Ep 123 – Jenny Plant, Account Management Skills – The Secret to Growing Client Accounts Without “Selling”

Featuring: Jenny Plant, Account Management Skills

In episode 123, I sit down with Jenny Plant, founder of Account Management Skills, to talk about why strong account management is the secret weapon for agency growth. Drawing on over 25 years of experience on both the agency and client side, Jenny shares how she helps account managers develop the skills, confidence, and mindset to grow accounts without feeling “salesy.” We discuss the challenges of hybrid AM/PM roles, how to spot rising account management stars, and why curiosity and relationship skills often outweigh industry knowledge. Jenny also dives into her “Four P’s” of AI for account managers—Productivity, Personalization, Prescribe, and Predict—showing how technology can boost proactivity and client value. We wrap with insights on setting growth targets, charging for account management, and building a culture that celebrates account wins as much as new business.

Key Bytes

• Account growth starts with training AMs to be proactive, not just reactive service providers• Hybrid AM/PM roles often fail to drive growth because delivery takes priority over development• Curiosity and relationship skills can be more valuable than industry expertise• AI can help AMs be more productive, personalize interactions, prescribe solutions, and predict client needs• Co-creating growth targets with AMs boosts buy-in and accuracy• Celebrating account growth fosters a culture where client retention and expansion matter as much as net new business

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Jenny Plant & Account Management Skills02:20 Why sales training is vital for account managers04:16 The challenge of hybrid AM/PM roles in driving growth08:58 Traits of successful account managers11:32 Hiring AMs from outside the agency world13:14 Jenny’s Four P’s of AI for account managers18:19 Proactivity and presenting ideas to clients20:38 Co-creating account growth targets22:55 Charging for account management services24:36 How many accounts can one AM manage effectively?28:15 Creating a culture that celebrates account growth

Jenny Plant is the founder of Account Management Skills a training company helping agency account managers retain client relationships and grow accounts.

Jenny has over 25 years in agency account management and has also worked client-side in marketing for an international airline and pharmaceutical company.

Her account management training programmes blend proven client growth methodologies with the integration of AI tools, helping agencies stay relevant, efficient, and proactive.

She also hosts the Creative Agency Account Manager Podcast, where she shares insights and interviews to elevate the agency-client relationship management standards across the industry.

Connect with Jenny on their website.

Agency Bytes is a podcast for owners of creative, marketing, and advertising agencies that packs a ton of important agency information on one topic, from one expert into a 25-minute brief. Why 25 minutes? Because who has the attention span for much more these days, and you can squeeze in a listen between meetings with time for a bathroom break or coffee refill before your next meeting. Agency Bytes is brought to you by Steve Guberman from Agency Outsight. Steve is a 20-year agency veteran who works as a business coach for agencies around the country. He coaches owners of branding, marketing, design, and PR agencies to conquer their goals and overcome their challenges. Learn more about Agency Outsight at www.agencyoutsight.com

• No. of episodes: 100
• Latest episode: 2025-08-25
• Business Entrepreneurship Marketing

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