How to Become an Account Manager
How to Become an Account Manager
Account managers act as the first point of contact for companies and are in charge of overseeing a large portfolio of clients or customers who have purchased a good or service from the business in the past. The role is highly responsible as account managers need to establish excellent relations with clients; therefore the role incorporates both interpersonal skills and a sharp business acumen.
What qualifications do you need to be an account manager?
Although there are a few different pathways you can take to become an account manager, the most popular route prospective account managers take is to achieve a bachelor’s degree in a discipline such as business administration and business management, but more and more people are taking a more direct route and choosing an online account management course.
Securing a master’s degree in either a business or finance discipline can further your career opportunities.
As a beginner, where should I start in account management?
As a beginner hoping to start a career in account management the first necessary step is to achieve a bachelor’s degree in either a business or another financial discipline. This shows employers that you have a solid educational grounding in business.
It is also important to gain relevant work experience when seeking to secure a career in account management. Having experience working within a customer facing role will help to prepare to develop your interpersonal skills. Many account managers have a work background as a sales executive within a sales team because the role requires a similar skill set of selling company products and services to individuals.
Having specific work experience within furthering your business acumen and managing budgets will greatly benefit you in the role of an account manager.
Skill set required for an account manager
Successful account managers will need to possess the right mix of skills to get the job done. Understanding the key account manager skills is your first step. Here are some of the highlights:
Sound communication skills; both written and oral
Good numeracy abilities
Good negotiation skills
Excellent interpersonal skills
A passion for delivering a high standard of customer service
Good business judgement
What does an account manager do?
The job description of an account manager role states that they are responsible for establishing excellent public relations for the business and that they are to produce reports regarding the sales progress of the department to assist in business development.
Should you choose to follow this career path and land your first account manager job, you will find yourself tasked with a range of duties. While you will largely be responsible for gaining new customers, you shouldn’t overlook the relationship management element of this role. When you have attracted new clients, you will need to take good care of them. That means using your charm, charisma, and business acumen to keep them satisfied.
Typical duties for an account manager
Some daily responsibilities of account managers include:
Popular career pathways for account managers
There is great opportunity for career progression within account management. With the necessary experience you could have the ability to advance to a senior account management role or even securing a role as an account executive.
Are you interested in taking a step into this exciting career field? Want to find out how we can help you begin your education journey? Or why not explore some of our other management courses to see how they appeal?
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