to support the client and represent their needs.
I love my job and Account Management. I am genuinely interested in businesses and how they work. I get to spend my day talking to people about where they are excelling, where they may be struggling, where they want to go and how we can use technology to help them.
How do you work with clients?
Tim: We build complex, bespoke software that, more than often, integrates with multiple areas of our client’s business. This means it is crucial that we understand their business to ensure we are building the right product for them. I truly believe in Sonin’s values (We Understand, We Care and We Never Stop Thinking). How can we make good decisions and build the right product if we don’t understand our client’s business wants and needs? How can we support our clients to make the right decisions for them if we don’t care about their business? During the course of a project there are changes and iterations, so how can we keep ourselves aligned with our clients’ goals if we aren’t continuously thinking about ways we can improve or what technologies will make their product right for their business?
In most cases, when we work with clients there are multiple stakeholders within the business that we are working closely with. Each person will have slightly different objectives and goals both within their company and for the product we are building. So, as Account Managers there are two key aspects that we need to understand about our clients:
One is at a business level. We need to understand what their business is trying to achieve. What are their concerns or risks for the year? What is the desired outcome is for the board of directors, CEO or MD? Also, who are their stakeholders and customers? With strong insights we are better equipped to suggest how technology can solve their business problems and enhance their business to increase their return on investment.
The other is at an individual level. We need to understand who we are working with within the business, for example, operations managers. What information do they need or find be useful from us? What requirements do they have? Appreciating the individuals we are working with, their wants and needs for the project, enables us to provide the right service.
With both of these, we need frequent and continuous conversations. If anything changes or needs to adapt, we are able to pick this up quickly with the client and our project team. As Account Managers, we are the voice between the client and Sonin. Not only does this allow us to build strong relationships with our clients, it also enables the Project Managers to focus on the project and delivering to the client on time.
What skills and qualities are important for an Account Manager?
Tim: Fundamentally, we need to have an understanding of people. So, being emotionally intelligent is vital to identify motivators of the people we work with, what is important to them and even what is not being said. The ‘why’s of all of these can help us to ask the right questions and get to the root of the situation in order to give the best support we can to our clients.
Very closely linked is empathy. We care about our clients and their businesses, and we appreciate that building a digital product comes with time pressures and stressors. We need to empathise with our clients when there are changes or obstacles to tackle. At Sonin, we are the experts of technology and how it can be used to solve your business problems. So, as Account Managers, we need to use this empathy to enhance our communication, what can we do to help our clients? How can we reduce the pressures or the concerns? Clear, open and strong communication is at the heart of being an Account Manager.
Clients often approach us with a business problem, so Account Managers need to have a good understanding of business and of the practical output of technology. This combination gives us a strong foundation for problem solving with our clients, discussing how tools, systems and services can be applied to their product to meet their needs, what the best solution is for them and, overall, delivering the right service.
Where does Account Management fit into the typical stages of an app development project?
Tim: Account Management is across the entire development process, from discovery to release and maintenance. We have weekly catch-up calls with our clients for updates because we’ve found the more that we know about the product, the better we can help our clients through the process and identify any opportunities we can help further. For example, in conversation with a client they may tell us about another project they are working on internally and ask us how this can be integrated into the product we are building. These conversations often happen while we are in the fold of building their product, so we are continuously working together and being agile in the way we collaborate to build a better product.
As the go-between for the clients and Sonin, Account Managers work very closely with our Project Managers throughout. This way we can ensure we keep constant focus on the client goals and on top of any adjustments, changes or additions that may arise.
Something I feel is very important is that our developers know and understand our clients. Our developers are brilliant at what they do and coming up with ideas and solutions for their projects. To do this, they need to be invested in what we are building and understand what the client is trying to achieve. In meetings with the developers I always impart information about clients, what they are doing and the reasons why. Alongside the Project Manager we also host sessions called ‘Walking in the Customer’s Shoes’, where we give the entire project team in-depth knowledge about the client, their business problems and the product goals so they can really deliver for the client.
What does the day-to-day role look like as an Account Manager in an agency?
Tim: A big part of our day-to-day is spent in meetings with clients. We have weekly calls with to touch-base and update them, sometimes this means the opportunity to go and visit our clients – which is brilliant! Seeing our clients face to face, joining them for a day in their shoes and really building our understanding of what they do. There’s always so much that comes out of these days that doesn’t get seen or said when you’re solely on video calls.
I work closely with our Head of Operations to forecast projects. If there is an upcoming project or deadline we need to know so we can be ready, for example, to ensure we have the availability of our staff. Also, it may be our staff have planned holiday so we need to make adjustments and be responsive to continuously meet our client’s needs.
Another part of our week involves research. We need to understand our client’s industry and who their competitors are. I often set Google alerts so I know when industry changes happen and stay on top of what is going on in their sector. This part of my role helps us work closely with our Product Strategists too.
What challenges do you face in Account Management, and how do you overcome them?
Tim: Trust is key in any relationship and it is no different in business. Account Management is often perceived as ‘sales’, competing with other agencies to win their partnership.
We run Account Management at Sonin we want the best for our clients and we want the best for Sonin, our number one focus is on how we can help them to build the bespoke product that is right for them.
In our Discovery Workshops, we ask a lot of questions to get to know potential clients. I feel they truly represent so much of who we are; our genuine interest in their business, our excitement for technology and how we can use it to improve their processes, systems or increase their ROI. We don’t point to things that can push up the cost, in fact we’re often trying to lower the cost! We want our clients to get business value as soon as possible, so for example our Head of Product & Design and I work through with the client what the priorities are and help them highlight what isn’t a priority for what they are trying to achieve.
We have great relationships with our existing clients because of our genuine interest in them.
Do you have any advice for people who are starting off their careers in Account Management?
Tim: It’s important to remember that Account Management looks different in every business so the way in may vary from company to company. I would say, there are two main routes in to Account Management.
The first is through Sales. Having expertise in customer service and the know-how to sell the products or service on offer. A sales background also gives you great experience at delivering a service to a client. The second is through Project Management. You’re on the ground of the projects, really getting to know the clients, their requirements and you know how to build a product. Account Management in Sonin sits somewhere between both of these experiences, but I personally feel a Project Management background is the best route for how we work.
I think, in general, if you’re entrepreneurial, comfortable speaking to people and have a thirst for knowledge, then you have great potential as an Account Manager!