Account Manager job responsibilities

The worlds of sales and customer service offer a variety of roles.
You can be on the frontlines drumming up new business as a sales rep or supporting customers by providing helpful solutions to specific challenges as a customer support agent.
Or, you can choose to develop long-lasting relationships with key account holders that are built on trust, rapport, and a mutual understanding of business goals and objectives.
That’s the role of the account manager.
If that sounds like an ideal situation for you, then account management might just be your perfect job.
By the end of this article, you’ll know for sure. We’re going to discuss the core account manager job responsibilities, as well as the skills and experience required to secure such a role for yourself.
What is an account manager?
Account management is an entry or mid-level role that sits somewhere between sales and support.
Employees in this role typically manage several customer accounts, anticipating and servicing client needs as they arise.
What do account managers do?
An account manager’s daily workload can be diverse.
Their main job is to develop long-term relationships with key accounts and be the main point of contact for them.
Anyone in an account manager position doesn’t typically engage in any prospecting duties or new sales development. Rather, they work closely with an account executive or other sales representative to onboard new customers and take care of them moving forward.
Account manager job responsibilities
Let’s examine the seven most common account manager duties.
1. Build relationships with customers
The core of the account manager’s role is to focus on building client relationships.
This comes through regular phone calls and meetings. They seek to understand customer needs.
2. Support customer queries
Though an account manager is responsible for reaching out to client accounts with a focus on retention, they’ll also be responsible for inbound requests from their customers.
An account manager will try to resolve issues themselves or help the customer by bringing in someone else who can better assist them.
3. Find new ways to build business
A good account manager brings value to customer relationships by finding new ways to provide additional products and services related to the client’s organizational goals.
4. Forecast on key account metrics
Like a salesperson, an account manager will need to forecast key account metrics and report to their sales leadership team.
5. Work with sales team to onboard new clients
New accounts typically come from a sales account executive. That means account managers must be able to work closely with other team members to onboard new clients.
6. Advocate for changes to customer experience
One of the responsibilities of an account manager is to listen to and understand client needs. They also advocate for changes to the sales or support process to improve the customer experience.
7. Collaborate with internal teams to facilitate product/service delivery
Account managers aren’t always responsible for the delivery of the product or service their company sells.
AMs generally need to liaise with internal team members (such as operations staff) to deliver the service as promised.
Account manager skills and experience requirements
So, what kind of skills and experience are required to land an account management role?
It all depends on the level of the role you’re going for. Some account management positions are entry-level, while others require a few years of experience in a similar position.
Across the board, though, attributes such as the following make for a good account manager, and are typical requirements of the role:
Interpersonal skills such as being able to build rapport with new customers
Strong time management
Experience with CRM software packages
Listening, presentation, and written communication skills
Negotiations abilities
Problem-solving skills
Experience with project management
Sales experience
A bachelor’s degree in Sales or Business Administration may be required for certain positions. These are typically key account manager roles where the stakeholders you’re dealing with are upper- and C-level executives.
Account manager salary and employment rates
The average salary for account managers in the U.S. is $55,000, with entry-level roles paying closer to $45k. Top earners with more than 20 years of experience can earn more than $65,000 per year.
Account manager jobs hiring right now
Are you ready to apply for an account management position?
If so, check out our listings on the Jobcase account manager job search.
Before you do, though, check out these four account manager resume tips.
Account manager resume tips
When crafting your account manager resume, keep these four tips in mind:
1. Highlight previous account management experience
Have you worked as an account manager previously? If so, make sure to note that.
If you haven’t, try to include any relevant experience such as sales or customer services roles.
2. Detail examples of times when you’ve helped to grow an account
You can do this even if you haven’t held an account management position before. If possible, add a brief description to your resume of a time when you were involved in selling new business to an existing account.
3. Show that you understand the requirements of the role
The job listing typically has all the information you need. Use some of the same language to show that you’re a good fit.
For example, if they’re looking for someone with time management skills, make sure to note that this is a strong point of yours under the skills section.
4. Remove general skills and focus on specific account management skills
Remove generic skills and attributes like punctuality and computer literate in favor of specific account management abilities. Are you great at building rapport with new customers? If so, that’s something to point out.
Is account management right for you?
The account manager role is a good fit for anyone who loves working with people but doesn’t love the hustle and bustle of a sales role.
Does that sound like you?
Check for open positions on our Jobcase account manager job search today.