Page 13 of Executives' Omega
I shuffled from his office before the silence had a chance to turn uncomfortable again, and somehow managed to find my way back to the elevator without getting lost.
The executive floor was just as pristine and silent as it had been the day of my interview. Darlene sat at the reception desk, typing intently.
She looked up and smiled. “All done with Jeremy?”
I nodded. “Except for the employee handbook.”
She chuckled. “Great! I’ll schedule some time for you to go through it over the next few days.”
“Ok.”
She motioned. “Come on around. This will be your desk soon.”
I swallowed and walked around the desk. A second chair had been moved in and I took a seat.
She turned and faced me, then took a deep breath. “Ok… the most important thing first.”
I swallowed, ready to listen.
“No matter what a client demands, the best person for them is their account manager.”
I blinked. “Huh?”
She laughed. “Some of our long-term clients think that either Mr. McKinney or Mr. Wallace should still handle their accounts personally. But we've grown too big for that. We sell solutions to problems—specifically the problems of which hardware, software, and software-as-a-service options will work best to fill a particular company’s needs. Yes, Mr. Wallace and Mr. McKinney started the business and handled the earliest clients themselves, but there are far too many options on the market, and too many niches we handle nowadays.
“Account managers know far more about the day-to-day operations of a particular client than anybody on the executive team. They’re up-to-date on the research regarding new entries to the tech market and will be able to offer answers or propose solutions much faster than the guys up here can. So… no matter what a client says—unless it’s about a major contract renewal or negotiation—the best person for them is their account manager.”
“Is that really that big an issue?”
She nodded. “Some people have the mindset that the founder or CEO has to be the most knowledgeable, so they’re the best go-to for all the answers. But that’s an impossible task when dealing with technology. The field is too diverse. One client may need to upgrade to high-end accounting software, another might need assistance deciding between various CRM options, and a third could ask for help with hardware upgrades for an office. We have teams within the research department who try different things out and come up with recommendation guidelines. Account managers often settle into niches so they’re more familiar with what they’ll be recommending often. Heck, part of the client onboarding process is determining which managers will be best for their needs. It’s why we’ve grown so big so fast. We pair clients with people who… excuse me… know their shit. That’s how we deliver reliable results so quickly.”
“I think I get it.”
“Good.” She grinned, then glanced over at a small clock. “We’ve got a meeting with the guys at eleven, then the first of the bimonthly department head meetings this afternoon.”
“Are the meetings set days?” I asked, pulling out a small notebook and a pen.
She nodded. “First and third Mondays. They’re relatively short, but nobody liked a single—longer—monthly meeting when we tried changing things up last year.”
“Ok.”
She stood. “We have a few minutes. Let me call down so main reception knows calls will go to voicemail, then we’ll take the tour.”
I stood as she picked up the handset on her desk. She spoke into it, then hung up again. “Ok. That’s another thing to remember. Most of the time it won’t be an issue, but whenever you know you’ll be away from the desk for more than a few minutes, let reception in the lobby know.”
“Got it.”
We headed back to the elevator as Darlene explained the building layout. “As you already know, the top floor is the executive floor. Account management takes up floor six, and half of five. Research takes the rest of the fifth floor. Four is human resources, finance, and legal.”
We stepped into the elevator, and she continued. “Operations, administration, and IT are on three. Marketing and sales share the second floor, then the first floor is the lobby, some smaller client meeting rooms, customer service, and employee daycare.”
I scribbled in my notebook, trying to take notes as she spoke.
“It’s ok,” she chuckled, glancing at my notebook. “You’ll get used to where everything is eventually. Most of your work is on the executive floor. Because of that, people come to you, not the other way.”
“Uh…”
The elevator stopped on the sixth floor, and she led me out to one side where there was a quiet seating area. She put her hands on my shoulders and turned me to face her. “Based on your resume, you’ve worked more in general support. Reception or assistant for smaller companies, right?”
