What was your background prior to becoming a Renewals Account Manager?

In my early career I started off working in apartment leasing specifically doing property leases up. My job was to provide positive customer service experiences, drive customer renewals, as well as drive retention once the property was full. Later on I discovered along with my passion for real estate I found that I also loved technology and pivoted to Account Management where I began to expand my knowledge of how systems connected as well as how to explain that to customers. I kept going back and forth, because I loved parts from each role, but could never fall in love with the entirety of either job. 

How did you find your role as a Renewals Account Manager?

I was in search for a job that combined all the best things that I loved from my previous positions, but just felt at a loss for honestly what that was. My husband started working for the company I now work for and he encouraged me to not give up. So I started doing research of other non-coding/non-direct sales roles and kept landing on customer success as well as renewals. Once I landed on that I started networking to learn everything I could about those career paths and that ultimately helped me land the role I have now. 

What is the skill you use the most as a Renewals Account Manager?

I would say it’s a tie between obsessive communication and being detail oriented. Being obsessive with your communication not only applies to when you’re talking to customers, but also the internal co-workers I work with on a daily basis such as Sales, Legal, Finance, etc. Keeping everyone on the same page at all points of the renewal process is key to a smooth process and a good experience for the customer. Also, since I tend to wear a lot of hats and work lots of renewals all at once it has been key to have things such as a follow up cadence, and be able to really read between the lines in what a customer is saying in order to ensure renewals are closed on time and I can communicate to Sales or Customer Success any roadblocks I potentially see in the process so they can assist.

What is an example of a day in the life of a Renewals Account Manager? 

No two days are the same for me, however I do try to keep a similar structure to what I spend certain blocks of my day doing. In the morning I like to start off my day auditing accounts that I will be sending renewals to, basically that means I just make sure all their connector totals and the amount they are paying match what their renewal states it should be. I find this is best for me to do in the morning, because my mind is sharp. The rest of my day I spend doing follow ups, speaking to internal team members about ways to mitigate churn risk, handle negotiations surrounding pricing increases and honestly doing whatever comes into my inbox. Each renewal presents totally different challenges which is exciting as you will always see new things which will allow you to collaborate and grow your knowledge every day. 

What are morning or evening routines that support you in your role?

Before I start auditing accounts in the morning I like to start off my day by writing down all the follow ups that I need to do that day or things that I have to get done that day. One thing I have realized is there is no way I can get everything done in one day so prioritizing has been important for me. I have also found that making time for myself has been key to making me a better employee and team member. A few small things I do is use my walking pad during the day, step away from my desk at lunch to eat or walk my dog. Also, I love espresso so I have to make time for at least two homemade shaken iced vanilla lattes. Lastly, since I work from home I always try to have a stopping point every day so that I do not work way too late, because if I don’t have a turn off point I can work forever.