When it comes to managing a team or project at the workplace, the roles of an Account Manager and a Project Manager, while similar, are quite distinct. It is important to know the difference between the two roles and the responsibilities each holds so you can determine which is best suited for your organization’s needs. An Account Manager is responsible for managing relationships between the company and its clients, ensuring client satisfaction and retention. A Project Manager is responsible for managing individual projects, leading the team, and making sure the project is completed on time and within the budget.
In this blog post, we will explore the differences between Account Managers and Project Managers in more detail. We will look at their different roles and responsibilities, how they are similar and different, and how they can work together to ensure success. We will also explore how to decide which role is best for your business, and how to make sure you are getting the most out of your team. After reading this post,
What is a project manager?
A project manager oversees a group of employees or several teams led by team leads and is an expert in their field. An account manager strategy can be used by the project manager to create a project plan that details the project’s goals, the resources required to achieve them, each step that must be taken to accomplish them, and the target completion date. When the project is finished, these experts can assign tasks to their staff and monitor progress. Following that, they complete the project with the account manager’s assistance.
What is an account manager?
A professional sales and customer service manager known as an account manager develops and upholds relationships with a company’s clients. They collaborate with customers to ascertain their needs for goods and services before coming up with plans to meet those needs. Most account managers have a basic understanding of how their employer’s business functions at different levels and across departments in order to develop effective strategies. Once they have this information, account managers can use it to choose which departments and managers to meet with and include in their strategy.
Key differences between account manager vs. project manager
Examine the following distinctions between account managers and project managers to help you comprehend these roles:
Department
The roles of account and project managers may overlap in some smaller businesses, but many larger businesses separate these roles and place them in separate departments. Many account managers are employed by client services or business development departments. To ensure they’re meeting both the needs of clients and the objectives of their organization, they might collaborate with other account managers and executives.
A project manager typically works in a department where they can use their knowledge to complete projects. This department could be any one that produces goods or services. For instance, a project manager may work in the marketing department to guide their team in developing an advertising campaign or the IT department to develop software programs for clients. A project manager may also collaborate with team leads, department managers, and team members.
Purpose
Within a company, each type of manager serves a slightly different function. Account managers prioritize clients, whereas project managers prioritize internal operations. An account manager may regularly communicate with clients and conduct market research to ascertain the best ways for their business to satisfy clients’ needs and outperform the competition. By doing this, they grow the company they work for and draw in more interested and devoted customers.
Utilizing internal resources and teams to produce projects and plans that satisfy clients is the main goal of project managers’ jobs. They frequently only assist their teams in producing successful products and services while working exclusively for their business. Project managers may focus more on the success of specific projects while also taking into account long-term business development objectives, even though their efforts benefit their employers’ businesses.
Duties
Account managers and project managers perform a variety of tasks each day because they serve different roles in distinct departments. An account manager’s duties include preserving client satisfaction and encouraging contract acceptance or renewal. Some duties of an account manager include:
Tasks that are more particular to their projects and departments are carried out by project managers. While a project manager’s specific duties may vary depending on their industry and the types of teams they work with, the following are some typical responsibilities in this position:
Client interaction
Account managers typically interact with clients a lot more than project managers do. An account manager may meet with clients in person to talk about their preferences for a project and the goals they want to accomplish. These experts communicate with clients frequently to make sure the business is meeting deadlines and to solicit feedback on completed and ongoing projects. Since the account manager typically serves as a company’s primary point of contact with clients, they report client information and improvement plans to the rest of their organization.
Project managers interact with clients differently because they frequently receive guidance from account managers on how to develop a successful product or service. Despite the fact that they frequently have little contact with clients, they might occasionally speak with them to ask specific questions or get feedback on a project.
Project involvement
Project managers are typically more present at every stage of production than account managers, who are typically less involved in a project’s daily operations. Account managers set broad objectives for their clients’ overall success when they meet with clients, which may involve developing strategies for various departments to collaborate on an objective. For instance, an account manager might decide on the project’s specifications and communicate them to the project manager without taking part in the actual process of producing the good or service.
Project managers, however, are in charge of organizing, developing, and completing each project that an account manager assigns to them. They actively participate in the production process and routinely receive updates on the status and difficulties from their team. This means that while account managers are generally more knowledgeable about a project, project managers typically have a greater understanding of its value to clients.
Selling to clients
Account managers play a crucial role as a sales representative for their business when they seek out and connect with clients. Account managers frequently try to attract new clients to their business through interactions with outside clients and sources and increase the services they provide to current clients. An account manager’s job includes important responsibilities in customer service and sales because their knowledge in these fields can help them improve their organization by raising profit.
Project managers, however, typically focus on developing and delivering a successful product internally rather than selling to clients. Product managers don’t need to practice sales in their role because they rarely interact with outside sources and follow account managers’ instructions regarding product specifications. Instead, their most crucial duties are frequently managing their team and planning.
Breadth of goals
Account managers and project managers typically develop various short-term and long-term goals within that larger objective, even though both types of managers ultimately want to perform work that improves their company. After discussing a client’s needs, an account manager might develop a strategy or a broad objective based on the good or service the client wants. Finance, marketing, and the team that develops the product or service are typically included in their goals and strategies, as are any other departments or teams that may work on a project or with a client.
The objectives of a project manager are frequently more specific and take into account the particular components of a good or service. These managers may include objectives for meeting deadlines, sticking to budgets, finishing particular features, and making the most of limited resources in the project plan. To accomplish this, they take the account manager’s broad objectives and break them down into actionable steps that their team can take.
Skills
Account managers and project managers may require various skill sets in order to be successful in these positions. Although they may share some skills, they frequently apply these skills in unique ways to carry out their work well. An account manager needs a variety of skills to build and maintain successful client relationships, including the following:
The following abilities may be useful for project managers to have in order to lead their teams and finish worthwhile projects:
The Thin Red Line Between Project Managers & Account Managers
FAQ
What is higher than project manager?
The highest-ranking employee in a company’s project management department is frequently the director of program management. The company’s long-term planning, as well as all of the projects that are carried out by the company, is supervised by the director of program management.
What is a better title than a project manager?
Entry-level position serving as support for a single project as a project administrator Project Support Officer: Assists with administrative and more managerial duties for the project manager. Project Planner: Supports a project or multiple projects.
Is project manager higher than Program Manager?
Due to their ability to oversee multiple projects, program managers typically have more managerial responsibilities than project managers. Program managers may as a result be given more duties and paid more money.
What is the difference between an account manager and a program manager?
Due to their ability to oversee multiple projects, program managers typically have more managerial responsibilities than project managers. Program managers may as a result be given more duties and paid more money.
