I recently heard someone say “When you get up every morning with the intention of making something easier for someone else, every day will be good!”
Most of my career, I’ve worked as an account manager. I care for accounts, build relationships and build mutual trust between me and my clients so that we can mutually benefit from doing business together. I still keep in touch with many former clients I met while working in my first official sales gig when I called on restaurants to be in the Entertainment Book. I quickly found that I was best at renegotiating contracts, training and taking care of any issues for my clients. From there, my account management career was born.
I’ve held various account management positions throughout my career where I’ve managed accounts both face to face and telephonically. Account management is about getting to know your customer and anticipating their needs before they ask you for assistance. Account management is also about working with your internal teams though cross-functional leadership to complete the work. I’ve always respected good leaders who have never asked me to do anything they would not do – and I feel the same about those I ask to do things for me or my accounts. It’s a two way street when leading by example. Now, when it comes to asking my kids to pick up the dog’s debris in the yard … that is a different story.
A good account manager also believes in the company he or she represents to the customer and is able to take that belief and convey it to the customer in the form of building trust and relationships. I am grateful to have started working for a company that puts its clients first as that is what the “C” in Corbus stands for: Client focus. During my short time with the company, I’ve experienced several instances where Corbus has put the client first. Executive leadership involvement, cross-functional team participation and open communication will almost always ensure best in class results for the customer and will, in turn, help the account manager to build and grow relationships with clients. Account management is working with internal stakeholders, hearing and acting on client needs and helping to make the client’s job a little easier – because they do business with me.
As an account manager, I wake up with the intention of helping making someone else’s day go smoothly which makes my days good. What is your intention when you wake up in the morning?
-Janet S. Smith, Account Manager
