Rakeeb Hussein: Become the Best Account Manager You Can Be 

What makes a good account manager? How can you best develop your relationships with clients? How often should you send reports out? In this episode, Rakeeb Hussein tells Lisa all there is to know about account management, from handling clients’ expectations to the onboarding process. Listen to learn more about what might be one of the most overlooked aspects of PR. In this episode of the Social PR Secrets Podcast, host Lisa Buyer talks with Rakeeb Hussein, the founder and CEO of Agency Allies. Agency Allies is not the type of agency we’re used to talking about on the pod. Instead, it helps digital marketing agencies with account and project management and influencers and social media work. As Rakeeb puts it, “we help agencies free up their time to focus on what they’re good at, while we do what we’re good at for them.”  The Importance of Account Management  Rakeeb explains that agencies are often focused on sales and are good at it. But when it comes to building and maintaining relationships with clients, they have a difficult time. But if you don’t have the right approaches or a good account manager, you won’t have longlasting relationships with clients.  The client-agency relationship starts during onboarding, according to Rakeeb. He usually introduces himself and sends out a form for the new client to fill out. That way, he gets all the critical information. Then, he follows up with an onboarding call, which helps build relationships. He always tries to start personal and then moves on to business. He says you have almost to interview your client, asking them what they want to achieve, how their company is doing at the moment, what they expect from the relationship. It’s all about asking the right questions! Top Tips for Clients/Agency Relationships  When it comes to clients, PR professionals dread expectations they know they can’t meet. When faced with that issue, Rakeeb advises focusing on communication. As you start working with a new client, make sure you understand their expectations. His biggest tip? Put everything in writing. Even if you agreed to something over a zoom call or even in person, always send a follow-up email laying out what was decided.  On the client-side of things, brands should understand what they’re looking for. They also need to make sure they have the right account manager. The top three things to look for in an account manager are: Are they communicating? Are they a listener? Are they in it for me?  Project management 101 Rakeeb’s biggest tip when asked how to manage best a project was “use the right platforms.” His current favorit