Creative Agency Account Manager Podcast

Welcome to episode 162. If your agency is experimenting with AI, buying new tools and still feeling like not much has really changed operationally, you're not actually imagining it. That is exactly what this episode gets into.

I'm chatting with Emily Hatton, a Business Operations Consultant and the founder of AI in Agencies, where she helps agencies turn AI from scattered experiments into structured, profitable ways of working. After years supporting service businesses with operations, capacity planning and profitability, Emily saw a growing gap: agencies were adopting AI tools quickly, but their operating models hadn’t caught up. Today, she works with agency founders and leadership teams to integrate AI into workflows, resourcing, pricing and delivery — helping teams save time, improve margins and get more value from the tools they already pay for. Her work focuses on practical implementation, not hype, and on helping agencies build sustainable AI capability inside their teams.

In this conversation, Emily and I talk about why AI adoption so often becomes a bit chaotic inside the agency. Different teams using different tools, no real ownership and not enough measurement of whether any of it is actually saving time or improving the work.

We also get into why the smarter starting point is actually to look at your processes and workflows, not the latest tool that you can get, but how to get more from the actual tools you're already using, your tech stack.

And finally, we talk about governance, client trust, pricing pressure, and what agencies need to sort out now if they want to stay commercially relevant.

If AI in your agency currently feels a little bit messy, a bit exciting, but also a bit overwhelming all at the same time, then this one is for you.

You can contact and connect with Emily here:
www.linkedin.com/in/emily-hatton
https://aiinagencies.com/

How AI-ready is your account management team? Find out in 3 minutes with our free quiz - and discover where your biggest growth opportunities lie:
https://www.accountmanagementskills.com/ai-readiness-quiz

Welcome to episode 161. In this episode, we’re talking about what it really means to move from “getting stuff done” to becoming a genuinely strategic partner.

I'm chatting with Eloise (Ellie) Todd, Account Director at strategicabm, who support B2B SaaS and Tech clients in building successful and scalable ABM programs.. Ellie loves building relationships with clients and helping ABM programs grow and succeed.

Ellie shares how account-based marketing actually works in the real world — not the textbook version — and why getting sales and marketing aligned can make or break results.

We also get into something I know a lot of you are thinking about… AI. Specifically, what happens when an agency codifies its expertise and builds its own tool rather than just using ChatGPT to write emails.

And we talk about something I bang on about a lot - building relationships across multiple stakeholders inside your client’s organisation so you’re not exposed when your main contact leaves. (Because let’s be honest… that happens.)

If you’re wondering how to add more value beyond deliverables, and protect your accounts at the same time, this conversation will get you thinking.

A few things really stood out for me.

1. Value doesn’t just come from what you deliver. Sometimes the biggest difference you make is getting your client’s internal teams aligned. That’s not fluffy. That’s commercial.

2. Your IP matters. In a world where everyone has access to AI, what makes you different is your thinking, your frameworks, your experience. If you don’t package that up, someone else will.

3. Stay curious. Ask better questions. Challenge gently. Feed insight back into your agency. That’s how you move from order-taker to trusted adviser.

You can connect with Eloise Todd here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eloisetodd/

Resources mentioned:
ABM Mastery — strategicabm's suite of training programmes teaching AI use at each stage of ABM — https://www.strategicabm.com

If you’d like to stay updated with shifts in the agency world as they relate to the account management role , or if you’d like to talk to me about client retention and growth training for your team, head over to https://www.accountmanagementskills.com

And if you haven’t already, take the AI readiness quiz whilst you’re there. It takes a few minutes and it might highlight a few gaps you didn’t realise were there.

Welcome to episode 160.

We’re diving into one of the most important topics in client relationships: trust, with Charles H. Green - an author, speaker and world expert on trust-based relationships and sales in complex businesses. Founder and former CEO of Trusted Advisor Associates, he is author of Trust-based Selling, and co-author of The Trusted Advisor and the Trusted Advisor Fieldbook. Charles spent 20 years in management consulting. He has a BA in philosophy (Columbia), and an MBA (Harvard).

We explore what really drives trustworthiness, why listening is your most powerful tool as an account manager, how to build credibility without overcompensating, and why authentic relationships will only become more valuable in an AI-driven world.

There are some brilliant, practical insights in this one. My biggest takeaways? Trust is built far beyond credentials, listening is your superpower, and in a world of AI and automation, genuine human connection is only becoming more valuable.

You can connect with Charles H Green here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charleshgreen
Website: http://trustedadvisor.com
Trusted Advisor test: https://trustedadvisor.com/build-trust/how-trustworthy-are-you

If you’d like to stay up to date with the latest thinking, tools and trends in account management, you can sign up for my weekly newsletter at https://www.accountmanagementskills.com

Welcome to Episode 159. If you’ve ever walked into a client meeting (or a pitch… or a QBR… or onto a stage) and thought, “I’ve got so much to cover - how do I say it without losing people?” - you’re going to love this one.

I'm joined by Martin Barnes, Founder of 8 Seconds 2 Connect and Leadership Communication expert.
Martin help leaders communicate at the moments that matter. When a big idea needs to land, shift a room, or spark momentum. His background spans 25 years in design, advertising, and film across the UK and China. He's pitched to Hollywood producers, coached C-suite teams at Mercedes, ByteDance, VW, and Cartier, and helped founders raise millions and step onto TEDx stages.

In this episode, Martin and I talk about why stories build trust faster than “look how much I know” - and how to share your expertise without sounding like you’re selling, name-dropping, or talking about yourself too much.

We also get into the “data dump” problem: what to do when you’ve got loads of information, but you want the room to actually listen. And Martin shares a really practical way to prepare for presentations, especially if you get nervous, using voice notes and repetition so it feels less scary and more familiar.

You can connect with Martin here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinbarnespresentations/

If you’d like to be kept updated with shifts in the agency world as they relate to the account management role, or you’d like to speak to me about client retention and growth training options, head to https://www.accountmanagementskills.com
You can also sign up to my newsletter there, and you’ll find the AI readiness quiz too.

Welcome to episode 158. I’m joined again by Michael Farmer to unpack what’s really going on in the agency world right now - and what it means for you if you’re running an agency, leading clients, or working in account management.

Michael Farmer is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Farmer & Company LLC, a New York based strategy consulting firm for major advertisers and their creative and media agencies. He also serves as Professor of Branding and Integrated Communications at The City College of New York (CCNY). He's the author of Madison Avenue Manslaughter, an inside view of fee-cutting clients, profit-hungry owners and declining ad agencies (3rd Edition 2019), and Madison Avenue Makeover: the transformation of Huge and the redefinition of the ad agency business (2023). He has completed a new book, Madison Avenue Revisited, to be published in June 2026.

Here’s what we get into:

- Why Michael’s new book Madison Avenue Revisited is a sharper, more hard-hitting update on what’s driving agency decline — especially the impact of holding company decisions.

- What the current wave of M&A and cost-cutting signals for agency capability, talent, and client outcomes - including the knock-on effects for senior experience in an AI era.

- Why independent agencies could be entering a genuine opportunity window — and how “productising” services and focusing on measurable growth can change the game.

- And a brilliant reframing for account managers: why you should stop thinking like a logistics coordinator and start operating like a management consultant to your clients.

It’s one of those episodes that really challenges how we think about the agency business model.
Here are a few key takeaways :

- Agency success can’t just be about delivering output cheaply — the real opportunity is in linking your work to client growth and outcomes.

- The industry’s talent shape is getting distorted: AI may remove more junior execution work, but it raises the need for experienced people who can direct, judge, and advise.
- Independent agencies have a chance to differentiate by being explicit about what they stand for — not “low cost,” but “we help you grow, and we’ll prove it.”
- And for account managers: you’ll be far more valuable when you bring data, insight, and a point of view — not just project updates and deadlines.

You can keep with Michael Farmer here:
http://linkedin.com/in/michaelfarmer
www.farmerandco.com

Madison Avenue Revisited: https://amzn.eu/d/07SX5rrI
Madison Avenue Makeover: https://amzn.eu/d/0je8R4FA
Madison Avenue Manslaughter: https://amzn.eu/d/09U5HbiN

If you’d like to be kept updated with shifts in the agency world as it relates to the account management role - or you’d like to talk to me about client retention and growth training options - head to my website https://www.accountmanagementskills.com

You can also sign up to my newsletter there so you don’t miss new episodes, mini-trainings, and what I’m seeing in the market.