Key Account Management is Not a Bed of Roses

Key account management is an exciting, rewarding career. It’s also demanding, challenging and frustrating. Before embarking on a career in key account management, here are some things you should know:

IT'S NOT A BED OF ROSES. Key account management is an exciting, rewarding career. It's also demanding, challenging and frustrating.

Think about this: 

Before embarking on a career in key account management, here are some things you should know:

BEST PART: It's not a 9 to 5 job

  • You do things your way and manage clients how you like
  • Your boss doesn't breathe down your neck
  • People don't ask "where were you?"
  • You can work from home (or anywhere)
  • You get to travel
  • You do strategic, impactful work.

WORST PART: It's not a 9 to 5 job

  • The bigger the client is, the more opinions there are on how they should be managed
  • Your boss breathes down your neck
  • The buck stops with you so you work really long hours
  • You go when and where they need you, even if it means a day of travel for a 30-minute meeting
  • You put out a lot of fires you didn't start
  • You're drowning in admin and process

Money isn't everything.

Consider the nature of the work, if it's a good fit for you and the impact on your work/life balance.

Read: How Much Money Do Key Account Managers Really Make to discover the realities of key account management and how much they earn.


About the author 

Warwick Brown

Warwick Brown has led business development and account management teams in Australia and Europe for more than 15 years and worked with some of the world's most prestigious firms, including Merck & Co, Deutsche Bank, McKinsey & Company and Vodafone. His mission is to help account managers everywhere who are short on time and big on ambition get results.