Just what does the national account manager do? In larger companies, there may be both a regional and national account manager, but in smaller companies, you are likely to find only a national account manager. This position may report to the sales manager, sales director, or may report directly due another executive officer of the company. In this role, you will be the primary liaison between your accounts and the sales department of the company. It is your responsibility to assure that the customers are taken care of in a professional way and that all of their needs are being met.

In some companies, the national account manager will also be the liaison between the customer and the accounting department. Thus, when there are account disputes, you may be called up to intercede between the customer and the Accounting or Accounts Receivable/Billing Departments in order to resolve issues of a monetary nature. This may include billing disputes, or it may be for non-receipt of merchandise, inferior merchandise, or in the case of a service organisation, the service performed may have failed to meet the needs of the customer.

The national account manager will also keep in touch with his assigned customers to assure that their needs are meeting met and to see if there are any areas in which the company can be more helpful. If the customer has a contracted rate that he pays for his products, the renegotiation of his prices are the job of the national account manager who may even visit the customer at his location to better assess his needs. In some companies, both the regional and national account managers will visit a new customer either before or shortly after they place their first order to assess their needs and to offer them advice on other products that may be of use or to reassure the customer that if any problems develop, there is someone to assist with a resolution. The national sales manager will usually stay in touch with a new customer on a routine basis until he is certain the customer is being serviced properly, and afterwards, on a regular, but less frequent basis, in case he has any problems or additional needs.