As a company owner who does business primarily online, you should have a competitive virtual account manager that can help you manage relationships with your existing customers and establish new ones. Their role is very critical because they’re the ones who are in charge of maintaining good connections with your clients and business partners, even in a digital setting.
Having a competitive and effective virtual account manager is not that easy. Fortunately for you, we’ve listed some of the most important skills that a virtual account manager should possess to guide you with your hiring process.
If you’re looking for the best virtual account manager candidate, here are the skills that you must look for:
1. Excellent Communication Skills
Your virtual account manager must have excellent communication skills. Why? Because that will be their primary weapon to win business negotiations and approvals. It’s also their communication skills that can maintain high satisfaction levels with your business’s existing customers. So, when looking for a candidate, check if the prospect actively listens, can understand non-verbal signs, is good in storytelling, has excellent speaking styles, and can potentially build rapport with someone they’re talking to. If they are able to meet these standards, you can expect that they can be the perfect candidate for the role.
Remember, communication is the backbone of excellent account management, so you must ensure that the candidate you will hire has excellent communication skills.
2. High Emotional Intelligence or EQ Skills
Since being a virtual account manager is all about building and establishing relationships, your chosen virtual account manager must have high emotional intelligence or EQ skills. They should be able to understand and identify the viewpoints of others and recognize feelings that may not be readily apparent. Why? Because in that way, they can build the trust of someone they’re doing business with. If your virtual account manager can connect with others on a personal level, your business can create a strong bond with your client or business partner.
Also, if they can recognize your client’s reactions and the underlying meaning of their responses, your virtual account manager can quickly tailor or adjust your business offers according to your client’s preferences and behavior. It’s a skill that you must look for in a virtual account manager because it can significantly affect how your business will be showcased to others.
3. Decision-Making and Problem-Solving Skills
These skills are also one of the most important skills that your virtual account manager should possess. Since they are the client’s main point of contact, they will more likely encounter problems along the way. So, your chosen virtual account manager should be able to solve those problems on their own. You have to hire someone who can confidently decide independently and take a proactive approach to solve those problems. If your virtual account manager has excellent decision-making and problem-solving skills, you have nothing to worry about even if you’re not around.
Conclusion
You can have the best virtual account manager as long as you keep these skills in mind during your hiring process. Remember, your virtual account manager will play a very important role in growing and scaling your business. They are the ones that will generate prospects and leads and maintain good business relationships, so you should find the best one that you can trust and count on.
If you need help finding the best virtual account manager, Repstack has got you covered! We handpick and strategically place virtual marketing assistants, virtual sales reps, and virtual account managers for businesses that need them. We conduct live interviews on Zoom with a shortlist of candidates, and it’s up to you to pick the best one. Get in touch with us today to learn how we can help you!
