Also known as...
CSDs; Head of Account Management
The role in brief...
This role gets everything moving for agency and client, and is usually a member of the agency board. The CSD is responsible for setting the tone of client relationships and making sure that they remain solid and profitable. Responsibilities include:
- Building, developing and retaining an effective team within the client service department. This involves effective recruitment, monitoring and mentoring of team members and giving effective feedback to help them learn and grow.
- Understanding fully the department’s key position in client and agency relations, building its ethos and setting an example. Helping to secure the agency’s reputation. Nurturing a positive and inclusive culture in the team, and monitoring and overseeing the achievement of the agency’s DEI standards. This includes championing the work of the agency and creating pride in the agency and its work.
- Managing the most senior relationships on their own client accounts, and building effective links which contribute to agency profit
- Cross selling to existing senior clients and helping win new business, sometimes deputising for the MD or CEO. This involves being able to articulate the agency’s long-term vision and being its public face.
- It may include legal responsibilities as a board director
Working with...
- Internal: Agency management/leadership team; Agency account team including planners/strategists; Creative directors; Heads of Creative Services; New business team; HR/ Talent Team; Finance/accounts.
- External: Client marketing team, including Marketing Director; New business opportunity contacts and Intermediaries such as the AAR. Also their peers in other agencies used by the client.
- They will report to the C-suite of the agency, usually a Managing Director and/or CEO.
- All employees in their department, getting to know their strengths, where and how they will grow and perform best.
Responsible for...
- The successful working of the Client Service department, for example ensuring appraisals and regular feedback conversations happen throughout and are followed up with actions; championing getting the best skills, knowledge and behaviours development for the department; working with the HR/Talent team on succession planning/recruitment/selection and retention of people. Supportive of the agency’s plans for diversity and inclusion.
- Leading their own client accounts within the agency, keeping these in profit and spotting commercial opportunities to build solid, long-term relationships. This involves working with senior planners on overall brand strategy and with Creative heads on selling the best ideas.
- Developing the client/account management macro relationship, for example encouraging good practice such as listening to what the client says about their brand before proffering solutions. Encouraging the team to become the trusted business partners of their clients.
- Being the most senior agency presence on some pitch teams, representing the entire agency.
- Continual communication of the agency’s values and the behaviours which come from that, the current business goals and long-term vision everyone should work towards
- Understanding how the agency both makes (for example cross-selling) and loses money (for example scope creep), and making sure their department understands and acts on these.
- Any legal responsibilities that come from being a board director, for example employment law
Those who succeed are...
- Able to motivate, lead and inspire their department, the wider agency, clients, and other external partners.
- Articulating a long-term vision for their department, account teams and brands.
- Those who have palpable pride in the agency.
- Good listeners – for example able to appreciate how much/what the client knows about their brand and consumers
- Great communicators – commanding the room in presentations to all comers for example, able to write pithy persuasive emails, influencing the room to agree with them, sell a creative idea against the odds etc.
- Good at using positive mood contagion to energise and enthuse large groups to keep going
- Curious, knowledgeable and passionate about their direct client’s business, and where and how advertising contributes to its success, earning them the status of brand partner.
- Able to set a good example – honest, fair and constructive with feedback, shouldering responsibility and sharing credit, seeing mistakes as learning – thus fostering loyalty
- Willing to encourage others by continuously putting themselves forward for learning about e.g. new platforms, AI, new consumer macro trends, effectiveness, award winning work, sustainability, diversity.
- Willing to have challenging conversations internally or externally, acting swiftly on points of conflict
- Able to prioritise and delegate effectively within their workload, also set realistic objectives.
- Aware that it is through strong team collaboration that success will come, where everyone can play to their strengths.
- Resilient and confident – able to make their team/department/agency/client trust there are solutions
Where they come from, and where they go...
CSDs have usually gained considerable previous agency experience, typically as an Account and then Board Director in creative agencies. A few will transition into the role from a senior marketing position at a client organisation. CSDs may progress into senior agency management roles such as Managing Director and Chief Executive. These promotions will depend on the commercial and creative success of their own accounts, their effectiveness in winning organic and new business, their ability to communicate the vision and their ability to lead, develop and retain members (especially productive ones) of their department.