In today’s modern work environment, remote work has become increasingly common across many industries and job functions. This trend toward virtual offices and distributed teams has led many to wonder – can account managers work remotely? Let’s take a closer look at what account managers do and examine the key factors that determine if this role can successfully work from home.
What is an Account Manager?
An account manager is responsible for overseeing and managing a portfolio of accounts for a business or organization. Typical duties include:
- Managing and developing relationships with existing clients
- Acting as the key contact point for assigned accounts
- Responding promptly to client inquiries and complaints
- Coordinating with other teams like sales, service, and operations to ensure client needs are met
- Identifying opportunities for upsells and expanded business with accounts
- Managing contract renewals and renegotiations
- Preparing reports and analyses on account status, activities, and outcomes
The primary focus is on maintaining positive ongoing client relationships, maximizing customer satisfaction and retention, and driving account revenue growth and profitability. Strong communication and people skills are absolutely essential.
Key Factors for Remote Account Managers
When evaluating if the account manager role can successfully work remotely, the following factors should be considered:
Client Interaction and Communication
A key part of the account manager’s role involves direct, real-time interaction with clients via methods like phone calls, video conferences, emails, and some face-to-face meetings. While some of this can be replicated virtually, elements like building rapport, reading body language, picking up on subtle cues, and having impromptu conversations are more difficult remotely.
Access to Information and Resources
Account managers need to be able to easily collaborate with teammates across departments like sales, service, operations, and finance to have full visibility into account details and history. If systems and processes aren’t optimized for virtual access, information sharing and alignment can suffer.
Ability to Travel
While travel requirements vary by company and industry, most account managers need to be able to travel occasionally to in-person meetings or client sites. Full remote work makes this difficult so travel flexibility is essential.
Degree of Tactile Work
Some account management roles may involve handling physical documents, samples, or resources that are difficult to manage offsite. However, for most, the primary work is tracking digital records, communicating verbally/electronically, and coordinating between systems and people.
Team and Manager Rapport
Like with clients, relationship building is a core part of the account manager role. Working remotely makes it harder to get face time with sales reps, support agents, and direct managers which could impact rapport. But this depends largely on the company culture.
Self-Motivation and Time Management
Account managers must be self-starters that can work independently and manage their own workload without constant direct oversight. Discipline in time management and organization is especially critical for remote employees.
Key Benefits of Remote Account Managers
While remote work poses some challenges, there are also significant potential benefits for both account managers and employers to consider:
- Improved work-life balance without commute
- Access to a wider talent pool unconstrained by geography
- Cost savings on real estate expenses for companies
- Increased schedule flexibility can boost productivity for some
- Opportunity to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce
- Environmental benefits from reduced employee travel
Best Practices to Enable Remote Account Managers
Companies that want to support successful remote account managers should adopt strategies like:
- Using video chat to conduct regular check-ins and virtual face time
- Investing in collaboration technologies and camera setups for home offices
- Documenting processes clearly and keeping key resources available digitally
- Scheduling some in-person team events to build relationships
- Setting clear objectives and tracking detailed progress metrics
- Choosing managers adept at leading distributed teams
- Assessing each position carefully to determine remote viability
Key Questions to Assess Remote Readiness
To determine if a specific account manager role can work remotely, key questions to consider include:
- How much face-to-face client contact is required?
- Can video chat replace some in-person visits or meetings?
- What is the expected travel requirement?
- How tactile are the day-to-day duties and resources?
- Is the company culture and leadership supportive of remote work?
- Are systems and processes digitized for remote access and collaboration?
- Is the ideal candidate sufficiently self-motivated and organized?
- What level of supervision and involvement is needed from the manager?
Conclusion
In summary, account managers can absolutely work remotely with proper preparations, expectations, support systems, and the right candidate profile. But it also depends on the specific demands of the role and company. With thoughtful analysis of the key factors and selective implementation, organizations can enable remote work where it makes sense for account managers. This provides benefits for both talent recruitment and retention as well as improved flexibility, diversity, inclusion and overall performance.