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I found out from a previous co-worker that his company is hiring a "Strategic Account Manager".

If I interpret this to mean:

one who manages accounts which are strategic

then which word can I use in place of strategic to describe:

one who manages the remaining accounts which are not strategic

Edit:

I'm seeking a word that conveys opposite of strategic; as quick is to slow, ___ is to strategic (if such a word even exists).

The above anecdote about an what this imaginary job title would be is just the origin of the question, to provide context.

I don't know or care much about account managers, although the idea of someone whose role is explicitly to manage things of no strategic value was funny enough for me to wonder how to elegantly word it.

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    You need to show that 'Strategic' (note the capital) is being used to modify 'Account' and not 'Account Manager' here. This is business jargon rather than general English. // Doubtless 'general' would fit if your assumption is correct.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Oct 13, 2015 at 23:10
  • You might ascend into wholesale satire. One list of account types managed by an existing executive includes the following: "global and strategic accounts, national merchants and enterprise clients, financial institutions, small business clients, bank partners and agents and ISO clients". These are, however, the stinking tip of the submerged dungheap. Corporations with similar business scopes will have some account types in common (e.g., strategic, global), but may well have different account types peculiar to their unique scope or specialities (e.g., agricultural).
    – JEL
    Oct 14, 2015 at 4:28

3 Answers 3

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"Non-strategic" is broadly used to mean the reverse of strategic as defined in Wiktionary:

Not strategic; not related to strategy.

It is a waste of military resources to bomb nonstrategic targets.

Regular might be a good candidate, however, it doesn't have such a connotation of not strategically important. Strategic means in Merriam-Webster:

useful or important in achieving a plan or strategy

In that sense, I think ordinary works better than regular.

Having no special characteristics or function

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The usual antipode to strategic is tactical

A strategy is a larger, overall plan that can comprise several tactics, which are smaller, focused, less impactful plans that are part of the overall plan. While the original usage of the terms strategy and tactic was in a military context, they are now used in a wide variety of everyday settings, including business.

diffen.com

In simple language, strategy is big picture/long-term, while tactics are focused/short-term.

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    However this doesn't work in context. I don't think there are tactical accounts -- at least I couldn't find such a thing when I searched. I believe Centaurus has the right answer, i.e. Regular.
    – chasly - supports Monica
    Oct 13, 2015 at 23:58
  • @chaslyfromUK Tactical accounts are those that have short term value, but will not serve a grand marketing plan. One-offs for example. Cash now, but no big accounts.
    – bib
    Oct 14, 2015 at 0:13
  • When I do a comparative ngram ---> books.google.com/ngrams/… ---> I don't see much mention of the phenomenon. Even the hits for "tactical account" that exist seem to throw up a different meaning -- or the words are separated by punctuation.
    – chasly - supports Monica
    Oct 14, 2015 at 0:20
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The accounts are strategic, not the account manager.

  • The Strategic Account Manager maintains and expands relationships with strategically important large customers. Assigned to three to five named customers, the Strategic Account Manager is responsible for achieving sales quota and assigned strategic account objectives. The Strategic Account Manager represents the entire range of company products and services to assigned customers, while leading the customer account planning cycle and ensuring assigned customers’ needs and expectations are met by the company. The Strategic Account Manager reports to the Vice President of Strategic Accounts.

That said, to answer your question, I would call accounts that are not strategic, "regular accounts" or "regular savings accounts" and the professional "Regular Account Manager".

  • Addendum (credit to chasly from UK): according to the blog InsideView,

    There are two types of accounts, regular and strategic. Both are important and need to be given the time and resources to be successful but strategic accounts has a larger impact on the company and will get some extra attention. The important thing to remember and be disciplined about is that NOT every account is a strategic account. The most important consideration for what makes a strategic account is whether the account you are working with desires a lasting win-win relationship with your company.

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  • @chaslyfromUK No, I'm not an expert on the subject. But I have had bank accounts longer than I can remember. I can look for other sources if you ask me to, though.
    – Centaurus
    Oct 13, 2015 at 23:52
  • Actually I have come round to your view because I found this, "There are two types of accounts, regular and strategic." blog.insideview.com/2012/01/30/…
    – chasly - supports Monica
    Oct 13, 2015 at 23:52

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