Retail Account Manager Job Description

Retail Account Managers

Retail account managers are responsible for managing the relationship between a company that makes and supplies products and the retailers that stock them. Their goal is to maximize the profitability of each retail account by selling into the account and helping retailers to increase sales of the products to their customers. A retail account manager can handle a small number of major retailers or a larger number of smaller retailers.

The most important retail customers are the key accounts. The loss of a key account could be damaging to the company and retail account managers must make sure that they retain that business. Managers working with smaller retailers are usually responsible for a geographical territory.

They want to increase sales and profitability across all their accounts. Retail account managers want to build strong relationships with retailers. They may deal with buyers who are responsible for product categories, such as fresh foods, men's clothes or sporting goods.

The store manager or owner may be the contact for smaller retailers. Account managers meet buyers to discuss new products, promotional campaigns or joint marketing programs. They discuss the retailers requirements with them.

Account managers are part of a larger team. Retail account managers work closely with other departments such as sales, customer service, and accounting to ensure that retailers receive a high standard of service. Managers keep up-to-date records of their orders, deliveries and returns so that they can deal with any issues that retailers may have.

Retail Managers

A retail manager is the person who runs the store. They are responsible for all aspects of the supervision of the sales, staff, and stock. The retail manager and the employees who work in the store report to the same person.

The customer is always right, as the old saying goes. Retail managers must show care when dealing with customers. If a customer is mistreated, social media can destroy a good reputation.

A retail manager is responsible for hiring, training, and development of employees. Stores can promote from within and develop capable managers if they do not already have them. A retail manager may have several subordinates, such assistant managers, department managers, supervisors, key holders, shift leads, or leads.

Retail managers make sure that the store is run effectively and that employees receive adequate training. Retail managers are often on the shop floor and are in constant contact with their customers. They make sure their staff give great customer service and will deal with any customer issues or complaints.

They need to keep their employees motivated and make some hard decisions. Retail managers have to make decisions that affect the company, whether it is dealing with employees, customers, management or vendors. It is important to have the ability to make fast decisions.

Key Account Managers: Negotiating with Marketing Teams

Key account managers represent their retail companies in specific product categories. They are in charge of the product lines and have a lot of responsibility. A single key account manager can represent all the different types of water produced by Danone and sold to the big supermarket chains.

An example of an action plan would be the launch of a new type of bottled water, where marketing teams would put together a promotional strategy, with the help of the account manager, based on having promotional staff in store, as well as flat screen displays in store entrances and perhaps even a poster Key account managers must have good negotiation skills and be professional. The ability to coordinate a lot of moving parts is important.

The Account Manager: A Sales Executive with Experience in Marketing

The Account Manager is responsible for selling company products and services by calling on prospective and established customers while developing and implementing strategy to achieve targets within respective territory. You will thrive in challenging environments and be able to work with other team members and possess a passion for sales, technology, innovation and success. The Account Manager is the liaison between the agency and the client.

They represent the agency's point of view in making recommendations to the client and represent the client's point of view within the agency in order to facilitate the creation of effective work. The Account Manager needs to know the client's products, culture, markets and brand. The Account Manager is responsible for the day to day execution of their clients' campaigns.

They work with the client and agency staff to coordinate the details of advertising campaigns. Account Manager is responsible for maintaining long-term relationships with clients. You will act as a liaison between your clients and internal teams to ensure the timely delivery of products and services.

Key Account Management Using LinkedIn

A key account manager is responsible for retaining top customers and nurturing those relationships. They should become a strategic partner and advisor to the client, discovering new opportunities to work together for mutual benefit. Key account management reorganizes the business's teams and culture to develop different approaches to their biggest clients across the company, because traditional account management treats every customer relationship approximately the same.

Key account management is a strategic program that covers the entire organization. The KAM will likely have contact with each level of the business to make sure the customer's needs are met. KAMs can use the map in Lucidchart to simplify their communications.

Sales reps and KAMs can use account maps to find the right people to contact. Track all of the interactions on a single platform. The KAM acts as a visionary because of the strategic nature of the role.

They will be expected to lead both customers and internal executives on key initiatives. If companies can sell on value, they are more likely to be the primary suppliers of large accounts. Only a small percentage of sales executives think their reps are effective at value selling.

You can keep an eye on the market with the help of LinkedIn. You can always stay one step ahead of the competition if you use LinkedIn to monitor account markets. Adding a sales navigator to the company will help keep track of company changes.

10 Top Account Management Skills for Key Account Managers

Most Account Managers don't listen long enough to get a complete grasp of the situation before they start to spout their solutions. Sometimes they hit it, but most of the time they miss the mark. If you think you need to change something in your time management skills, you can simply change some things you do on a daily basis.

Understanding your client's business objectives allows you to manage and execute programs that are in sync with their objectives as well as yours, according to Thom. A client development plan template can help you ask the right questions to help you identify the challenges of your client's business. Patrick Wendrich believes you should be passionate about your products.

Savinides believes that Account Managers should be able to transfer their passion to the person they are talking to. The group was divided on whether formal training was a good place to develop account management skills. Many Account Managers believed they could gain skills on the job if they had formal training.

If you want to see the whole discussion for the 10 top skills for key account managers, please send me a message and I will invite you to the account management skills discussion page on Linkedin. I am really happy that you have found the information useful. Everyone has their own style of being an account manager and they can learn a lot from it.

I am sorry that your manager isn't giving you the encouragement, training and guidance you need. Maybe it is time to find a new manager. If you need help, please contact me at jenny@accountmanagementskills.com.