Best Parts of Being an Account Executive at National Beverage Company
Kathleen most enjoys the strong relationships cultivated with collaborative clients, stating that "the clients that I work with are really great," making even challenging aspects of the job worthwhile. A key element is "collaborative business planning," initially perceived as tedious but ultimately rewarding, leaving Kathleen feeling positive about the future and the partnership's potential.
Communication, Relationship Building, Collaborative Problem-Solving, Strategic Planning, Client Management
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Kathleen Walsh
Account Executive
National beverage company
Suffolk University, 2013
UCLA Anderson, MBA
Communications
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Food, Beverages & Alcohol
Sales and Client Management
Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Building relationships with clients and collaborating with them is a key aspect of the role and a source of enjoyment for Kathleen. She highlights the importance of finding collaborative clients who provide honest feedback and are open to new ideas.
2. Kathleen describes a "collaborative business planning" process where she works with key decision-makers to understand their goals and develop a strategic plan. This process, while initially perceived as tedious, is now a source of satisfaction for her, leading to productive outcomes and a sense of accomplishment.
3. The job involves overcoming obstacles and challenges, but Kathleen emphasizes that having collaborative clients makes the experience more rewarding. This highlights the importance of client relationships in navigating the complexities of the role and finding success.
Transcript
What do you enjoy most about being in your current role?
I really enjoy the relationships I've been able to cultivate with different customers. Not every customer is super collaborative, but for the most part, the clients I work with are really great.
They make the job itself, and all the obstacles that come up, really rewarding. It's great to have clients who are collaborative, who give honest feedback, and are willing to hear what we have to say and then build upon those ideas.
We do a great process called "Collaborating for Value" or "Collaborative Business Planning." It's a way to get into a room with all the key decision-makers and listen to their goals, initiatives, and what they're looking to achieve in the next one to three years. Then, we build out a plan and a strategy.
We revisit that plan once every six months. I can't believe I'm saying I like it, because when I first started, I thought it was a tedious process. But I love leaving those meetings because it feels like we have good things happening and a lot of great ideas.
I'd rather have too much work than be trying to pull teeth to get people to meet and constantly trying to get them to buy into our partnership and our ideas.