Back in the day, everyone had an Amazon Account Manager to rely on. Unfortunately, most US sellers have had to make do without one for a few years, because Amazon.com doesn’t offer this type of service anymore. So, how is it that Amazon plans to fill the void?
Find out what Amazon has in store for its third-party sellers below.
What Is an Account Manager?
Those who’ve had the privilege of relying on Account Managers know that their input was invaluable. Their authority and reach within the company helped you iron out problems ranging from trivial listing issues to costly Amazon Payments integration problems.
The Account Manager was the one person at Amazon whom you directed all your performance-related issues to, and you did that knowing you’d minimize response time and downtime. You didn’t even need to call; your Account Manager would check in monthly to see how you’re getting on, and use that clout of theirs to give you tangible results.
Not to be confused with a Customer Service Associate, whose job is to help Amazon customers with their issues on a ‘one-off’ basis, an Account Manager was a designated representative. Also, unlike a Vendor Manager, who tends strictly to vendors’ sales, the Account Manager dealt with marketplace sellers.
The Future of Account Management
Ever since Amazon.com revamped its Strategic Account Management department some years ago, US sellers have been offered other types of consultants:
Performance Managers
They’re free, and they tend to get in touch just before the holiday season. Their main duties involve helping us reach our performance targets, and giving us a heads-up if there are any performance issues or concerns before taking any action.
Business Developers
Some sellers have been contacted by the Business Development Team with a proposition to expand to another marketplace. A promise of seamless transition and help using the Amazon Currency Converter Service is offered as an incentive.
Business Advisors
Sources from Amazon claim that a Beta program is in the pipeline. Exclusive Account Managers will be replaced by Business Advisors, so as to make expert advice more accessible to sellers. At this point, though, our sources say Amazon is only gathering feedback from them to try to figure out what the main areas of concern are.
Here’s what you should know about the new Business Advisor program:
- Expertise comes at a price of $2,500 per month.
- The service is offered on an invitation-only basis.
- Seller Support Associates (SSAs) work on a 9-to-5 schedule.
- Associates handle everything from listing to billing and beyond.
- Business Advisors (BAs) are charged with setting strategies in place to grow your business.
- BAs make sure you offer Amazon customers the best possible experience.
- Advisors follow through on these strategies.
- They keep in touch with you via both email and phone.
- You get access to Gold Box deals and others.
- You become eligible to be featured in Holiday Gift Guides.
Essentially, though, all you can do is wait for Amazon’s invitation to the program, unless you’re willing to pay the hefty $2,500 monthly fee. In the meantime, keep opening cases with Amazon for help.
Also, if you don’t enroll in the BA program, but have a BA standing by to help, don’t let them do all the work. Stay in touch, be reasonable with your requests, and cultivate a business relationship.
Hopefully, our readers who are interested in having designated Account Managers will have gained some insight into the topic, but we’re always standing by to help and provide further information at sales@SellerEngine.com.
Irina is part of the Business Development Team at SellerEngine Software. She’s an expert in bringing back to life Amazon Selling Accounts. Her motto is: everything will be alright in the end, and if it’s not alright, then it’s not the end.