The Account Manager Mindset That Actually Grows Agencies

Many account managers fall into a vendor mentality, simply taking tactical orders to keep the client happy. But true value is unlocked when they act more like a doctor, diagnosing the larger business problem before prescribing a solution.

I joined Taylor McMaster on the Happy Clients podcast to discuss how to transform your account management team from reactive project managers into proactive strategic advisors who drive real account growth.

How Did Albert Banks Enter the Agency World?

Taylor McMaster: Welcome back to another episode of the Happy Clients podcast. Today I have a special guest, Albert Banks, who I have invited on to share his expertise when it comes to being an account manager and impressing your agency owner. Welcome to the show, Albert.

Albert Banks: Thanks for having me. I appreciate it.

Taylor McMaster: Can you give us the Cliff Notes version of your experience and how you landed in this crazy agency world?

Albert Banks: It's going to sound easy, but it definitely was not. I started my first agency right out of college. I was a web developer. We were originally a web design and development agency and grew into a full-service digital agency doing social media, digital marketing, and even had a production arm. We merged with a local competitor about eight years ago, survived a client departure and COVID in 2020, and then sold about four years ago to a major global company and went through the integration with that business. For the past year and a half, I've been advising, consulting, and coaching other agencies about their challenges and how I can help them. I'm in the stage of my life where I'm happy to give back and share some of the hard lessons learned so others can avoid them.

Taylor McMaster: When you were growing your agency, how many account managers did you have on your team?

Albert Banks: At our largest size, we had a team of seven or eight.

Why Shouldn't Account Managers Just Be Order Takers?

Taylor McMaster: Oftentimes, I see that account managers think their job is to keep clients happy at all costs. Where do you think that belief comes from?

Albert Banks: We're a service business, so it's ingrained in us a little bit. Account managers are the front line of that. They're having those day-to-day conversations with clients. Obviously, when you have a relationship with somebody, you're trying to keep them happy. I think there's something around retaining the business and making sure you don't create any negative implications for the business. But that has a downfall. You can end up in that vendor mentality where you're just taking orders to not upend the apple cart. That's a challenge. I prefer account managers to be more of a doctor. You're diagnosing before you're prescribing, you're consultative, you're asking questions, and you're trying to understand the situation. It really can result in opportunities. We've had instance after instance where a tactical request comes in from a client. Sure, there are sometimes when you just need to do it because that's the next thing on the list. But sometimes you can pause and ask where it is coming from to understand the larger business problem. Maybe there's something else that they need. The client will appreciate that in the end if it's actually more of a strategic issue and you bring in somebody from the team who can help. It benefits both parties. The client gets a better solution and is a star on their end, and the agency benefits because you're deepening the relationship and potentially growing the account.

What Does a Proactive, Strategic Account Manager Do Day-to-Day?

Taylor McMaster: When you talk about being a doctor, walk me through what a proactive strategic advisor actually looks like in the day-to-day. How would you coach your account managers when you were an agency owner, and what does an account manager do differently once they learn how to act and think this way?

Albert Banks: It will feel annoying, but it's asking the extra questions. Once you've been asked to do a specific thing, instead of just agreeing to do it, ask for more context. Ask where the request is coming from, if it's driven by a particular department, or what specific goal it aligns with. Generally, people are willing to share. They enjoy talking about themselves and what's going on in their business, especially if you have a relationship. It's a curious mentality of truly trying to understand. The other aspect is being truly knowledgeable about the client. Account managers should understand the client's business, industry, and challenges, and bring that perspective to the conversation. They should proactively say, "I'm seeing this based on the news from your business or industry." You're having a conversation that provides value while digging for more information about what's really going on.

Taylor McMaster: Almost putting on that sales hat and digging.

Albert Banks: I hate to say that. I think sales, in this case, is a byproduct of the relationship. I'm all for having the right kind of relationship that will work for that, and we can talk about account growth and being more deliberate. I don't prefer to see it as sales; I prefer to see it as a growing relationship.

What Value Do Account Managers Bring to an Agency Owner?

Taylor McMaster: You've been the agency owner, who is probably listening to this podcast, or maybe the account manager is listening. What value did you see account managers bring to your agency? Was it so that you could get out of client-facing work, so they could grow the clients, or were they just better at it than you were? Why did you bring on account managers?

Albert Banks: Probably all of the above. Personally, I am an impatient person and a bit of an introvert. Having conversations all the time with clients was not really what I wanted to do. I wasn't able to practice what I preach. There's generally a type of person better suited for this than I was. I'm a huge advocate of right person, right seat, and that was not me. I'm good at having high-level conversations and being a periodic touchpoint with a client. However, the day-to-day requires a certain personality that wasn't really me.

Taylor McMaster: We're a crazy breed as account managers.

Albert Banks: I love it, though. I truly do think it's a breed because there's not a major for this. There's not a particular track of education. That's great because folks that navigate to account management do it because it's a good personality fit.

Taylor McMaster: Absolutely. As you said, if you're not naturally good at something, it's going to suck the energy right out of you. If I had to do accounting and bookkeeping all day, I would be the worst version of myself. But talk to clients all day? Yes.

Albert Banks: Now you're speaking about my world. I'm energized by getting into spreadsheets, figuring out numbers, and solving problems. Do what energizes you.

How Can Account Managers Impress Their Agency Owners?

Taylor McMaster: With that in mind, thinking about the account managers who were the best fit and impressed you as an agency owner, what were some of the things they were doing? If an account manager is listening, what should they make sure their agency owner knows they are doing?

Albert Banks: There are multiple things. First, always anticipate unknown unknowns. Generally, you've been around long enough to know what typically comes up. However, inevitably, things that do not fall on that list will happen. Expect that to happen and don't freak out when it does. There is surely something the client hasn't told you or isn't even aware of within their own organization. Just roll with it. Anticipate roadblocks, be proactive with solutions, and don't panic when things go awry. From an owner's perspective, I want someone who can absorb the craziness, sort through it, come with proactive recommendations, and be a calming influence. Second, balance project management with account growth. Personally, I wanted account managers to keep me out of it as much as possible. Insulate me, but leverage me when necessary. Be the point of contact and keep up with the clients. I am the shiny object you bring to quarterly business reviews, dinners, or sometimes to be the bad guy if needed. Form relationships that way. I don't want to answer questions about a nuanced timeline task because I won't have the context. I'll either screw it up or redirect them back to you anyway. Be that layer in between, have clearly defined roles, and leverage me whenever it benefits you.

How Should Account Managers Keep Agency Owners Updated?

Taylor McMaster: That sounds great in theory, but over time, if an owner doesn't see client communication or meetings happening, they may start to think the account manager isn't doing a good job. What should the account manager update the agency owner on so they feel confident in their work?

Albert Banks: That goes back to proactivity. We were very deliberate in decoupling account and project management. We had specific account growth plans and quarterly business reviews with our higher-end clients. We held pipeline reviews and had an account lead on our leadership team to bring us updates. We built systems, mechanics, and personnel so we could keep up to date passively. That's what I prefer. If you know systems are being followed and people are dedicated, you can trust they have it handled. We also trained around this. Whenever a new person joined, we had a pool mentality. If someone went on leave, peers kept an eye on their accounts, met to get answers, brought challenges to the group, and worked through them together. We created an environment where we knew things were taken care of. Additionally, we taught transparency. Don't hide it if something is going badly. It's a natural instinct to hide bad news to avoid getting in trouble, but that's a detriment. Create a culture where the expectation is to be open and honest about what's going on and to raise a flag if you need help or foresee an impact on the agency.

How Can Account Managers Find Time for Account Growth?

Taylor McMaster: Tell us more about these account growth expectations. A lot of account managers say they don't have time to focus on growth or they're drowning in their current client load. What's your answer to that?

Albert Banks: Number one, don't be a project manager as well. It will double your free time. We experienced the exact same thing when our account managers and project managers were the same role. They were just trying to get the immediate projects done and didn't have time to add more to their plates. Purposefully splitting the roles and dedicating time is key. We set our account managers to a 40% billable target. Sometimes they didn't achieve that, but we knew the growth and retention of those clients was our future. We were willing to make that investment as a sales expense. Freeing up time is the number one thing you can ask your agency owner to provide. Assuming you have the time, you need to get involved beyond your day-to-day contact. Get to know the organization better. If you have a contact, get to know their boss and include them in business reviews. Ask about other departments. This protects you because people leave jobs, and you don't want to lose a client just because a contact left. If you have built trust with others internally, you are protected. The more you expand, the more you discover strategic opportunities. Often, clients only use a subset of the agency's services because of tunnel vision. Sharing what else you can do or listening for fringe problems leads to growth. We established a deliberate approach: discussing revenue goals for the coming year, identifying opportunities, deciding who to meet, what events to attend, and how often to meet in person. It requires time and energy, but it pays dividends.

How Does Albert Banks Help Agencies Grow Today?

Taylor McMaster: How do you help agencies grow now that you've done it yourself and had a successful acquisition? How can agencies learn from you?

Albert Banks: I run a lifestyle business at this point; it is just me. I work with clients at all different stages. We started as two partners in a basement and grew to a 70 or 80-person agency before selling to a massive company, so I've seen the full life cycle. My work reflects my experience. I handle operations and financial excellence, process, tools, pricing, measurement, and utilization. I also oversaw talent, so I'm passionate about employee engagement, career frameworks, compensation strategies, and training. Additionally, I help agencies navigating sales, acquisitions, or smaller add-on acquisitions. It's a disruptive process, and I step in to educate and partner with owners through pre-acquisition or post-integration. If a client needs help outside of my scope, like specific account management resources, I have trusted partners I can refer them to.

Taylor McMaster: Where can people find you and connect with you?

Albert Banks: My website is apertus.co, and you can also find me on LinkedIn. I'm not incredibly active because I'm busy working with clients, but I always enjoy getting on podcasts to share my knowledge.

Taylor McMaster: Thank you so much, Albert, for sharing your knowledge. We'll see you on the next episode.

Albert Banks: Thank you.