Different agencies tend to have their own view on how to approach the Client Services function, which can be confusing if you’re trying to find a new role or understand a job spec from a client.
There isn’t a right or wrong way to do it – some companies blend Account and Project Management, while others keep them separate – but there are a number of different things to look at when understanding what Client Services means as a function.
What is an Account Manager?
Account Managers are traditionally seen as the bridge between the client and the agency, however within the ever-changing environment of digital, the role of Account Management doesn’t seem as clear-cut as it once was.
The industry throws out words such as ‘hybrid’ and ‘upskilling’ Account Managers, but there’s rarely any clarification about what that means when you see it in a job spec.
What did Client Services use to mean?
Client Services’ main responsibility is to focus on the client. A purely relationship-based model, they are tasked with building up a business portfolio with a commercial awareness around billing, and bringing in regular projects to maintain the yearly forecasts.
Once the briefs are defined with a cost, timings and a scope, they are then handed over to Project Managers, who manage project delivery behind the scenes across creative and technical requirements.
Collaboration in a Client Services team is critical, meaning soft skills like excellent communication are highly valued.
What does Client Services mean now?
Agencies use various approaches such as ‘Upskilling’, which is training an Account Manager to take on some Project Management responsibilities. However, there can be pushback from Account Managers when the benefits of taking on these delivery processes are not clearly laid out.
With the hybrid approach, the Account Manager is able to perform both Account Manager and Project Manager duties for projects of all sizes. This kind of Account Manager is hard to find, but can be highly beneficial to a smaller delivery team.
There are still agencies which use ‘pure’ Account Managers, and there is still value in that system. It enables a clear channel of communication between the client and the team and means someone can fully understand the client’s needs and advocate for them within the project team.
Blended Teams: The Future of Account Management?
Some agencies are changing assumptions by using blended teams. This means working to more Agile methodologies, and pushing the responsibility of client communication out to each project team member.
This means every person on the project team would effectively be client-facing. When a project has a technical hiccup, the client can speak directly to the people that fully understand the issue.
This direct line of communication between the client and the technical or creative teams means that fewer details are lost in translation. This does require exceptional soft skills around communication, and those skills can be tougher to find in addition to hard technical skills depending on sector.
So to conclude, what does Client Services mean as a function? Every agency has a preferred method on how best to utilise the Account Manager role, but the general consensus is that Client Services is still a valid function, and should be recognised as such, especially as it grows and evolves to sit alongside more Agile development processes.