An Account Handler is a vital cog in the Creative and Marketing industries, but from an outsider’s perspective ‘what does an Account Handler do?’ is a fair question.
Account Handlers serve as the link between an agency and the client. The scope of the roles can vary vastly depending on seniority, the size of organization and the type of work they do for their clients. Some elements of account handling remain the same across the board.
So, what does an account handler do?
In the simplest of terms, they act as the clients contact within the agency and work with other internal teams, such as creative, to ensure the response to the client’s brief is delivered on time and on budget.
Fostering relationships
Account Handlers will often look after more than one client. They are the people within an agency who should know their client best. A very important part of the role is building trusting relationships with stakeholders who work for the clients’ business.
This can be achieved in several ways, such as understanding their business, what their objectives are and what they are trying to achieve, for specific project and their longer term goals.
Working with other agency teams
As a creative agency Account Handler, not only will you manage and build relationships with your clients, you’ll do the same with your colleagues. Interacting with agency teams such as creatives, & planners. In this role means you keep on top of the projects until they are delivered. In some agencies you will work with Producers or Project Managers.
Agency teams, such as the Creative team rely on Account Handlers to explain the brief the client has given them to help them respond to it and produce work that fulfills the brief. The account handler will often proofread the resulting work and present it back to the client.
Career Progression.
Not all agencies will have these levels of account management, but the list below starts at entry level and progresses to the most senior level roles, showing how your career could progress.
Junior Account Executive
Account Executive
Senior Account Executive
Junior Account Manager
Account Manager
Senior Account Manager
Account Director
Senior Account Director
Client Services Director
Managing Director
Skills required
- Account Handlers need to be strong communicators and come armed with excellent interpersonal skills. The ability to listen is key.
- A keen eye for detail means nothing gets past you. It is important you’re meticulous and detail focused.
- Good with budgets and financials.
- You’re someone who is organised, and confident understanding the status of your client accounts.
- Project management is a useful skill. This isn’t to suggest an account handler should be a dedicated Project Manager (and many agencies have PMs as a separate entity) but the ability to guide a project with an element of project management skill is hugely useful.
- Account Handlers need to be able to handle and not shy away from difficult conversations with both the client and colleagues. Often it will involve pushing and steering people toward goals.
- As you become more senior you will adopt a more advisory and less operational role, helping clients determine how their marketing budget should be spent.
We are proud to work with Account Handlers in the creative and marketing industry to guide them through their careers, with our initiative Handle This. Account Handlers told us there were several events for creatives but none for them – so we did something about it. Usually in-person events, even during various lockdowns, we have been able to guide Account Handlers through the ins and outs of their careers with key speakers, Q&As and opportunities to network and meet people in the same kinds of roles.