by Sarah Ritchie
As Account Managers we will often be faced with accountant's jargon that we will have to both understand and action. Two of the jargonese that can be profusely confusing are "margin" (a.k.a. "profit margin" or "gross profit") and "mark up". Let's learn what they mean, how the terms differ and when to use them.
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by Sarah Ritchie
GST (Goods and Services Tax) is a New Zealand value-added tax with a current rate of 15%. GST need to be included on most goods and services that we offer within the print and advertising industry in New Zealand. Here's how to calculate GST for your quotes and invoices.
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by Sarah Ritchie
As an Account Manager, it's part of your unwritten job description that you will have to handle a truckload of complaints over the course of your career. Knowing that you are guaranteed to experience snarky emails, heated phone calls, and tense meetings, it makes sense to learn how to handle the complaints when they land.
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by Sarah Ritchie
How do you say goodbye to a client that you may have worked with for many years, who has been loyal to you, and has given you no reason to earn your disfavour other than they no longer fit in with your plans for the agency? If you think this could be a little like breaking up with your girlfriend or boyfriend (or, worse, getting a divorce), then you are not far from the heart of the situation.
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by Sarah Ritchie
In the modern agency age we heavily rely on email, video chats and phone calls to communicate with our clients. Technology will speed you up and increase your productivity, but can it replace good, old-fashioned face-time to keep the fires of your client relationships burning? It depends on how you'd like to be perceived as an Account Manager.
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by Sarah Ritchie
Did you realise that (usually) 100% of our revenue comes from our clients, and - therefore - our clients pay our wages? Once we realise this, we should begin to take all our client interactions far more seriously. One way to determine how much your are either delighting or disappointing your clients is to conduct a Client-First Health Check on your agency.
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by Sarah Ritchie
When you plan to go on holiday you have ample time to ensure your clients and projects are well-looked after by others. When you are sick everything in your world stops, but all things in your client's world - including deadlines and requirements - keep going. If you are sick, what can you do to help mitigate the damage?
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by Sarah Ritchie
At the core, an Account Manager is a "people-pleaser". We strive to keep our clients happy by delivering results that match or exceed expectations; and we strive to keep our team happy, because without their co-operation and excellence, we are nothing. What do you have to do to keep your team accommodating and upbeat?
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by Sarah Ritchie
Talking about "honesty" and "advertising industry" in the same breath is so at odds that it's almost amusing. So, let's try and delineate between what we say and do in our campaigns versus what we say and do with our clients and colleagues. As an Account Manager, there will be many, many times when you will face the temptation to lie. Should you?
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by Sarah Ritchie
Oh, those heady days of the '80s and '90s with 4-hour agency client lunches, exclusive dinners, wild events and extravagant Christmas gifts! Now that we are crawling out the other side of the GFC we see companies frowning on displays of excess, so how can we - as Account Managers - show our clients that extra level of attention? Is schmoozing dead?
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by Sarah Ritchie
Agencies voraciously compete for a finite pool of clients. The pressure is on to not only source new business, but to increase business from existing clients. One way this can be achieved is through "cross-selling".
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by Sarah Ritchie
"Closing the loop" is all about being a great communicator, and finding ways to ensure your client is not left "hanging in the air".
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