AI is Coming for Your Agency’s Account Managers — And That’s a Good Thing
Ever wonder why some account managers are thriving in today’s agency landscape while others are struggling to stay employed? Let me pull back the curtain on what’s really happening.
The truth is, we’re witnessing a seismic shift in how clients view the account management function. And it’s happening faster than most people realize.
The Brutal Reality Check
Here’s the thing about account management in 2025: the days of being a glorified task manager are over.
Completely over.
AI can now handle 90% of what account managers traditionally did. Those recap emails that used to take 20 minutes? ChatGPT or your AI notetaker du jour drafts them in 15 seconds flat.
But this isn’t about doom and gloom. It’s about opportunity.
The most successful agencies aren’t eliminating account managers, they’re transforming them into something much more valuable: Client Growth Partners.
Think about it: when machines handle the mundane, humans must elevate to the meaningful.
The Evolution: From Order-Taker to Growth Driver
Let’s be honest about where we’ve been and where we need to go:
The Old World:
- Traffic cop managing timelines
- Reactive problem-solver
- Data wrangler/compiler sending reports
- No direct revenue accountability
The New World:
- Strategic growth consultant
- Proactive opportunity identifier
- Data storyteller driving action
- Owner of upsell/cross-sell targets
Remember: The value is moving upstream. Everything else is being automated or commoditized.
I’ve watched agencies where account managers refuse to evolve, clinging to the old ways of doing things. In the work I do with EatYourAgency, one of the most significant asks from agency CEO’s is to help automate functions that account management spends 20+ hours a week on.
Good people who can’t seem to shake the scarlet letter green “open to work” badge on LinkedIn.
Those teams are watching their margins evaporate while wondering why clients no longer see their value.
Contrast that with forward-thinking agencies where account managers have embraced the shift. They’re winning bigger budgets and deeper client partnerships because they’ve positioned themselves as strategic growth drivers, not just project managers.
The Essential Skills Every Account Manager Needs Now
The account managers who will thrive in this new era have mastered four critical capabilities:
• AI Fluency: Not just using AI, but tapping it like a superpower, prompting their way to success, rapid content iteration, and handling rote tasks that would have taken days now happens in minutes
• Consultative Selling: The ability to probe for pain points, map solutions, and confidently close next steps on growth opportunities
• Data Storytelling: Transforming dashboards and analytics into compelling narratives that unlock budget and drive action for the agencies they represent
• Executive Presence: Concise, confident, POV-driven communication that resonates with client leadership
These skills aren’t just nice-to-haves anymore. They’re your life vest to keep you afloat (employed).
In a world where every agency is forced to search for more EBITDA as your clients are squeezing you for every ounce of value you’ve got.
The Irreplaceable Human Element
Here’s what AI will never be able to replicate: the magical 20% that makes great account managers truly exceptional:
• Intuitive Client Understanding: The almost telepathic ability to anticipate what a client needs before they even know it themselves. When you’ve worked with someone long enough, you develop a sixth sense about their preferences, anxieties, and aspirations that no algorithm can match.
• Creative Tension Management: Navigating the delicate balance between client expectations and creative integrity requires emotional intelligence that AI simply doesn’t possess. Great account managers don’t just relay feedback; they translate it, contextualize it, and push back on it in ways that elevate the final product and business outcomes.
• Trust-Based Influence: The earned authority to guide clients through uncertainty or push them beyond their comfort zone. This comes from a history of delivered promises, shared challenges, and authentic human connection that AI can’t manufacture.
• Cross-Disciplinary Translation: The ability to speak the language of creatives, strategists, technologists, AND clients creating bridges of understanding that turn potential conflicts into productive collaboration.
• Courage in Crucial Conversations: Knowing when and how to have the difficult conversations that machines would avoid about unrealistic timelines, flawed creative directions, or necessary budget increases.
True innovation happens when account managers stop seeing AI as a threat and start seeing it as their greatest ally. I have coached teams to show them how AI can help folks at any level to punch above their weight, delivering wins and value that previously would have required a dozen years of experience.
The question isn’t whether AI will take your job.
The question is: Will you use AI to elevate your job and focus on the human magic that technology can never replace?
Your 90-Day Transformation Roadmap
I don’t believe in vague advice. Let me give you a concrete path forward, a 90-day roadmap that separates the legends from the forgotten:
Day 0–30: Master the Machine
• Week 1: Commit to daily hands-on practice with ChatGPT, Claude, or your agency’s preferred AI tools
• Week 2: Complete an AI bootcamp focused on prompt engineering
• Week 3: Start automating your most time-consuming tasks (meeting recaps, status reports, research briefs). Meeting recorders like Fathom can do the heavy lifting so you can listen to the clues that the transcript can’t see
• Week 4: Pass a prompt-accuracy test showing you can get consistent, quality results from AI. AI nerds call these “Evals”
Key Milestone: Reduce time spent on routine tasks by 30%, freeing up 5–10 hours weekly to focus on strategic work — proactive pitching, team and relationship building
Two of my favorite guides for AI newbies:
- OpenAI’s guide to prompting — https://cookbook.openai.com/examples/gpt4-1_prompting_guide
- Anthropic guide to prompt engineering — https://www.anthropic.com/news/prompt-engineering-for-business-performance
Day 31–60: Become the Growth Catalyst
• Week 5: For each client, identify three growth opportunities using AI-powered competitive analysis
• Week 6: Develop one compelling upsell pitch per client, backed by data visualization AI has helped you create
• Week 7: Practice consultative selling techniques for presenting these opportunities
• Week 8: Present your first growth idea to clients, demonstrating the strategic value you’re now bringing
Key Milestone: Present one upsell idea per client and achieve at least a 30% positive response rate
Day 61–90: Reimagine Client Partnerships
• Week 9: Create AI-supported client dashboards that track not just deliverables but business outcomes
• Week 10: Implement a proactive insight program where you’re delivering unexpected value weekly
• Week 11: Develop a “white-glove service model” that elevates your most strategic clients
• Week 12: Build your growth narrative, document your journey, and quantify your new value to your boss
Key Milestone: Hit two critical targets:
- Generate qualified upsell opportunities worth at least 20% of your current account value
- Reduce manual reporting time by 50% through AI automation
This isn’t just about keeping your job. It’s about reinventing it into something more strategic, more fulfilling, and ultimately more valuable to both you and your clients. The real goal? Becoming the strategic partner your clients can’t imagine working without.
The Level-Up or Level-Out Reality
Let me be crystal clear: this transformation isn’t optional.
Those who level up will earn bigger accounts, higher compensation, and a clear upward career path. Those who don’t will find themselves increasingly marginalized as AI handles more of the routine work. Don’t take my word for it: read papers such as GPTS are GPTS that dive into how the labor force is being disrupted with AI.
The agencies I advise are making this explicit with their teams. They’re implementing “Level-Up or Level-Out” policies that reward those who embrace this evolution and help others transition to roles that might be a better fit.
It sounds harsh, but it’s actually compassionate. Better to face this reality now and adapt than to wake up in six months wondering why you’ve become irrelevant.
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