The Art of Account Management: Viktoriia Isler on Remembering You’re on the Same Team
Viktoriia Isler is a seasoned marketing professional with a rich background spanning automotive, retail, healthcare, finance and insurance sectors. With more than a decade in the field, Viktoriia has amassed a broad spectrum of experience, directing her focus towards leveraging data-driven strategies to elevate brand engagement, optimise market presence, and enhance customer satisfaction.
Skilled at navigating intricacies of diverse industries, Viktoriia has successfully led strategic initiatives focused on driving business growth, leveraging her expertise in analytics, SEO, and full funnel media.
As group account director at DAC, Viktoriia works closely with senior client stakeholders, leading the team in developing solutions to business challenges that are designed to meet consumer needs at every touchpoint while seamlessly integrating national brand objectives with local market nuances.
LBB> How did you first get involved in account management and what appealed to you about it?
Viktoriia> Account management is one of those paths you don't really learn about in school or university. My own entry into this world started with a wide-eyed curiosity about the advertising industry. I didn’t know anything about account management, but I knew I wanted to be in advertising. I graduated with a bachelor of commerce from the University of British Columbia.
None of the majors seemed like a good fit so I picked marketing through the process of elimination and upon graduation landed a job as an account executive. I always enjoyed the creative aspect of advertising but on its own I knew it was not going to be enough. After about a year on the job, things started to click. With account management I found a way to mix my love for business, creative and strategy into a career that felt both innovative and challenging.
LBB> What is it about your personality, skills and experience that has made account management such a great fit?
Viktoriia> Working at a busy juice bar during my university days was surprisingly one of the best preparations for my career in account management. Earning a minimum wage, tips mattered, which quickly taught me the importance of exceptional client service.
To me, good account management, is more about skills and qualities than about education and experience. I would say my innate curiosity and ability to genuinely connect with people have played an important role throughout my career. I am wired to look for solutions. I crave a challenge. And while I strive to maintain a high level of customer service, I recognise that not everyone operates the same way I do. Empathy, humanity, communication, discipline and a sense of humour have helped me along the way.
LBB> What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting their career in account management?
Viktoriia> I was lucky to have had incredible mentors throughout my career. I remember one particular instance when I was working on a document with my manager, and she kept sending it back for revisions. The changes seemed trivial - adjust column width, make front size uniform, bold heading, etc.
I remember feeling frustrated and somewhat annoyed. Looking back on it today, there was a great lesson in that, no job is too small. Being a great account manager means being attentive to detail and taking ownership of every aspect of your work, no matter how minor it may seem. Excellence in execution often lies in the precision of these seemingly insignificant details.
My manager's insistence on revisions, was not just about making the spreadsheet functional; it was about crafting it in a way that communicated its contents most effectively. It was a lesson in meticulousness and the value of iterative improvement because being a great account manager is not only about managing accounts but also about managing perceptions, expectations, and the minute details that collectively define the quality of our work.
LBB> Thinking back to some of your most challenging experiences you’ve had in your career, what do you think tends to lie at the heart of the more tense or difficult client-agency relationships?
Viktoriia> Poor communication. If you think about it, communication is not just about exchanging information; it's about building trust, understanding needs, managing expectations, and fostering a collaborative environment. Truly listening to the client's needs, concerns, and feedback can make them feel valued and understood. It can also help identify and get in front of the issues, to address them proactively and effectively.
LBB> And what are the keys to building a productive and healthy relationship?
Viktoriia> Again, I would say effective communication, trust and active listening are foundational. Beyond that, it is a deep understanding of the client’s business, industry and specific goals, which all contribute to our ability to craft impactful strategies and drive performance. I always strive to be a strategic partner rather than a vendor and this means moving beyond a transactional relationship to fostering a collaborative environment where mutual success is the ultimate goal.
Respect, empathy, flexibility, transparency, commitment to quality, ability to anticipate needs and offer proactive solutions are all important elements of a healthy and productive relationship.
LBB> What’s your view on disagreement and emotion - is there a place for it and if not, why not? If so, why - and what does productive disagreement look like?
Viktoriia> Both emotion and disagreement are natural aspects of human interaction and yes, I do believe there is a place for them so long that they are managed appropriately and involved parties remain respectful and professional. Authenticity can build trust and when clients see that you are genuinely concerned about their needs and excited about the work you do together, it can enhance the relationship.
However, authenticity doesn't mean unfiltered expression of every emotion; it means being genuine within the bounds of professional decorum.
In a similar vein, productive disagreement at its core is about treating each other with respect, even when opinions clash, and managing our emotions so things don't get heated. It's remembering we're all on the same team, aiming for the same goals, even if we have different ideas on how to get there. This kind of disagreement is more than just arguing; it's a way to bring out the best in our ideas and in each other, making sure we're all learning, growing, and moving forward together.
LBB> Historically, account management has been characterised as the mediator in an adversarial client and creative relationship - what do you make of that characterisation, is there any nugget of truth in that or is it wildly inaccurate?
Viktoriia> I think this is reflecting the traditional dynamics within some advertising agencies, although labeling the client and creative relationship as strictly adversarial oversimplifies the complexity of these relationships. The landscape of client-agency relationships has evolved, and the traditional mediator role has expanded into a more collaborative and strategic partner.
LBB> These days, agencies do so much beyond traditional campaigns and as account management you’re pulling together creative, experience, data, e-commerce, social and more - and that complexity can often be mirrored on the client stakeholder side too? What’s the key to navigating (and helping the client navigate) that complexity?
Viktoriia> I’d say approaching projects with a holistic view, and recognising how different components (creative, data, e-commerce, etc.) interact and contribute to the broader goals. It’s about seeing the forest for the trees, understanding the synergy between various elements, and leveraging this to create more cohesive, effective campaigns.
When it comes to clients, part of our role involves educating them about the complexities and nuances of modern marketing strategies. By demystifying the process and making it more accessible, we can empower clients to make informed decisions and engage more productively in the process.
LBB> What recent projects are you proudest of and why? What was challenging about these projects from an account management perspective and how did you address those challenges? What was so satisfying about working on these projects?
Viktoriia> What comes to mind is the project we undertook for one of the largest bankruptcy firms in Canada. Our objective was to build a holistic lead gen strategy that not only delivered on today’s objectives but laid a robust foundation for future success. It was a multi-faceted engagement focused on leveraging data analytics, refining content strategy, optimising media channels, and integrating CRM with advertising platforms.
A particular point of pride (and challenge) was the collaboration across multiple internal and external teams. At the root of our success was careful planning and management of client expectations. With the large scope of the project, rigorous time management was crucial and with that, ensuring clear internal and external communication, resource allocation, and budget management, all without compromising quality.
Everything came together brilliantly but the most gratifying aspect of this project was the role it played in elevating our relationship with the client. This not only strengthened our bond but firmly established us as an indispensable part of their ongoing strategy, truly cementing our relationship.
