The Account Manager deals with those customers whose accounts he was given by the Account Director. The Account Director divides the open accounts of customers with the company between several Account Managers taking into consideration the individual qualities of the different Account Managers and the nature of the contract or the transaction. When a disagreement needs to be resolved the Account Manager becomes very active. He makes sure the client is one hundred percent happy with the business transaction and this at every stage of it. If a client is unhappy at any time the Account Manager interacts with the responsible department within the company to find an appropriate solution. The Account Manager meets regularly with the Account Director who oversees the work of several Account Managers.
An eye for detail is a necessary quality of a good Account Manager. He has to notice any discrepancy immediately, preferably before the customer complains about it. An Account Manager has to be very motivated and organized. He also needs to have excellent people skills. Communication is his specialty. He can express himself well verbally, but also in writing. Persistent and goal oriented negotiating is his strength. The Account Manager has to possess proficient computer skills. Being proficient with the Microsoft Office programs PowerPoint, Excel, and Word is absolutely necessary for the job. He has to understand the working of the software he uses. Depending on the company he works for he has to possess good research skills and being fluent in more than one language can be very helpful with that research. He deals well with stressful situations of any kind and does not let deadline pressure affect the quality of his work. Overall an Undergraduate degree or a Bachelor’s degree is necessary to get hired for the job of Account Manager. Prior experience in the business world is an absolute must to become an Account Manager. Even if the prior job in the business world was very different, that business experience will still be appreciated and make a real difference in the decision of who gets hired as Account Manager.
Most Account Managers make about sixty thousand dollars a year. Those Account Managers who also get a commission on all sales and contracts that have been handled without disputes can make considerably more when they are really good at what they do. For their salary Account Managers usually work forty hours a week and do not take their work home. When Account Managers get paid an additional commission somehow, they tend to be motivated to still take calls and do some negotiating in their own time. This is good for the company and it spices up the wallet of the Account Manager.
