Four Questions to Ask Yourself When Adding to Your Ad Agency Account Service Team

Account service is not for everyone but, as the saying goes, “Someone’s got to do it!” Believe it or not, some people actually love this work (I fall into that category). Regardless of what you think about the work, one thing is for sure: all great agencies have great account service people. They are your clients’ main touch-point. Shouldn’t they reflect your brand in a positive light? Yep, thought so. Keep that in mind when you interview your next ad agency candidate and ask yourself the following questions.

• Are they organized? – Organization. Is. Key. They are responsible for keeping projects, clients and internal teams on task. Account service people often have their own organization OCD and that’s A-okay at the same time account people are the gatekeepers of your agencies process. They create structure, both internally and externally.

• Are they flexible? – While we account people always do our best to keep things on track, that doesn’t mean it always works out the way we would like. In fact, if there are no surprises, we thank our lucky stars. Regardless, great account people to know how to roll with the punches. As the middle-man between the client and the internal team, they need to be able to give and take or direct and follow as appropriate. Ask candidates to provide an example of a time when a project didn’t go accordingly to plan. How did they handle it? What was the outcome?

• Do they have potential? – A resume full of experience isn’t everything. The agency world is evolving, new technologies are coming to market, and the only constant seems to be change. Hiring for what “has been” is history. Hiring for what “will be” is the future. Hire for potential. Does this account service person have what it takes? Are they trainable? Can they learn your way or are they stuck in their own way? Want to read more about potential? Read Fast Company’s article on this here.

• Do they have a sense of humor? – Account people constantly dance the line between being relatable and commanding respect. If the team isn’t comfortable around each other then they won’t be as effective as you need them to be. A good laugh is a great way to spark a creative discussion or lighten the mood on a conference call.

Bottom line, each and every hire is important. Your people are the heart of your agency and, in the end, you are looking for an account person who will keep the blood pumping. Take your time to make sure the fit is right. It will be worth it in the long run.