Marketing account manager

Marketing account manager job description: Typical employers | Qualifications and training | Key skills | Useful links | Find jobs and courses

Direct marketing strategies are used to create direct one-to-one promotional and sales relationships between advertisers and targeted groups of customers who are contacted via e-mail, CD-ROMs, the internet, telemarketing, direct mail, or advertising campaigns.

Typical responsibilities of the job include:

• consulting clients about campaign requirements and objectives
• formulating strategies
• passing proposals on
• agreeing timescales and budgets
• supervising staff
• monitoring and chasing work progress
• writing reports
• analysing, interpreting and presenting results
• delivering ideas and final products to clients for review
• financial administration.

The work offers high levels of responsibility and excellent opportunities for promotion into consultant or senior managerial positions. Tight client deadlines require an ability to work under pressure but this can also provide a real buzz to the working day.

Typical employers of account managers

• direct marketing consultancies and agencies
• marketing departments
• major commercial organisations.

Jobs are advertised online, by recruitment agencies and in national newspapers and publications including Direct Marketing World, Direct Response, Campaign, Media Week, Precision Marketing, The Drum, Marketing and Marketing Week. Many jobs receive little advertising, so creative job seeking is advisable.

Qualifications and training required

Any degree discipline is acceptable, although some employers prefer a social/behavioural science, business, management, marketing, public relations, languages or numerate subject.

A number of institutions offer specialist postgraduate marketing qualifications, which can be advantageous. Relevant experience gained within direct marketing or commercial areas such as retailing, sales and marketing can also be beneficial.

Key skills for account managers

• commercial awareness
• ability to work under pressure
• excellent analytical skills
• organisational skills
• interpersonal skills
• numerical skills
• verbal communication skills.