Today’s global economy requires companies to redefine their approach to the relationship with their partners, shifting from cost-focused, transactional efforts to value-driven collaboration. And it is a company’s account management team that is called on to build and maintain long-lasting partnerships and to produce these value-driven business benefits.
To manage hundreds of partners worldwide, a company needs a well-established account management department capable of going far beyond the activities which are traditionally confined to the sales department.
Account management is not limited to solving a partner’s problems, but rather it is a cross-functional effort to help partners grow their business. It is a holistic endeavour aimed at developing their business by helping to progress their partners’ enterprise across all possible channels. This sharing of knowledge and expertise with partners directly influences the development of the supporting company. Besides, account management is a prime indicator of how efficiently products and services operate.
“Account management is about caring, supporting and helping to achieve more… It has two faces. It is both the external interface of the company and an in-company contact point that involves all relevant internal stakeholders,” explains Satenik Danielyan, Head of Account Management at BetConstruct.
Becoming a BetConstruct partner is not a 'one size fits all' exercise. Once it happens, a partner starts a lifelong journey with BetConstruct, and account managers align their work carefully with their partners’ unique ambitions and objectives, identifying new opportunities and fuelling their growth.
The company employs the ‘0-30-24’ approach of answering immediately, understanding the issue within 30 minutes and resolving it within 24 hours. No matter how many partners it has or is projected to have, it strives to promote the ‘0-30-24’ approach to ensure that all partners receive the same, high levels of service.
The quality of this service that has recently been shortlisted at EGR B2B Awards 2016 for Best Customer Service, comes from an understanding that partners should be provided with the power of technology, coupled with expertise, to take their business to the next level.
An account manager, BetConstruct believes, has to display a combination of interpersonal and goal-oriented skills which will help handle communications and tasks efficiently. It goes without saying that an account manager should have an excellent understanding of products and processes as well as of the company’s goals and core values. Furthermore, an account manager is expected to understand their own personal strengths and weaknesses and to know how to communicate with a partner, to build trust and not damage that vital relationship. No matter how good the products or prices of competitors are, ultimately it is the trust that maintains a customer´s loyalty.
When communicating with partners, an account manager has to address numerous challenges, and it is essential that they don’t allow cross-cultural and interpersonal differences to hinder effective communication.
Consistency and organisation are another challenge for them. Consistent account management, however, helps cut out clutter, maintains proper planning and time-management and displays an account manager’s professionalism. This approach also requires that an account manager be stress-resistant, because nurturing long-lasting relationships requires frequent communication via all possible channels, even after working hours.
A successful account manager also has business insight, and uses this to reveal new areas of growth for their partners. They are proactive and continually come up with new offers and suggestions that help a partner prosper and grow - because at BetConstruct we believe that the growth of a partner is the growth of the company.
