ROUNDTABLE


and then had a cocktail-making class where everyone made cocktails in their own home.


GIO: Have any working practices that developed as a result of this time proven to be beneficial in the longer term? How has your company managed this?


NT: The level of communication increased during the pandemic and we all got to know our clients and our colleagues much better than we did before. Everything went from being strictly business to a landscape in which we’re all a lot kinder and empathetic to each other. For me, the pandemic changed the way I hire new people, now some of the most important questions I ask them during the interview process is how are you as a person, and can you deal with working from home? I’ve become more of a compassionate person, and my job as head of account management is to serve my team, and that doesn’t just mean on a business level.


CP: We’ve actually become more efficient, and the expectation is such as well. So, what can be done in a 30-minute call does not need a two-hour lunch. It’s hard to deny that doing things remotely does mean that you can fit more client meetings in your day than if you were actually visiting offices, and some customers are quite happy to hang onto this change too. I think it’s the same with some of the shows - I feel that post-Covid, show attendances may be lower because people realise it’s possible to achieve a level of communication without being there in person. That said, I honestly think that the conversations you have in person do beat anything online, so personally - I’ll still be going to the shows.


AT: The global nature of our business has meant that we were working with partners remotely long before the pandemic, and so we were largely ready for this challenge. The main change that I have noticed is that people have become more comfortable jumping on a video call for discussions, whereas they may have largely avoided that level of remote interaction previously. Since Realistic was acquired during this period, we have been adapting our working practises to take advantage of the wider group’s resources and functions.


HF: The biggest change I’ve experienced has been moving to work from home full-time. For our team, this is the ideal working set-up. We have the flexibility to work when we need to support our operators, using previous commute times to be more productive and when we travel it’s to be with customers. From an account manager point of view, we saw a dramatic increase in productivity. At White Hat Studios, we make a concerted effort to meet up regularly to bring the team together for workshops and to just have some fun. This time also helped me to think seriously about what was useful for our


customers and what added value an account manager can bring to our operators. For example, the industry is well-known for its quarterly business reviews because this tends to be a more detailed and lengthy session. We worked hard to make these sessions as beneficial for both parties as possible. We created new reports, specific to the operator’s needs and changed the structure to be a sharing session. We presented key data and worked together to create an optimal strategy. This is something I will continue to do going forward with my new team.


GIO: Have your clients’ expectations changed as a result?


AT: Realistic Games has been a player in the interactive landscape for a long time, and so our clients probably have developed an expectation in their mind that has remained consistent through the pandemic. The sentiment we receive from our partners is one of good will, however the challenge for our commercial team now is to break that expectation as we go through this process of change and development around our games, product features and teams.


NT: The expectation to deliver was and is still there, however during the pandemic clients realised it wasn’t the be-all and end-all if something was delayed, usually due to circumstances outside of our control. I do think this attitude has remained, even though we’re back to business as usual. Another thing that’s changed in the last couple of years has been people’s working availability. Because we’re all working from home people often feel they needed to be visible all the time to prove that they’re working. I don’t agree with this practice at all. I’ve always made it very clear to my team that they should clock off as soon as their working hours end. Thankfully, our clients haven’t felt that account managers should be available all hours of the day just because they’re not in the office.


HF: Customer expectations have certainly increased, which has meant we’ve had to become more efficient and think outside the box. This is a welcome turn of events, as our job as account managers is to ensure our customers grow and, in turn, we grow with them. It has meant that our team has grown larger and we’re able to continue differentiating ourselves from the competition. This is all the more important as we continue to expand in the ever-evolving US market where our clients need us for support as they navigate the terrain, and we learn more about player and operator preferences in the process.


GIO: What do you now look for in a great account manager?


CP: What I look for in an account manager has not changed. For me, a great attitude is the most important factor. My team has account managers from various backgrounds, including non-gaming.


I think what makes a good account manager is an understanding of customer needs, the ability to adapt, the willingness to take on challenges, and being open to trying new things. Our role is so varied, we work with most teams in the business, from technical to sales to product to legal, so we need to understand customer needs while considering all internal points of view as well. All this while being the front line for the business. Not an easy job - hence hiring people with the right attitude. Of course, a good training programme is key, and I believe that’s something we have developed over the years at Push.


AT: Great account managers can vary as individuals have their own style and approach to customers, each with their own benefits. The common themes that I’d look for are for them to be willing to build a strategic approach, while maintaining enough flexibility to react to new information and to follow up on that. A will to understand each customer and their differing needs and ways of working is also important. Industry specific information can be learned over time, however an individual that fits the fun and inclusive culture of the team would be top of the list. We’re actively recruiting now so if you’re interested in hearing more or know somebody who might be then get in touch.


NT: I’ll always look for account managers that have good prior experience, as that counts for quite a lot, it also means that they don’t need to be trained from scratch. However, that’s not to say that experience is necessarily the most important factor when hiring a great account manager. What matters the most in my eyes is that they’re a genuinely good person, self-motivated and that they’re able to communicate well. It’s also important that all our new hires are comfortable working from home, as that’s just the way we do business now. One thing I always want to know about every potential new hire is what they consider to be most important when dealing with clients. Truthfully, there’s no right answer here, but if they allude to building and maintaining strong relationships then I know I’m onto a winner!


HF: We’ll always look out for someone with strong industry knowledge, but having someone who fits in with the team is more important because the peculiarities of the sector and our own processes can be taught.


Here at White Hat Studios, we pride ourselves on being a close team that always supports one another, and that’s something we’re passionate about continuing. It’s vital to have someone on board who can connect with the customers, but just as important that they fit in internally. Someone who is honest and credible is a must, but they also need to be commercially minded and proactive. We look for account managers who will treat their customer portfolio like their own business. When all is said and done, account management is about building strong relationships, so more than anything we look for people who can deliver that.


GIO OCTOBER 2022 9


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