To work as a technical account manager, you’ll typically need a bachelor’s degree in computer science. Those interested in this position should have three to five years of customer account management, product management, and technical knowledge of software and computer systems under their belts. Anyone wishing to work as a technical account manager should have experience developing software and technical languages.
A post-secondary education is recommended for aspiring technical account managers. When it comes to becoming a technical account manager, the majority of successful candidates have a degree in computer science or a closely related field. It is a good idea to gain paid or unpaid experience in software development, technical support, and customer service while pursuing a degree. Internships, work study programs, volunteer work, and part-time jobs can all help you gain experience.
To advance to the position of technical account manager, one must first work their way up from a lower level position. Customer service and troubleshooting skills can be developed through jobs that involve project management of customer orders and service issues. Gaining some sort of sales and presentation experience is just as important.
Anyone aspiring to be a technical account manager must have excellent presentation skills. Preparing reports and formal presentations for customers about order history, billing, and potential product offerings is a common part of this job. An account manager interacts with his customers frequently and is responsible for all verbal and written communication that keeps them informed of changes and important service milestones.
Technical account managers are frequently in charge of ensuring customer satisfaction. Knowing how to sell and promote the company’s products and services is a part of that responsibility. Those who want to work as a technical account manager must be skilled communicators who can persuade others. They must be able to demonstrate specific technical knowledge and translate it into plain English for customers of all backgrounds.
Account managers who are successful have firsthand experience with the products and services they represent. They must be able to intelligently respond to customer questions and inquiries. Account managers may be required to proactively escalate a variety of issues as part of their project management responsibilities. This necessitates the ability to determine which situations should be escalated.
Technical account managers must frequently advocate for customers during the escalation process. They must be able to communicate the importance of resolving the issue to other internal departments and follow up on it on a regular basis until it is resolved. Because the account manager will often need to explain the issue in detail, outline what steps have already been taken, and communicate the resolution’s progress back to the customer, technical knowledge comes into play with escalation.