Saxum|PR

A Different Kind of Client Management

May 12th, 2010 by Renzi Stone. Posted in Industry Expertise, News

I was 25 years old when I started Saxum. Looking back, it was pretty presumptuous for someone who had been out of college only a minute (my term now, not then) to think that I could add value to would-be clients. Never one to think much about the competition, I was always somewhat offended by being called the “young” firm back then.

Recently, Saxum hired a professional services firm for some consulting. Sure enough, our small account was handed to a 25-year-old to serve as our account manager. Not too far removed from the days of being told I was too young, I found myself skeptically thinking that we had a “young” account representative.

Shame on me.

Five meetings later, I sat astonished at the resourcefulness, flair and confidence from this talented individual. It served as a good reminder that account managers can be just as effective (or ineffective) at 25 as they could be at 55.

For years, Saxum has called the head of our accounts, “leads.” The bad rap that young people get – no matter how talented – is that they are incapable of “leading” at a young age.

Hogwash.

We have client leads, whom we now call “client managers,” of all ages. The traits of a great client manager are embodied by their ability to work with a team who contributes to the account below their experience level or with different expertise, while also utilizing the resources and experience of those above them. The error in some agency models is in trusting the individual to “handle” everything – shown below in our graph.

The professionals who practice public relations, marketing and creative services can be found at all levels of age and experience. It is up to us to find the right fit that will get results for our clients.