A career in marketing as an Account Manager
Do you want to become an account manager? These types of marketing jobs offer exciting career prospects. If you have good interpersonal and communication skills, this might be the right career for you.
What is an Account Manager?
An account manager is tasked with maintaining high levels of client satisfaction. They provide outstanding customers service and develop strategies to ensure that they get repeat business from clients.
In addition to strengthening the relationships between current clients and the company, they are usually tasked with acquiring add-on sales. Account managers play a vital role in a wide range of industries, particularly business to business services.
They respond to client queries, address complaints and assist with purchases. Employees in this position can liaise with one or two clients or hundreds of clients, depending on the company that they work for.
Account Manager Job Description
The account manager job description involves making phone calls as well as building rapport with clients. Other tasks include maintaining client records, documenting sales and handling customer complaints. They assess their clients’ requirements so that they can provide exceptional service.
Employees in this position are required to develop budgets as well as to create schedules. They communicate the needs of their clients to other staff members within the company and follow up on deadlines to ensure that targets are met. Obtaining new clients is also an essential part of this role.
Account Manager Salary and Work Environment
As an account manager you will spend most of your time working in an office. You may also be required to travel to meet with clients. Employees in this role work regular business hours, but overtime and weekend work is often required.
When working on a tight deadline, account managers often have to work long hours to make sure that the campaign succeeds. According to PayScale, the average annual account manager salary in South Africa is R254 650. You can increase your chances of earning a higher income by developing sales management skills.
It is also beneficial to have technical sales capabilities if you are working in this profession. Account managers have plenty of opportunities for career development. Once you have succeeded in this role, you could be eligible for a promotion to an account director position.
Qualifications and Skills
Marketing jobs typically require a diverse range of skills and an account manager position is no exception. Relevant qualifications will help you get ahead in your career. Degrees in marketing, advertising or communication are beneficial.
If you are a sociable person, working as an account manager can be a great career choice as a large portion of your duties involve working with people. There is also plenty of room for creativity which keeps this job interesting.
While there are plenty of benefits to working in this profession, when problems occur it can be stressful. Managing the high expectations of clients can be challenging. As a professional in this role you will need to negotiate between the requirements of the company that you work for and the client’s expectations.
Take a look at the top 13 must-have skills if you are thinking of entering this profession:
- Interpersonal skills
- Verbal and written communication capabilities
- Sales skills
- Self-confidence
- Administrative capabilities
- Ability to work under pressure
- Problem-solving skills
- Conflict resolution abilities
- High levels of motivation
- Professional demeanour
- Organisational capabilities
- Negotiation skills
- Good business sense
If you are dynamic and you can keep people motivated, looking for marketing jobs as an account manager may be the right career move for you. With the right qualifications and skills, you are well on your way to succeeding in this position. Register your CV on Job Mail today and start applying for vacancies!
