The Account Manager becomes a Conductor

In a previous post I shared my revelation on how an agency is similar to an orchestra. This is still very relevant, but I felt the need to dissect and delve into the role of an account manager more.

Account Managers. Client Services. Slave Drivers. These are all terms associated with those that sit in meetings for hours on end, write briefs, shout if deadlines aren’t met, and slay emails amongst various other tasks that they do. But seriously though, what do account managers actually do?

Similar to the conductor of an orchestra, those on the outside will wonder why they even exist. Surely, they ask, the orchestra could run itself? The sheet music is right in front of the musicians, so besides flailing their arms around, what is a conductor’s job?

I came across this video where Itay Talgam, Israeli conductor and business consultant, talks about the true role of a conductor.

In the video Talgam explains how a really great conductor leads, and in turn we can deduce how a good account manager can become a truly phenomenal one. They both face a similar challenge; create harmony without imposing.

A few tips from conductors, courtesy of Talgam’s talk:

- Be happy and in the moment
- Share the stories of others and let these stories live
- Feel and live the story
- Be in control without forcing it
- Make others your partner
- Be able to hear each note
- When necessary, the authority needs to be there
- Be there 100%, but don’t be commanding
- Enable each partner to become a storyteller
- Doing without doing

Similar to a conductor, an account manager’s role isn’t redundant. They actually have a crucial part to play in the agency and it simultaneously demands attention to detail, and the ability to keep the bigger picture in mind. This is a challenging and exciting role, sans baton in hand.

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