Cocomore job check: What does an Account Manager do?

Since 2016, Manuel Nicolaus has been working as a Senior Account Manager at our Cologne location and has supported clients from the areas of consumer goods, FinTech and mechanical engineering. In this interview, he tells us more about his work as an account manager and which qualities are particularly important for this profession.

Kimberly: Manuel, when did you start working at Cocomore and how did you get into Account Management?

I started at Cocomore in October 2016. Although, I have been working as an account manager for longer than that. And if I had known what being an account manager really means, I would have chosen this profession even sooner. Because I actually started off in an entirely different area: before and during my course of study of the Netherlands-Germany studies at the University of Münster, I worked in a theater. Here, I cooperated with a lot of people, coordinated projects and worked as a director - maybe this already showed the account manager in me (laughs). I first came across the agency world, however, through my work for a continuing education institute in the field of online marketing. I then started in project management and have gradually taken over more and more tasks of an account manager. After all, we did not have this profession as a common training program back then.

What is the difference between a project manager and an account manager?

Both as a project manager and as an account manager you have direct contact with clients. At Cocomore, however, we make a stronger distinction between these two occupational fields. The account manager primarily focuses on consulting and expanding clients and concentrates on the budgets, while a project manager takes care of the operational business, i.e. the planning and execution of ongoing projects.

What are the tasks of an account manager at Cocomore?

On the one hand, I am responsible for convincing new clients of our know-how. On the other hand, it is, of course, equally important to offer our existing clients prospects in terms of digital transformation, to expand current projects and to launch new ones. In doing so, I work closely with my colleagues from the various departments in order to be able to develop projects and visions in the first place.

During the day-to-day business, the account manager is in constant communication with the project managers to keep track of the situation, meets with clients, writes offers and invoices and much more.

Which departments do you work with most at Cocomore?

Obviously, I have very close contact with the project managers. I discuss costs for the next months with them, create cost estimates and check which project phases we have already implemented.

In addition, I often work with the consulting department, which is responsible for strategy development as well as analysis and evaluations. For new ideas, I also exchange thoughts with our creative team on a regular basis.

What do you like most about your job?

The most exciting part for me is the daily contact with people, whether it is clients or coworkers. I am constantly learning new things. As an account manager, I have to understand which products I present to the client. At the same time, empathy is also required in order to understand the needs of the client and to be able to offer tailor-made solutions.

Which qualities should you have as an account manager?

Interaction with other people is part of the day-to-day business, so you should definitely enjoy communication. This also means that you should have some understanding and respect for the work of your colleagues, that you like to deal with the matters that you represent as an account manager, and that you ask questions if you did not understand something.

A certain order and structure are also important for working your way through the daily to-do lists and not forgetting anything. And last but not least, one should be a good speaker and not shy away from presentations.

A personal piece of advice: listen to your opponent. As an account manager, you often have the habit of talking non-stop and wanting to clarify your points of view. Especially when working with a team, it is worthwhile to just listen carefully and let the others finish talking. In doing so, many things become clear, you learn more and it facilitates the exchange immensely.