What does an account manager do?
Account managers are employees who act as the bridge between the company they represent and the client of the company. They are assigned to handle specific clients so that the company will be able to tailor-fit any product or service according to the clients' requirements. Account managers are responsible for maintaining a harmonious relationship between the two parties by ensuring that any agreement made is amenable to both the company and the client. They are also responsible for ensuring that the company will be able to provide the needs of the client within any limitation that the client may have. Account managers also ensure that the company's reputation and well-being are always considered in any dealings.
Account manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real account manager resumes:
- Manage financial departments with responsibility for managing payroll, bank re-consolidations, bank deposits, budgeting and cost control.
- Manage $4 million territory encompassing three Mid-Atlantic states.
- Manage new business and renewals for leading Saas legal solution.
- Manage an inside sales territory of multiple states with Avaya technology solutions.
- Negotiate and manage all contracts and pricing for IDN's in the territory.
- Manage customers' accounts utilizing laptop and internet base CMS reporting software and ADM field guide.
- Top selling ADM in company.
- Order HVAC repair parts and equipment.
- Run service calls on all types of HVAC equipment.
- Build and maintain strong relationships within store personnel that can be leverage for increase sales.
- Pilot implementation of SalesForce, which are adopted by internal sales team as a company-wide best practice.
- Provide business analysis of benefits for stronger contract offerings either through existing GPO's or independent agreements.
- Identify larger business need requirements and opportunities to gain customer for life via leads from SMB inbound sales queue.
- Develop and distribute newsletters, brochures, or other print materials to share information with patients or medical staff.
- Leverage analysis of variables including clicks, impressions and conversions to schedule and place advertising to meet performance targets.
Account manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 19% of Account Managers are proficient in Customer Service, Account Management, and Healthcare. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Customer-service skills.
We break down the percentage of Account Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 19%
Balance multiple responsibilities on daily basis, including processing ads, providing exceptional customer service, and coordinating with other departments.
- Account Management, 8%
Specialized in communications security operational account management.
- Healthcare, 6%
Target HealthCare, Financial Services, Retail/Dist.
- CRM, 6%
Implemented an effective territory specific lead generation and follow-up program and maintained detailed territory records in the company CRM system.
- Product Knowledge, 5%
Utilized substantial product knowledge to introduce new lines of coverage with existing clients whereby enhancing client satisfaction leading to retention.
- PowerPoint, 5%
Tailored and delivered PowerPoint presentations to perspective clients at both executive and line manager level to present capabilities and gain business.
Common skills that an account manager uses to do their job include "customer service," "account management," and "healthcare." You can find details on the most important account manager responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an account manager to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "sales managers must collect and interpret complex data to target the most promising geographic areas and demographic groups, and determine the most effective sales strategies." Account managers often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provided outstanding customer support to my customers and entering data into system. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform account manager duties is communication skills. Account managers responsibilities require that "sales managers need to work with colleagues and customers, so they must be able to communicate clearly." Account managers also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "maintained frequent, open communication through integrated relationship management, thorough follow-up, customer service, and escalated customer support. "
Customer-service skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of account managers is customer-service skills. This skill is critical to many everyday account manager duties, as "when helping to make a sale, sales managers must listen and respond to the customer’s needs." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "managed a two state territory providing customer support and new customer generation for high-end engineering and manufacturing software and hardware. "
Leadership skills. A big part of what account managers do relies on "leadership skills." You can see how essential it is to account manager responsibilities because "sales managers must be able to evaluate how their sales staff performs and must develop strategies for meeting sales goals." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical account manager tasks: "created leadership standing as key local company contact, removing barriers and delivering superior customer support and service. "
The three companies that hire the most account managers are:
- Hired1,358 account managers jobs
- NFP Ventures626 account managers jobs
- Oracle457 account managers jobs
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Compare different account managers
Account manager vs. Manager, account executive
An account executive manager is responsible for handling client accounts and leading the account management procedures to promote the client's brand image in the market and maintain the highest satisfaction. Account executive managers work with the marketing and sales team to identify sales and promotional strategies that would increase revenues and product profits. They also review the current market trends to develop business opportunities according to client needs and public demands. An account executive manager coordinates with the clients for regular updates and informs them of business plan adjustments as needed.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an account manager are more likely to require skills like "crm," "work ethic," "project management," and "customer satisfaction." On the other hand, a job as a manager, account executive requires skills like "virtualization," "post sales," "account executives," and "business plan." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Managers, account executive tend to make the most money working in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $87,422. In contrast, account managers make the biggest average salary, $76,412, in the technology industry.The education levels that managers, account executive earn slightly differ from account managers. In particular, managers, account executive are 1.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an account manager. Additionally, they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Account manager vs. Sales representative and account manager
A sales representative/account manager is responsible for supervising client portfolio accounts and maintaining long-lasting relationships with business partners. Sales representatives/account managers meet with existing and potential clients to discuss new services offered by the company, as well as addressing their requests for review. They also handle the account budgets, developing strategic procedures and marketing techniques to improve the brand image in the market, generating more revenues and profits for the business. A sales representative/account manager identifies business opportunities by following trends to provide public demands and interests.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, account manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "healthcare," "crm," "work ethic," and "project management." Meanwhile, a sales representative and account manager has duties that require skills in areas such as "flyers," "local businesses," "territory sales," and "sales rep." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Sales representative and account managers tend to reach similar levels of education than account managers. In fact, they're 1.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Account manager vs. Business development account manager
A business development account manager is in charge of developing strategies to identify new business and client opportunities, ensuring sales growth and customer satisfaction. They typically perform research and analysis to gather data, coordinate with analysts and experts, produce sales and progress reports, and maintain records of all transactions. Furthermore, a business development account manager must build positive relationships with clients and secure sales by reaching out to customers through calls, correspondence, or appointments. They may offer products and services, process payments, and handle inquiries or concerns.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from account manager resumes include skills like "powerpoint," "work ethic," "project management," and "sales territory," whereas a business development account manager is more likely to list skills in "customer relationships," "salesforce," "lead generation," and "relationship building. "
When it comes to education, business development account managers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to account managers. In fact, they're 2.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Account manager vs. Account executive/sales manager
An Account Executive/Sales Manager manages client accounts, building positive client relationships in the process. Part of their job is to secure sales, which requires them to conduct research and analysis to find new business and client opportunities, generate leads, offer products and services to clients through calls and correspondence, arrange appointments, and process payments. There are instances where they must assist clients by resolving issues and concerns, ensuring client satisfaction. Moreover, they are also responsible for developing sales plans and strategies while implementing the company's policies and regulations among staff.
Types of account manager
Updated January 8, 2025
