Why Hiring a Fractional Account Manager Is the Best Move for Your Agency in 2023
You probably don’t need us to sell you on the need for Client Account Managers (CAMs), who play an essential role in just about every digital marketing agency. This is the person who can do all that value-added work of nurturing your client relationships, so you can free up your time to work on other crucial aspects of your business.
That said, 2023 is a time of a lot of uncertainty. If you’re worried about revenue, you’re not alone. And if you’re looking for fresh ways to scale your business, then you’re not alone either.
So, if you know you need better client management, but you’re worried about taking on extra expenses in 2023, then we’ve got the perfect solution. Fractional account management can give you all the benefits of a full-time Client Account Manager, without committing to another full-time employee.
Here’s what you need to know.
What is Fractional Account Management?
Hiring fractional employees (also called ‘fractional talent’ and ‘fractional workers’) is a growing trend, with good reason. This business practice allows companies to access specialists from wide talent pools. And since it’s much more flexible and cost-effective than hiring full-time employees, it’s a great resource—especially in a world with global pandemics and global recessions!
But regardless of your budget, we think that fractional work is the way to go. In fact, this is why we exclusively offer fractional Client Account Management. Our unicorn-status CAMs typically work 10, 15, or 20 hours a week with a client (although we also offer custom plans as necessary).
And don’t think 10 hours isn’t enough time to make a difference.
Thanks to how we work, your clients are going to feel like they’ve got someone dedicated to them 40 hours a week. That’s because of the training and the processes that our CAMs bring to the table.
Armed with go-to templates (like our onboarding checklist), top notch communication skills, and effective SOPs, we can do in minutes what takes someone else hours (seriously!).
Plus, when that CAM is working with your agency, they’re all in! You’ll be working with the same Account Manager day-in and day-out, and they’ll be fully integrated into your team. That means they sit in on internal meetings, while also handling your clients. The more they’re looped in internally, the better!
In other words, the right virtual CAM can provide the same (and likely much better) high level of support you’re expecting, even when their hours are much shorter than in-office employees.
Plus, not every agency is going to even need a full time CAM, or be in a position to hire one.
In short, fractional is a great way to get all the benefits of a full time CAM, without the expense or time commitment.
What Are The Benefits of Factional Client Management?
Ok, so that’s the ins and outs of fractional Client Account Management. But, why specifically would you want to go this route? Happy you asked! 🙂
Hire a fractional CAM in 2023, and you can expect the following 5 benefits (and probably a lot more!)
1. Easier Than Staffing
First, by going the fractional route, you’re going to be saving so much on employment recruiting and management. That’s because we handle the hiring, training, managing, and retaining.
If you’re a brand new agency owner of a brand new agency, then you might not appreciate yet just how much time and how much sanity that the hiring process can take. But trust us: it’s a lot. We wade through all the resumes, so you don’t have to!
And the result is that you can have faith you’re going to find the perfect match for your agency, without having to do any of the legwork.
2. Backups Ready
Yes, when you work with DOT & Co., then you get a dedicated, fractional Client Account Manager. And we have an incredibly high retention rate, so you can trust that your CAM will be with you for the long haul. But … life happens. People get sick, and we all need a vacay now and then.
If you’ve got a full-time Account Manager on staff, then who is going to pick up the slack when they’re away for any amount of time? It’s either going to fall on your shoulders (unfair to you), on your team’s shoulders (unfair to them), or your clients will be neglected (unfair to them, too).
But since your fractional CAM is part of our team, we’ve always got someone great who can step in as needed.
3. More Cost Savings
Like we’ve already covered, fractional CAMs come with a smaller price tag than full-time employees. And we all love a smaller price tag.
But it’s also important to think about what those cost savings actually mean for your agency. For many, it means more scalability, more growth, and more money to invest in your team and your professional development.
In short, cost savings can translate into a competitive advantage and long-term business success.
4. An Outside Eye
We have no doubt that you’ve got a great team. But every team is made up of people, and every person comes with their own biases and preferences. It’s very easy for a small agency to become an echo chamber.
Meanwhile, outsourcing account management can bring a new level of objectivity to your agency.
While your fractional CAM will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise, they can also bring an outside eye. Since they can be more objective about your operations, processes, and client relationships, they’ll also be able to identify areas for improvement.
In fact, one of the things our Client Account Managers pride themselves on is their ability to help their agencies develop new and improve SOPs.
5. Better CAMs
At the end of the day, there’s a reason that we’ve developed our whole agency around fractional Client Account Management. Fractional Account Managers are just better!
We want to provide our clients with the most effective and professional Client Account Management possible. And we’ve found that fractional and remote CAMs are the best at doing this.
Fractional Client Account Managers are going to be more effective with their time. And since they typically work with several agencies at once, they’re working with (and learning from) other people and agencies, too. In other words, they’re going to be continually exposed to and developing new best practices that can help your agency.
And remember all those applications we talked about? We get hundreds of resumes a month, from potential CAMs all over the world. Not only do we have a highly selective process to ensure we’re always onboarding the best possible CAMs. They also go through our Client Account Manager Training, making sure they have confidence when speaking with clients and know how to build processes and systems your team will actually use.
In other words: our fractional Client Account Managers have got your back, and they’ll help you nurture lasting relationships with happy clients.
Curious if a fractional Client Account Manager is right for your team in 2023? Let’s chat!