Account management

You, yes you, dear Project Manager at Significa, we value more than just a Project or Product Manager. You are, in our belief, single-handedly the most significant contributor to our Customer Experience (CX), which leads to client happiness, more word-of-mouth referrals, returning customers, etc. etc., and more business. Happy clients, happy Significa.

You, beloved Project Manager at Significa, you are responsible for ensuring that projects are on track from a scope, timeline, budget, and expectations standpoint. You also know everything about communication and release trains, so let's just move on, shall we? This is already pretty well rooted in your day-to-day work and the Ethos of the Project Manager.

You, yes, you again, endeared Project Manager at Significa, you have (or should have) the closest relationship with our clients. And we don't mean purely professionally speaking: take ‘em out to dinner, beers, clubbing, golfing, whatever they fancy. Just bond. Creating it is very, very important. We don't mean this from a selfish, in “let's squeeze the last drop of juice off of them” kind of way, but rather because the closer the relationship is, the better the results are.

This brings you closer to account management. More than just a Project Manager. Kind of a blend between both.

Our friends at Ueno didn't have Project Managers or Account Managers as separate roles. Instead, they had something they called Producers. This Producer terminology carries a lot more load, it has a much more affectionate weight, less bureaucratic, and it represents exactly what we aim to achieve with our Product Team: you are responsible for ensuring the clients (and our team) have everything they need to keep going at a quick and efficient pace, more than just having the tasks created and the weekly syncs had. It means you are responsible for that account to an extent that transcends the traditional Project Manager role. You are responsible for our CX, with everything it entails.

At Ueno, they didn’t split roles into Project Managers or Account Managers. They knew how closely related these two can be at an agency like ours. Instead, they called them Producers.

The term “Producer” carries more weight. It feels more personal, more affectionate, less bureaucratic. That's exactly what we look for in the Product Team: to go beyond ensuring clients (and our team) have everything they need to keep moving at a quick and efficient pace, beyond having the tasks created and weekly syncs had.

It's about owning that account in a way that exceeds the traditional Project Manager's role. You're in charge of the whole experience and everything that comes with it.

This is to say – brace yourselves – that as a Producer, we trust you with the very sensitive financial side of things. We need you to ensure our clients pay their bills on time by keeping up with payment status and following up with them when the time is right.

But worry not, though. We’ve set up a process and a couple of guidelines to ensure you get there as frictionlessly as possible without (ever) compromising the “good cop” you are. Here it comes.

Get the Invoice Express link

At the start of the project, make sure you’ve got the link to the account’s Invoice Express page and know the due dates for their invoices.

Invoice Express's account page shows all the invoices and their payment status.

One week before the due date

We issue invoices on the first working day of each month, and most have a due date of 15 or 30 working days.

If the invoice hasn't been paid a week before its due date, you should lightheartedly remind the client about the payment situation. Maybe they have forgotten about it, or their financial department has been off to the races. Who knows?

Some clients may not appreciate a transparent exposure to this topic, so discretion is advised. Do it privately, rather than in a whole-team setting, but informally. A private message on Slack may suffice at this time.

At this stage, do not escalate to anybody else. Keep it between just you and the client(s) and ensure this is done in writing (at least) so it gets registered properly.

Here’s an example of a message you are free to use:

Lack of payment at the due date

If the lack of payment persists by the due date without a valid reason, let the client know – more formally – that the finance team is pushing you to pause the project immediately.

A Slack message is preferred. Alternatively, take the opportunity to do so during the weekly syncs: at the end, ask the client to stay a bit longer and address the situation.

If you decide to do so in a meeting, please ensure you send a follow-up message on Slack. We must keep it under record for future use in a litigation scenario.

Here’s an example of a message you are free to use:

A couple of essential things in this message that may sound weird at first:

1. Go for “No”-oriented questions. Chris Voss, an FBI hostage negotiator, champions "No-oriented" questions because they make people feel safer and more in control. Saying "No" feels like protecting one’s interests, while "Yes" can be a commitment or obligation. Unlike "Yes," which can be overused (think of telemarketers pushing for it), "No" lowers defences, requires no effort, and makes people more comfortable. It gives the other person a sense of control, making them more likely to engage productively.

2. Make it clear you've worked hard for it. Be vocal that you've put in a real effort on their behalf to extend the due date and prevent the project from stopping.

3. Make it personal. We know it's not easy to bring a project to a halt. You've worked hard and built a good relationship with the client, but ultimately, we can't work for free, however well you get on with them. Letting them know you feel bad about it will make them more likely to take immediate action.

4. Always blame the financial people. Remember, you are the “good cop”! Let them be the bad ones.

Always remember: This is not your fault. If the communication gets too sticky, pass it over to the financial team. Don’t over-extend.

If the lack of payment persists

A week later, if the invoice hasn't been cleared, we stop the project and let the client know (the same as before, in a more formal setting).

This time, it should be done in a call. It is far too important to be lightly delivered as a text. Still, please ensure this is documented in writing. After the call, send a follow-up email (yes, email) summarising the key points and decisions made during the conversation.

Please CC billing@significa.co

They may ask for extra time. If they do so, they have until the end of the day to settle the invoice and send the payment receipt.

Otherwise, we'll need to offload the team.

We trust you to take the best judgment call there if and when needed.

That’s it.