Every account manager strives to be the best in their field, but only a few ever make it to the top. If you are aiming for excellence, you will need to hone your skills to surpass the competition. You can make the most of your efforts by targeting key areas that set top performers apart. The following five capabilities are some of the most important in determining account management success.
1. Exceptional Business Acumen
Above all else, account managers must be experts in their field. You should have detailed knowledge of healthcare policy, government healthcare programs, and industry trends, as well as a thorough understanding of how those realms have changed over time.
Your own experiences will give you a solid start in this area, but consider adding to your own repertoire with knowledge from healthcare consulting firms. You will use this knowledge to drive meaningful analysis and choose the right approach for each customer’s needs. With this information at your disposal, you should have no trouble coming to an arrangement that benefits both parties.
2. Professional Credibility
Account managers deal with sensitive situations on a regular basis and must be able to handle them professionally. Aim to stay poised and calm under pressure, even if your customers are struggling to do the same. It is your responsibility to maintain clear communication and ensure that your discussions remain courteous and productive.
You must also remember to uphold your own professional integrity. Your customers rely on your expertise to make their purchasing decisions, and it is never acceptable to misrepresent a product or make false claims about it. Treat your customers the way you would want to be treated in their place.
3. Personable and Engaging
Like any sales position, effective account management relies on strong relationships. Top account manager works proactively to cultivate a bond between themselves and the customers they serve. In fact, this ability is a key component of every healthcare executive training program and is considered a must-have trait in a leader.
Bring your customers new, relevant information every time you meet. Take care to present this information in a way that is both compelling and easy to understand. Try sprinkling a few patient success stories into your pitches to give them a more human touch. Your goal should be to establish yourself as a trustworthy guide who makes customers feel good about buying from you.
4. Resiliency and Adaptability
The healthcare field is always changing, and so are patients’ needs. An account manager should always remain alert and ready to adapt to these unforeseen bumps in the road. Maintaining excellent situational awareness allows you to see problems coming before they can derail your negotiations.
Keen observation also allows you to always be ready with new insights for your customers. You can use these insights to improve your pitches during ongoing negotiations or to pitch new products that might fit your customers’ needs, potentially boosting your bottom line.
5. Keen Intellect and Superb Powers of Observation
Finally, a top account manager understands the value of listening and observing. These functions are just as important as the more active parts of your role, allowing you to pinpoint customers’ business concerns without relying on them to tell you what they need.
By synthesizing information from your own observations with pharmaceutical market research data, you can better understand your customers’ business strategies and their goals as an organization. You can use these observations to engage in joint problem-solving with payers and strike mutually beneficial deals that will build trust as well as revenue.
Take Your Career to the Top
Are you ready to take the next steps toward account management excellence? The Brooks Group has all of the courses and resources you need to get started. Contact us today to learn more about any of our market research offerings or account management training programs and find out which ones you need to reach your full potential.