Why account management is vital to business success

Strong account management is the backbone of any successful PR agency… and I promise I’m not just saying that because I’m part of the team! Maintaining strong client relationships and delivering exceptional service is essential for success - we play a critical role in shaping and managing a business’ public image. 

In this blog, I will explore why account management is vital to business success, with a particular focus on the PR industry.

Long term relationships and building trust

For us, trust is the foundation of any successful partnership, and account management is the key to establishing and nurturing that trust. Here at Pic, the account management team is the primary point of contact for our clients. We work closely with them to understand their goals, needs, and expectations. As we consistently meet (and hopefully exceed!) these expectations, account managers build this trust and foster long-term relationships with clients. With these relationships established, it often leads to repeat business and referrals (which is great for us!), but it also helps to support clients with reaching their business goals – the fundamental part of what we’re looking to achieve. 

We actually love being the ‘middleman’!

Account management serves as the bridge between our clients and the rest of the Pic PR team. Although our clients often talk to key members of each team when focusing on specific tasks, we are there to ensure that the strategies and activities we are working on align with our client's objectives. By understanding our client's industry, values, and target audience, the account management team is there to help tailor PR campaigns – and our wider services – to be highly effective, with the ultimate aim of making a significant contribution to our client's success.

Managing expectations

In the PR industry, managing client expectations is a crucial part of any relationship. Clients often have specific goals for their PR activity, and it's the responsibility of the account manager to set realistic expectations and communicate the agency's capabilities. There’s no point promising the moon if we know we can’t reach it. Through transparent and effective communication, account managers can help clients understand what can be achieved, guiding them through the PR process and helping them appreciate what’s a realistic outcome from our activities. We’re always on hand to help ensure our client's satisfaction and to reinforce trust in our services.

Strategy, strategy, strategy 

Account management is instrumental in the strategic planning and execution of PR and marketing campaigns. We work closely with the different teams at Pic PR to develop a comprehensive comms strategy that aligns with our client's objectives and pulls all of the various strings together in the process. Through effective project management, we ensure that campaigns are executed efficiently and that deadlines are met and that each of our services is complimenting the other to maximise our outputs. Successful execution of PR campaigns can seriously enhance clients’ reputations, thereby contributing to their overall business success – but it needs to be orchestrated efficiently to do so. And that’s where good account management earns its coin.

Crisis comms

A PR world crisis can arise at any time. A workplace accident, an escalating dispute with a customer, a failure of service and more can all snowball to the point they can make or break a client's reputation. When this happens, you want to know who you can call upon, and account management is there to act as a central point of contact during a crisis. This helps to ensure that any response is made swiftly and effectively to protect the client's image. Being prepared for crises and having a well-managed strategy in place is vital for maintaining business success in the face of adversity. Oh, and as a quick aside of trumpet blowing, we’ve won awards in our time for crisis management…so you’re in safe hands with us.

By building trust, fostering long-term relationships, maintaining a client-centric approach, managing expectations, and ensuring the strategic planning and execution of PR campaigns and our wider services, Pic PR’s account management team contributes significantly to the success of our clients – even if it’s not necessarily the first thing you think of when you look to engage with us.

If you’re a client of ours, you’ll know that we truly are an extension of your team. We pride ourselves on becoming part of your business so we can really understand what your goals are. If you’re not a client of ours, and want to chat about how we can help create awesome PR campaigns for your business, you know what to do… 

Get in touch. We’d love to chat.