Finding good employees is a job in and of itself. It’s a big time and, potentially, financial investment to take on a new hire. There’s a learning curve that takes time to overcome. There are costs associated with new equipment, sign-on bonuses, business cards and other accoutrements. And you might even have relocation costs. We want to make sure each hire we make is the right one. That’s why we look for the following traits in our account executives.
Curiosity
Good account executives ask questions. They want to know the client’s business inside and out. They read trade publications. They research the competition. Essentially, they become a walking encyclopedia for the industry in which our clients operate. Because the more our account executives know about your business, the more they can help grow it.
Motivation
Good account executives are self-starters. It’s an account executive’s job to keep the ball rolling. They have to stay one step ahead, anticipate client needs before they arise, keep everyone in the loop and get the team excited about new projects. When we hire account executives, we look for people who are not only team players, but who know how to lead where they are.
Charisma
Good account executives are people persons. After all, the role of an account executive is to provide outstanding service to our clients. That’s a lot easier to do if you’re charming, outgoing and naturally likable. In interviews, we look for confidence, wit and a pleasant demeanor.
Communication Skills
Good account executives are stellar verbal and written communicators. They need to communicate clearly when speaking with clients. They need to ask the right questions to get the right answers. And then, they need to be able to relay that information to the rest of the team in progress reports, memos and email correspondence.
Organizational Skills
Good account executives can keep it together. Even if an account executive has all the traits on this list in abundance, it’s not worth anything if they’re not organized. Client requests often come in hot and fast. It falls on the account executive to keep up with the pace and provide quick and easy access to information for the rest of the team. If an account executive drops the ball, it pushes the timeline back for the entire project.
Loyalty
Last, but certainly not least, good account executives are loyal. It takes effort and time to create strong relationships with clients. For that reason, our account executives are loyal to our clients — and to our company. How do we build that loyalty? It’s simple: we take care of and care about our employees.
Want to partner with rockstars or become a rockstar yourself? Get in touch.
