Great account managers don’t pitch – they diagnose, recommend, and support

Let’s be honest most account managers aren’t keen on ‘selling’. And for good reason. The idea of cold pitches, upsells, and pushing products can feel uncomfortable especially when you’ve worked hard to build trust.

But here’s the thing: account management isn’t about selling. It’s about solving the right problems in the right way, at the right time.

When done well, it doesn’t feel like selling at all. It feels like being helpful – because it is.

It starts with understanding the client’s world

You can’t solve problems if you don’t understand them. Great account managers know what matters to their clients, where the friction is, what’s keeping them up at night, and what they’re working towards.

It’s about making things better, not adding more

Clients don’t want complexity. If a recommendation adds layers, it’s a hard sell. But if it simplifies, saves time, or makes outcomes clearer – that’s a different story.

It’s based on trust

When a client knows you get their business, your suggestions carry weight. You’re not a salesperson, you’re a partner with their best interests in mind.

It’s about conversation, not persuasion

Recommending something helpful doesn’t mean pitching. It might sound more like:

  • “Would you like to explore an easier way to do X?”
  • “One thing that might help here is Y…”
  • “We’ve seen others use Z with good results. Could that be useful here?”

It’s consultative. Collaborative. And it works.

It happens naturally when the relationship is strong

When you’ve built the relationship, the need for ‘selling’ disappears. Clients open up about what’s hard, and you respond with options that make sense.

Account management is most powerful when it’s seen as an opportunity to improve things, not push things.

When you stay curious, tuned-in, and helpful, the ‘selling’ part takes care of itself.

TL;DR:

Account management isn’t about selling – it’s about solving. When you understand the client’s goals and challenges, recommending the right support becomes part of the relationship, not a separate sales task.

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash