How to Manage a Remote Account Manager in 2023
We’re big proponents of remote work. Personally, we know we’re most effective when working from home. And we train Client Account Managers to be amazing at their job while working remotely, too.
We’re also big proponents of outsourcing client account management, which can free up time for almost-always-time-strapped agency owners. That’s time that can be better spent on growing your business, drumming up leads, or sipping mai tais as may be the case.
But we know from conversations we have with our clients that it can be hard to let go of the white knuckle grip of your agency. This is especially true when considering whether or not to hire a remote Account Manager. How can you trust someone you’ve never actually met in person?
Believe it or not, our entire team, including all our unicorn-status Client Account Managers (CAMs), are fully remote. So what’s our secret to managing our completely remote team?
Easy! To effectively manage a remote Client Account Manager in 2023, you need clear communication and trust, plus the right tools and processes. CAMs also need to be well-trained and well versed in your company culture to be the most effective.
Managing A Remote Account Manager in 2023: 5 Necessities
Every agency is going to have their own culture and requirements when managing their team, no matter what their position, or where they log in each day.
That said, we’ve learned that there are certain non-negotiables when managing remote Account Managers. Specifically, making sure you’re covering the following five basics can really make or break how well-integrated your CAM will be.
1. Communication
Presumably, if you’ve built your own digital marketing agency, then you’re a pretty good communicator. But don’t assume that will automatically translate to being able to effectively communicate with your remote team members.
Namely, your remote CAM is going to need to know exactly what you expect of them. And the only way to do that is to be explicit—perhaps more so than you might be in person.
Plus, just like there’s nuances to ‘real life’ conversations, there are nuances to communicating via Slack or email, too. You may need to set some ground rules for your agency here. For example, when we add that little fire emoji to our Slack profile, our colleagues know not to disturb us.
Keep in mind that communication needs to be bidirectional. Check in with your CAMs regularly, and make sure they know how to access you easily if they ever need to.
And trust us: Zoom can be just as great as meeting in person—assuming people on both sides of the camera put in the extra effort to stay really present and engaged. Don’t believe us? Well, every meeting we have ever done has been over Zoom (truly!). And we’re very proud of our close and invested team.
Our secret? We prevent Zoom fatigue by following some great Zoom tips, like never overbooking (back-to-backs are tough for everyone!), and making sure to keep meetings on task.
2. Trust
By very definition, you are going to need to trust your remote CAM—that’s the only way this relationship can work.
How long someone sat at a desk used to be the key measure of their job performance. Your boss could look over your shoulder and micromanage ‘til their heart's content. To that we say ‘ugh!’ Who wants to work like that?
There’s really no place for micromanaging when you’ve got a remote team. People are going to have their own lives and their own schedules, and they’re going to need to work around those. And that’s ok, as long as they’re consistently getting their job done beautifully and on time!
Remember that white knuckle grip we talked about? Here’s where you’re going to have to let go a little more. If you’re communicating well, and if you’ve hired the right CAM, then they’re going to know what you expect of them. Trust them to step up to the plate.
And if you can’t quite let go of that grip, yet, no worries: we’ve got your back! Our CAM training can help ensure that your Account Managers have all the skills they need to be amazing and totally trustworthy.
3. The Right Tools
A remote CAM is only as good as their tools! First and foremost, that means they’ll need access to your project management tools (for us, that means Asana).
They’ll also need communication tools to communicate both with your team (like Slack), or with clients (like their own email addresses). We’re big proponents of using Loom, too, so that CAMs can make videos to share with clients as necessary.
Don’t forget that your CAM will also need access to any shared drives or other resources, as well as to any necessary ad and/or social media accounts.
4. The Right Processes
We’re shouting it from the digital rooftops: the power of systems is what can make (or break!) your agency! This is especially true when onboarding and managing a remote Account Manager.
Remember how we talked about the importance of trust? Well it’s going to be a lot easier to trust your CAM when your client management is already on autopilot. That means that ideally, your CAM will have scripts, templates, steps, and best practices to follow in just about every possible type of client interaction.
With these processes in place, they won’t need to reinvent the wheel every time a client comes to them with a question or concern. You’ll be able to loosen up that grip we keep talking about, because you’ll know that things are being done just the way you like.
Not sure how to get started building the right processes for your marketing agency? Download our free onboarding checklist, so that you can start every new client relationship on the right foot!
5. The Right Culture
Even if you love the remote lifestyle like we do, we all want to feel like we’re connected to something bigger.
That’s why we’re really proud of the superstar team culture we’ve fostered here at DOT & Co. We hire great people, we respect (and trust!) them, and we’re invested in their careers and well-being.
And despite the many, many miles between us, we love staying connected, through virtual happy hours, coffee dates, and even virtual yoga. We make the extra effort, because our culture matters to us.
Bonus: The Right Amount of Time!
Last but not least, if you’ve just hired a remote CAM, make sure you’re giving them time to adjust to your agency and the way you like to do things. In fact, we suggest that the first month with your new CAM should be focused on learning.
There’s a learning curve with every job, and every agency is going to handle their clients a little differently. Give your CAM time to get in the groove, sit in on a few meetings, and see how you like to run things.
Don’t worry. Things are going to click. But it can take a few weeks for a CAM to learn the ropes and start to inhabit your processes. Trust us: it’s worth the (short!) wait!
Got any more questions about hiring and managing a remote Account Manager? Reach out!