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Account manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

6 min read

Quoted experts

Jonathan Byers,

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.

Some of the most important hard skills an account manager can possess include a history of meeting and exceeding sales goals, and extensive product knowledge. It's important that account managers have these skills as being able to secure large sales is a huge part of the job.

When it comes to soft skills, communication and customer service top the list for account manager resumes. Account managers need to communicate across many different channels and with many different people, so these skills are crucial.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical account manager skills. We ranked the top skills for account managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 19.2% of account manager resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an account manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 account manager skills for your resume and career

1. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how account managers use customer service:

Balance multiple responsibilities on daily basis, including processing ads, providing exceptional customer service, and coordinating with other departments.
Managed productive operations of assigned accounts while providing excellent customer service, minimizing losses, increasing and maintaining profits.

2. Account Management

The process of strengthening the relationship between a company and client is called account management. Effective account management has two key objectives, one is to retain loyal customers and the second one is to help the company grow by creating connections with new customers.

Here's how account managers use account management:

Specialized in communications security operational account management.
Promoted to Account Manager within 12 months resulting in broad account management responsibility with expansive sales territory in Northeast and Canada.

3. Healthcare

Healthcare is the maintenance or improvement of a person's health by the diagnosis and treatment of a person's injury, illness, or any other disease. Healthcare is a basic necessity of human life and is the responsibility of the country's government to ensure that each person gets healthcare. Providing healthcare is the job of certified health professionals that includes doctors, surgeons, nurses, and other physicians. Pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, dentistry, therapy, and health training all come under healthcare. Healthcare plays a vital role in the country's economy and its development.

Here's how account managers use healthcare:

Target HealthCare, Financial Services, Retail/Dist.
Maintained and grew infusion revenue in Core Therapy Business Unit and educated physicians and healthcare providers regarding therapy usage.

4. CRM

CRM stands for Customer relationship management and it is a complete process through which a business or organization monitors and administers its interactions with the customers. A process in which large amounts of data are collected through marketing via a company's website, polls, surveys, and other social media applications. The basic goal of CRM is to target the right audience for their product, and then fulfill their needs, to increase the sales and revenue of the company.

Here's how account managers use crm:

Implemented an effective territory specific lead generation and follow-up program and maintained detailed territory records in the company CRM system.
Project manager for implementation and conversion from SAP to CRM system for Homeland Security Pharmaceuticals division.

5. Product Knowledge

Product knowledge is the skill of having better information and knowledge about the product you are selling. Product knowledge is essential for the employees of the companies so they can communicate and inform the customers about the product. Having great product knowledge is essential for a better sales pitch and to give the customer a better and complete idea of the product that will influence him to buy the product eventually.

Here's how account managers use product knowledge:

Utilized substantial product knowledge to introduce new lines of coverage with existing clients whereby enhancing client satisfaction leading to retention.
Developed profitable relationships with current and prospective customers and provided exceptional customer support through attentiveness and extensive product knowledge.

6. PowerPoint

Here's how account managers use powerpoint:

Tailored and delivered PowerPoint presentations to perspective clients at both executive and line manager level to present capabilities and gain business.
Created financial spreadsheets using Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint exhibits in preparation of presentations to mid and senior level management teams.

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7. Work Ethic

Here's how account managers use work ethic:

Conduct new client prospecting utilizing diverse communication abilities paired with a persistent work ethic.
Influenced dramatic changes in customer satisfaction illustrating a solid work ethic and integrity.

8. Project Management

Here's how account managers use project management:

Provided subject matter expertise in areas including project management, project scope definition, risk identification, resource allocation and facilitation.
Manage overall project costs and communicate with the project management team on overall objectives/background to ensure project success and flawless execution.

9. Business Development

Business development is the ideas or initiatives that work to make business work better. Selling, advertising, product development, supply chain management, and vendor management are only a few of the divisions involved with it. There is still a lot of networking, negotiating, forming alliances, and trying to save money. The goals set for business development guide and coordinate with all of these various operations and sectors.

Here's how account managers use business development:

Identified solution-focused business development opportunities.
Planned and executed business development initiatives, including consultative selling techniques, to prepare customer-specific solutions and effectively market technology offerings.

10. Sales Process

Here's how account managers use sales process:

Initiated sales process by scheduling appointments; performed initial presentations and gathered information on account requirements through consultative selling techniques.
Manage the complete sales process from qualifying conversations, proposal development, through license delivery and post-purchase customer satisfaction.

11. Sales Territory

Here's how account managers use sales territory:

Develop sales territory by building strong client relationships within highly competitive environment through networking, relationship management and incentive programs.
Manage customer relationships while increasing business by selling and ordering products within a sales territory of an existing customer base.

12. Business Relationships

Here's how account managers use business relationships:

Executed client implementation process and managed business relationships for national health benefit clients totaling 50,000 enrolled consumer lives throughout United States.
Manage business relationships with customers to ensure accurate and timely program implementation, increased penetration and retention of the customer.

13. Payroll

Payroll is the sum of all the compensation that an organization has to pay to employees at a specified time. Payroll is managed by the finance or HR department while small business owners may handle it themselves. Payroll isn't fixed as it varies every month due to sick leaves, overtime, etc.

Here's how account managers use payroll:

Developed concepts and procedures, analyzed and resolved general ledger interfaces with computerized payroll, time tracking and project accounting system.
Achieve Budget/Financial Responsibilities- control expenses, and overall responsibility for by weekly payroll and new staff associates processing.

14. HR

HR stands for human resources and is used to describe the set of people who work for a company or an organization. HR responsibilities revolve around updating employee records and carrying out management processes like planning, recruitment, evaluation, and selection processes. HR is a key contributor to any company or organization's growth as they are in charge of hiring the right employees, processing payrolls, conducting disciplinary actions, etc.

Here's how account managers use hr:

Liaised between vendors and clients; Identified opportunities to provide HR and business solutions that maximized return-on-investment for the organization.
Managed HR compensation enhancement projects that supported global merit and incentive award planning initiatives, ensuring adherence to corporate policies.

15. Customer Accounts

Here's how account managers use customer accounts:

Managed customer accounts from initial prospecting to final production delivery; collaborate with internal departments to optimize turnaround time and customer satisfaction
Developed and managed multiple customer accounts/relationships to support various organizational goals with specific focus in Office Automation Technology Solutions.

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What skills help Account Managers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on account manager resumes?

Jonathan Byers

Assistant Director, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

- Professional skills related to career development competencies such as strong oral & written communication, teamwork & collaboration, leadership, problem-solving ability & creativity, and professional integrity, but we recommend that applicants do not just list these skills. They should provide evidence of how they have used them in their work experience, volunteer experience, academic experience, etc.
-The ability to use technology effectively to solve problems or improve collaboration; this could relate to social media management, computer hardware or software skills, proficiency with general programs like Microsoft Office Suite (also being able to demonstrate the use of these skills in various experiences).
-With diversity, equity, and inclusion becoming more important in 2020, the ability to appreciate different points of view, accept and appreciate different cultural backgrounds & types of identities, and increased awareness of one's own cultural biases and assumptions can also be important to market on a resume.

What account manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.

Associate Dean, Central Connecticut State University

This pandemic taught us many things and one important thing that we have an efficiency gap.

The way of doing business will be much more technology orientated. Hence graduates should be ready to unskill and upskill their credentials. This time it is necessary to forget the old way of doing business and learn new skills to get a job or stay in a current job. Soft skills have become much more important than before, but a different soft skill set would be essential to interact with future market participants. Thus, a gap year should be utilized to unskill-upskill and enhance relevant credentials by getting into short-long term programs, training, and workshops would be highly recommended.

What type of skills will young account managers need?

Dr. Vallari Chandna

Chair and Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Critically, for all graduates, expertise or interests, in sustainability will be important. The reason behind this is the shift in looking at sustainability holistically and not just as something one-person does. This would also give an edge to those with degrees, specifically in sustainability. Graduates with degrees related to sustainability will often be asked to oversee or manage these across-the-board sustainability endeavors. Also, soft skills are highly desired. The ability to be better at time management, work in teams, and have a strong work ethic, will be more desirable. These are all interconnected with remote work as well. Employees who "thrived" in the pandemic were those able to manage their work-life balance, work remotely in teams, all the while performing well. The skills are thus "transferable" to both modalities of work in this way.

What technical skills for an account manager stand out to employers?

Todd Lee Goen

Instructor & Internship Director, Christopher Newport University

Technical skills are often industry and/or position specific. Applicants should highlight any technical skills related to the position advertisement and those that add value to the position/organization. Most importantly, requirements for technical skills change with time and technological advances. This means employers value workers capable of adapting to change and continually improving and acquiring new technical skills. Thus, it's usually more important to demonstrate you are capable of learning and developing technical skills than it is to have a specific skill set upon hire (although this is not true for some positions/industries).
That said, technical skills related to online presentations, virtual meetings, virtual networking, remote working and the like are hot commodities right now. While most organizations were in the process of adopting many of these technologies and ways of doing business pre-pandemic, the pandemic accelerated the process. Organizations are making it work, but they often don't know best practices or the most efficient means of working in the largely virtual, pandemic environment. Post-pandemic, many of the remote/virtual changes the pandemic brought will stay in some form. Technical skills that support this type of workplace will make applicants stand out to many employers because they need/want to do virtual/remote business better.

What soft skills should all account managers possess?

Eric Bostwick Ph.D.

Professor of Accounting, The University of West Florida

Similar to the answer above, oral and written communication skills have been important for a number of years, but in our current environment, these skills have become much more important. Our ability to pick up on the context surrounding email messages is reduced since we have fewer in-person interactions, and even our virtual meetings eliminate much of the body language that we use--both consciously and unconsciously--to interpret what other people mean by what they say. Thus, candidates will stand out when they can clearly articulate their thoughts in both written form, via email or chat, and in oral form, via the ubiquitous "Brady Bunch" layout on their coworkers' computer screens.

Do you want to know more?

List of account manager skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for an account manager resume and required skills for an account manager to have include:

Customer Service
Account Management
Healthcare
CRM
Product Knowledge
PowerPoint
Work Ethic
Project Management
Business Development
Sales Process
Sales Territory
Business Relationships
Payroll
HR
Customer Accounts
Trade Shows
Customer Satisfaction

Financial Statements
Sales Strategies
Client Satisfaction
Client Accounts
Facebook
Sales Quota
Sales Presentations
Outbound Calls
Customer Retention
Revenue Growth
Client Relations
Sales Growth
Customer Relations
Product Line
Medical Sales
Client Expectations
Cold Calls

Customer Support
Customer Issues
Develop Strong Relationships
Medicare
Customer Complaints
Cloud Security
ROI
Develop Leads
OEM
Customer Inquiries
Enterprise Sales
Strong Negotiation
SEO
RFP
Opportunity Management
Upselling

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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