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Raya is a consumer experience lead at VMLY&R Dubai, where she’s responsible for leading a team handling one of the agency’s largest account.

She has 10+ years of communication experience across various industries in the region, from banking, retail and real estate to FMCG, F&B and tobacco. She manages client relationships and the deployment of big strategic and creative campaigns by planning Agency resources and coordinating various Agency partners.

Professionally, she aspires to become a client engagement expert, consulting on business problems and providing opportunities for growth. On a personal level, she’s working to become an excellent cook, baker and smoothie maker!

The Bridge or The Maestro?

Account handlers are, at their core, the bridge connecting the agency with its clients. In more poetic terms, they are the maestro of a grand orchestra. They play a critical role, not only consulting clients and their businesses but also collaborating with strategists, creatives, production experts, third-party suppliers and many others. They possess the unique ability to listen, think, organise, and prioritise, and…. in short make things (or sometimes miracles) happen. 

Account Handlers make things happen but guess what? They’re also problem solvers who anticipate issues before they surface and who have answers ready for any question. They wear many hats, from CEO to CMO, CFO, and CSO of their accounts, striving to deliver exceptional work while ensuring profitability and efficiency. What's more, they manage to befriend everyone, becoming the ultimate ally both internally and externally.

The Art of Mastery: What It Takes to Get There

Becoming an indispensable account handler requires more than just a job title; it demands knowledge. Account handlers are tasked with ensuring everyone in the agency understands what needs to be done and by when. They utilise every means available, from briefs and emails to calls, meetings, and even the occasional WhatsApp message, to ensure clarity and guarantee that strategies, creatives, and production teams can deliver top-notch work on time, every time. 

To orchestrate this seamlessly, Account Handlers must be information virtuosos, knowing every detail about the client's brief, the underlying business problem, the competitive landscape, internal challenges, budgets, project timelines, and even personal client preferences…

In short, they must know it all.

Trust: The Foundation of Success

Trust is the linchpin of an account handler's effectiveness. Not only must their team trust them, but, above all, the client must place the utmost trust in their hands. 

Trust is the catalyst that ensures work gets done efficiently and effectively. Strategists rely on the clarity of briefs and information, creatives depend on expectation management and timelines, and management trusts that the job will be completed with success. 

Building trust begins with a solutions-provider mindset and creating an atmosphere in which everyone feels at ease. Sometimes (or many times), this may require a dash of bluff to demonstrate unequivocal control and confidence in the task at hand.

Planning for the Unplannable: The Solutionist Approach

In the dynamic world of advertising, last-minute changes, urgent requests, and project cancellations are par for the course. Account Handlers must be both flexible and solution-oriented. 

Instead of presenting problems, they are constantly expected to present solutions. They excel at damage assessment, quick decision-making, and mobilizing teams to tackle any unexpected request. 

In some cases, they even have to say 'no' to clients, all in pursuit of the best solution for everyone involved. Account Handlers understand that multiple solutions can exist for every problem, and they are adept at finding the most suitable one.

Patience: A Virtue for Success

The life of an account handler can be a rollercoaster ride with frustrated clients and, at times, equally exasperated internal teams. Managing the delicate balance between them can be a daunting task. Account Handlers often find themselves caught in the crossfire, but their patience becomes their greatest asset. In these instances, they must display unwavering patience, even under pressure.

Communicating positively, they must ensure that challenging situations lead to positive outcomes. Being perceived as an ally rather than an 'insane CS' is the ultimate goal… all day, every day (even if sometimes, this plan miserably fails). 

The Invaluable Art of Account Management

Becoming a top-tier account handler is no small feat. It requires a blend of time, patience, organisational skills, crisis management, personal development, listening acumen, people management, financial knowledge, strategic insight, and even, a creative eye. And the rewards are immeasurable. 

In the ever-evolving advertising industry, Account Handlers are the pillars of success that often remain hidden, but their contribution is profound and irreplaceable. They are the unsung heroes who make things run smoothly, whether their work is acknowledged or not. 

They are the indispensable bridge, the maestro of orchestration, and much more.