An Account Manager’s role

By Hannah Pearson and Sarah Howarth

At Language Services Direct, we understand that our partners in Learning and Development are very busy people. Therefore, our Account Managers’ primary goal is to ensure the smooth running of our clients’ language-training programmes and reduce the administrative burden on L&D departments associated with setting up, running and monitoring training.

Each client works with a dedicated Account Manager who takes care of all their language training requirements. Very large clients generally work with a team of dedicated managers. So, as an L&D professional, what support and services can you expect from your Account Manager?

Swift and efficient course set-up

Once a learner is referred for training, you can be certain that training will commence promptly. The learner will be contacted swiftly, generally within 24 hours, to discuss requirements and arrange an assessment, which will normally take place within 5 working days. A bespoke learning plan, trainer and lesson schedule will be agreed with the learner directly and lessons will normally start within 10 working days.

Thorough diagnostics

We believe, it is very important to explore our learners’ requirements in detail before training starts. This is generally achieved through a detailed pre-course questionnaire completed by the learner and fleshed out during a telephone call (referred to as needs analysis) with the Account Manager followed by a face-to-face assessment of the learner’s level and skills with a trainer. The results of the needs analysis and assessment will be fed into the design of a bespoke learning plan for each course. All of this will be arranged by the Account Manager with reporting to Learning and Development.

Sourcing and induction of qualified and experienced trainers

Whatever language or course format is required, you can be sure that we will be able to match the learner with an appropriate trainer. We have a very large database of well-qualified and experienced, native-speaking trainers. We are also very skilled at recruiting trainers for specialist purposes such as French pronunciation or presenting in Arabic, etc. Our Account Managers also support our trainers to continuously improve their practice through lesson observations, teacher-training and regular newsletters with teaching tips and information on new teaching methodologies and materials.

Central point of contact for learners, line managers and L&D specialists, taking care of all aspects of course maintenance

This may include ordering materials, arranging cover trainers when needed, and scheduling and rescheduling lessons.

Arranging resources for learners

Our account managers liaise with our trainers to identify appropriate materials for each course – and arrange for these to be promptly delivered to learners. They also set up accounts for learners on Virtual Learning Environments, which provide access to a range of multi-media resources to support face-to-face learning.

Detailed progress reporting

Towards the end of each module of training (normally 30 or 40 hours), the Account Manager will liaise with the trainer to provide in-depth progress reporting for each learner. This includes information on the content of the module, improvements made, areas for further development and suggestions for skills maintenance/ongoing improvement. It reflects on objectives set at the outset of training, providing an update re: achievements.

Detailed record keeping for all courses and tailored reporting on attendance, activity and spend

Our bespoke database allows us to flexibly respond to all your reporting requirements. For example, we can report training activity/spend by cost centre, department, learner location, language, or any metric you require. Most clients require a monthly report and request ad hoc additional reports as needed.

Thorough evaluation of learner satisfaction with prompt and effective issue resolution as needed

From the outset of training, we remain in close contact with our learners to check that lessons are progressing well and expectations met. Feedback may be gathered via email or phone, using in-depth evaluation questionnaires or during a face-to-face meeting between the learner and Account Manager. Feedback is discussed to the client along with our responses.

Requirements of the role

The Account Manager role demands good communication (both oral and written); attention to detail; an ability to multi-task and work under pressure to deadlines in a reactive environment; organisational and time-management skills; and deep insight into both language learning and language teaching. We are delighted to regularly receive excellent feedback from our partners in L&D along with learners and trainers, which is very rewarding.