A 10am whiskey ready for your client?! Probably better to know their kids’ names….OLIVER Group, Talent Acquisition Manager, James McDonnell shares what he looks for in a good Account Manager.

I had a conversation with a group of friends the other day about what I do for a job. I told them I normally look after Client Services and Project Management recruitment for OLIVER. Brows frowned, questions were asked.

The group I was speaking to were friends of mine from my time in the Army. Agency life is a very alien thing to them, their careers revolve around wearing green (to be pedantic, it’s now multi-terrain pattern, a mish-mash of dark colours) and making things go bang.

I explained to them that Account Managers weren’t all sharp suits and 10am whiskeys like Mad Men. Several early morning glasses of whiskey probably don’t make you a good suit, so what does?

I recently went to a chat we have weekly in the OLIVER Group HQ that is organised by DARE. The speaker was the DARE CEO Leigh Thomas.

In it she posed some fairly basic but interesting questions for the Account Managers at DARE, OLIVER, Marketing Matters and Aylesworth Fleming.

These questions were the build-up for a discussion about the importance of the relationship between Account Manager and client. Here are a few she asked the inquisitive minds of the OLIVER Group.

Spare change

First question asked do you have money in your pocket? Now Leigh is successful and wasn’t looking for a whip around for a few quid. She wanted to know if the “suits” had the ability to meet a client on short notice and maybe pick up a bill or pay for a taxi. She explained that it’s the small things, the innocuous gestures that can be the foundations of a great relationship.

Empathy

After everyone put away their packets of gum, bits of lint and the odd button (caveat, OLIVER does actually pay it’s salaries in legal tender), she asked the second question. Do your clients have kids and if so, what are their names? What Leigh wanted to highlight is that your client isn’t just a business… they are humans with human emotions and potentially little human children they love. Learn about your client, take an interest and they will probably do the same.

Research

So after you have heard all about little Rupert’s under 11’s rugby tournament, it’s time to talk about business. The question Leigh wanted to ask is, how well do you actually know your client’s business? Is your client a listed company? If so, what is their share price today?! If you don’t know this, go online and learn it. Also, do 20 push ups as a punishment… Silly person.

Integrity

The final element, an element that was very important for Leigh, was the issue of integrity. This is something that I can easily relate to in recruitment. It is very easy to lie to candidates, very easy to tell half-truths. There are plenty of sharky recruiters who do and that’s why we are about as liked as real estate agents…. Or dare I say it…. Bankers. I have always believed that integrity is vital to being professional. Leigh basically said that if you truly want a great working and personal relationship with your client, it will be because you are honest with them. If your client can’t trust you or doesn’t value your input, the relationship is over.

If you’re interested in joining the team, have a look at our vacancies or send your portfolio and/or CV to our recruitment team. For a little glimpse into life at OLIVER, follow us on Facebook or Instagram.