5 Account Manager Interview Questions and the Best Answers

Do you know the answers to these Account Manager Interview questions? You’ve put in the work, and you’ve landed an interview for your dream job. But do you have everything you need? If your answer is no” — or even well, that depends” — then we’ve got good news. You’re about to get a crash course in making a lasting impression.

An Account Manager works with clients to determine how they can help meet their needs. They are experts at building and maintaining post-sale relationships with customers. In this role, you’ll spend most of your time touching base with clients and uncovering new needs to address. You'll be solving problems, thinking creatively, and suggesting new offers.

A company will tailor Account Manager interview questions to uncover those skills in a potential hire. So how can you present your best self on this critical moment on the journey toward Career Success?

What does it take to be a successful Account Manager?

Many Account Managers come from a front-line sales background. With so much focus on interpersonal relationships, it’s no surprise. It’s also a role that requires financial and business acumen. It's a great fit if your resume includes sales, business, admin, or marketing experience.

Each company will have a different focus, but most will want to see that you’ve got a mix of soft and hard skills.

• Communication. You know when to reach out, what questions to ask, and how to listen to client needs. Do you respond with empathy?
• Collaboration. You work across teams to handle customer issues. You make sure concerns make it to the right ears.
• Time management. Chances are, you’ll have several customers in your portfolio at any given time. Managing different and competing priorities is part of your day-to-day.
• Data analysis. You’re forecasting sales, monitoring reports, and more every day.
• Adaptability. You need to be nimble and think on your feet. You'll need to tailor renewals, upsells, cross-sells, and objections to each client.

What makes a good answer?

You'll run into the standard issue screening questions (e.g.,Why do you want to work here?”). But prepare for your interviewer to probe into job-specific skills as well. That means doing your due diligence before you step foot in the interview room.

1. Research the company
2. Try out the company’s products and services
3. Check out the company’s culture via social media
4. Thoroughly review the job posting
5. Reflect on your experiences and values, and think about how they align with this role in this company

This will help you craft memorable and impactful answers. Remember, your interviewer has asked these Account Manager interview questions a thousand times. A good answer is honest, eager, and shows what you can offer them. Put YOUR best foot forward and no one else's.

1. You’ve just been assigned to a new customer account. How do you build your relationship with them?

First impressions matter… So do the second ones. Your interviewer wants to see that you can start strong and build trust. They want to keep customers coming back for the long haul.

When answering, choose an instance when you built a strong customer relationship. Walk through the specific steps you took to build that relationship in the early days. Mention the ongoing touch-points you implemented. Then you must focus on outcomes! Whether it’s positive feedback or an uptick in value from that customer, show proof that it went well.

Do...

• Show your work. Finding important customer information is crucial. Yes, even before you make that first call. Online research or looking through sales notes before first contact is important.
• Highlight your desire to learn. Curiosity about new customers is essential to this role. The more questions you ask a customer, the more information you glean. Not only that, it actually helps you form a stronger bond.
• Talk shop. Exchange strategies about how you find common ground with customers. How do you stay in touch on an ongoing basis? What are some tricks and tips you use to keep ahead of their changing needs over time?

Don't...

• Ignore your experience. Pick a time that you’ve gone above and beyond for a customer in the past. Have you ever tirelessly tracked down an answer to a difficult question? Or offered a personalized deal? Show yourself off!
• Focus on a single sale. Account Managers are all about keeping customers happy over the long run. The company wants to keep clients and increase their lifetime value.
• Ignore customer needs. Value goes both ways. Happy customers spend more. Especially when you listen and meet their needs at every step. Remember to mention that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all method to client retention.

2. Tell me about a time when you made a mistake that left a customer unhappy.

Hey, we’re all human here. No employer expects a 1.000 batting average. They want to see how you handle those slip-ups and learn from your mistakes. No one is perfect. And making mistakes is an inevitability. It’s how you handle them that shows your character.

Identify a time when you’ve made an error on a customer account. Walk through your role in the error and the way you alerted your customer and team. Be clear on how you communicated the error. Talk about the specific steps you took to make things right. Finish with the adjustments you made to ensure the same mistake didn’t happen again.

Don’t pick something that led to you losing a position. And don’t pick something that may still be fresh. If you have already processed a rejection or loss, then it’s a safe bet that you’re ready to speak about it. If mentioning it still brings up negative feelings, best to pick something that won’t set you off.

Do...

• Be empathetic. Show that you can see the mistake from your customer’s perspective. Acknowledge the problems you may have caused and make that inconvenience yours.
• Show perseverance. Resilience is key. How did you move past the mistake? Focus on how you found a solution, and how you avoided that same mistake in the future.
• Take accountability. Be honest. Take ownership for the error. Then show how this played out both to the customer and within your own team.

Don't...

• Feign ignorance. Speak with self-awareness. Reflect on the circumstances with understanding. What was lacking then? How did you become stronger because of it?
• Get angry or defensive. Those feelings are a red flag to interviewers. Don’t make excuses, or shift blame. Stay calm. Pinpoint your involvement and focus on the solutions you proposed and executed instead.
• Have no answer. If you haven’t gained much workplace experience, pull from your personal life or education instead.

3. What would you do if you were running behind your quarterly targets?

Account Managers are still salespeople. They still have targets to hit. They just look different from a standard quota. Your interviewer needs to know you understand and can stay on top of them.

Walk through some approaches you might use. What would you do if you were missing an upsell target? How does that differ from a renewal target? What about. a customer satisfaction target? Talk about how you’d stay on top of them on an ongoing basis. Outline the preventative measures you take to avoid running behind altogether. Mention a time you noticed lagging numbers and took successful action to stay on-target.

Do...

• Take initiative. Step up and take actionable measures like checking in on customers, offering additional services, or even seeking advice from others on the team.
• Know your numbers. Understand common KPIs by which Account Managers are measured. Particularly those that are in line.
• Know your process. Outline the tech tools you use to track your monthly, quarterly, and yearly progress. You might use your CRM software or a productivity app. Whatever works for you!

Don't...

• Come unprepared. Proactivity is key in measuring your own progress toward the company, team, and individual goals. Explain your strategy for regularly checking in and fixing issues before they escalate.
• Have any examples to speak share. If you don’t know how your performance was tracked in the past, your interviewer might assume you won’t know in this role either. Knowing your core metrics is huge.
• Make it up as you go. Show that you have a strategic plan in place, rather than relying on impromptu on-the-fly solutions.

4. How do you identify opportunities to upsell or cross-sell to your customers?

A strong salesperson doesn’t try to jam a square peg in a round hole. Your interviewer wants to see whether you base sales on customer needs.

Emphasize your process for evaluating client needs. Talk about the kinds of questions you might ask to surface them. Include an example where you reached out to a customer and found an opportunity. Talk through how you convinced them to upgrade or buy a new product. Discuss the outcomes. What value did the product add for your customer?

Since this is an Account Management role and not a natural sales role, so using references to how you built internal champions to help with this is huge.

Do...

• Have a customer-centric mindset. Ask questions and listen to their answers. Identify their unique challenges and needs. And find the right product fit for them.
• Understand the customer journey. From the first sale onward, you should have a thorough understanding of the sales cycle. Outline the best times to pitch an upgrade to a client package.
• Show engagement. Communication on a regular basis keeps existing customers engaged in your product. It helps you stay on top of needs that may change over time.

Don't...

• Pitch without a plan. A shotgun approach to upsells can jeopardize the trust you build with customers. A potential employer wants to see thoughtful growth.
• Forget your process. How do you document and track conversations you’ve had with customers? If you have experience with CRM systems, share that. Otherwise, show off your unique approach.
• Sell too soon. Customers need time to enjoy the value of a product or service before they jump on board for an upgrade. How did you build champions to help with new growth?

5. How do you share customer feedback with your internal team?

Account Managers are the voice of the customer within their company. Your interviewer wants to see whether you advocate for customer needs and work well with others to meet them.

Give an example of when a customer shared negative feedback. Walk through the steps you took to raise that comment with the appropriate people on your team. Describe how you kept teammates and your customer up to date throughout the process. Mention how you recognize positive feedback with your team as well.

Do...

• Collaborate. Collaboration between colleagues is a sign that you’re a team player! Working with people in other areas of the company to solve a problem also shows initiative.
• Use diplomacy. When mentioning difficult customers or internal teams, be kind and courteous. Imagine how you wish they would speak about you.
• Build relationships. Build ongoing trust and confidence with the customers you serve and the people on your team. You're all on one big team that will win or lose together after all.

Don't...

• Avoid your successes. Share your good outcomes too! Mention when sharing customer feedback has improved products or services. What part did you play in that success?
• Criticize or blame others. Speaking about customers or coworkers in a negative light only reflects YOUR character. When there’s negative feedback to share, show you take it seriously. Don't get defensive.
• Show reluctance to share. If you hold back from your team you may be preventing valuable product improvements. Opportunities for growth often come from negative feedback.

Answer Account Manager Interview Questions from Experience

Now that you know the key Account Manager interview questions, are you excited about making a career out of building strong relationships and taking a leap into an in-demand opportunity?

Knowing the answers to these Account Manager Interview Questions is just the beginning. How do you ensure success once you're in the role? Meet Uvaro's Account Management course!

In 4 weeks, you’ll work alongside industry pros to hone the skills that make a successful Account Manager with our Account Management Foundations course. Learn to build responsive, trusting relationships with happy customers. Instructors will give you the tools to grow revenue, and keep accounts. You'll finish feeling comfortable staying accountable to customers and your organization.

Explore your management style with us and enroll today! Or download our Career Success Catalog to check out our other offerings.