Agency ADvisor

Maintain the Excitement Between the Client & Your Agency

May 25, 2016 / No Comments

I owned an Agency and ALL of the creative work that was delivered to the client was stellar. Actually, I would say it was incredible. Hey, I was no different from you. In retrospect, the reason that clients went to another agency and, some of them did, was not because the creative wasn’t “spot on”. Instead, it was because the relationship became comfortable. In fact, the relationship had become too comfortable.

Your relationship with your client may not be the only reason your extraordinary client keeps doing business with you, but it’s one of the best. It’s the relationship that keeps the client coming back to you.

The client/agency relationship develops in a similar way as spousal affairs – although the agency/client version is a polygamist one at best. First is the dating phase of the relationship. There is the tension between both the prospective client and the agency. The client, after being wooed and convinced to go on that first date, gives the agency a job. The agency is giddy with excitement and the new energy is stimulating. The client is anxious and eager to see what the agency provides.

The first job has been successfully completed and both parties in the relationship are satisfied. This cycle repeats several times and then the commitment is made. The agency is named Agency of Record and the two have promised their fidelity. Suddenly, the tension is gone. The fuel for the fire is gone. Finally, neither side of this relationship knows what they are talking about. Both sides are constantly nagging each other.

The last straw for the relationship is a job that gets delivered late or a client rejecting all concepts. The client has now been courted and wooed by another agency where the tension exists again. Both parties in the relationship have moved on.

We can learn how to improve and strengthen the client/agency relationship by reviewing suggestions marriage counselors make. The following are five relationship tips and how they can be applied to improve the rapport between the two.

Have a date night. Marriage counselors recommend first and foremost scheduling time together away from the kids and the stressors. I am not recommending you date your clients, but I do agree with the reason for date night. Instead of a date, schedule regular off-site meetings with your client. This will allow you to have open dialogue without interruptions. Often the interruptions will generate tensions and neither party leaves the discussion with a clear, calm understanding of the results.
Write a love letter – Just as you would do in a romantic relationship, it is healthy to reinforce your feelings for each other. Periodically let your client know that they are truly important to you and your agency. In today’s electronic world, a mailed note stands out and shows that you went the extra step to ensure that the client got the message.
Respect – Without respect, there is no relationship. To be treated like an equal and nothing less is one of the most important traits humans seek. If you give it, you will get it back in return. Enough said.
Open Communication –It is important that you both know how the other feels and what your needs are. Both sides should communicate what is going on in the relationship. During disagreements, avoid statements such as “You did…” or “You make me…” Instead, explain how you feel. For example, instead of “You make me feel…” state “When you do xyz, I feel…” Similar to spousal relationships, the best way to prevent these spats and potential breakups is to keep open and honest communication.
Last but not least – TRUST! Without trust, there is no relationship. If you follow the other five tips, trust will naturally occur. Trust doesn’t have to be broken by a real action. It can be slowly dissolved by inaccurate assumptions. When we don’t hear back from our client, we often presume that they don’t like the concepts or they don’t want to interact with us. Don’t assume the worst!Following these steps will take your relationship in the right direction. It will save you unnecessary arguments, hurt feelings and frustrations. Relationships are not the easiest accomplishment in the world, but they are not the hardest. Treat your client relationship like you would your marriage and you and your client will live happily ever after.

Anticipatory Service: An Easy Way to Retain Your Clients

April 5, 2016 / No Comments

Merely providing service is no longer sufficient. In today’s competitive environment, retaining clients require client leaders to start providing anticipatory services and showing they take a vested interest in their clients’ success.

Being proactive raises the perceived value of what you offer. Your clients feel you pay attention and focus on them and their needs. I once had a client tell me “If a client has to ask us for something – we have failed.”

There is a slight difference between being proactive and anticipatory. While there is a gray area between the two, anticipatory service is a step above proactive service. Being proactive is noticing something and responding to it-like refilling a glass of water that’s half full in a restaurant. Anticipatory service is about being one step ahead – the waiter notices you are drinking your water quickly and brings a pitcher to your table. It is intuitive. It is not just noticing something. It is anticipating something. For example, you call a client, and he responds by saying, “I was just getting ready to call you.” In other words, you were one step ahead.

Anticipating your client’s needs is like a game of chess. The best chess players don’t just think of the very next move they have to make. They visualize what the next four or five moves are going to be and anticipate how their opponent will react to each move. Similarly, you should always try to be at least one or two moves ahead of your clients, anticipating what they might want or need.

The cost of keeping your clients is significantly less than acquiring new accounts. Providing anticipatory service is a very effective and inexpensive way showing you are client-focused and strive to deliver an incredible client experience.

Great creative execution helps win the business. Exceptional Client Leadership keeps it.

What are ways that you have or could provide your clients with anticipatory services?

Why your Clients leave and how to keep them

March 30, 2016 / No Comments

Research has identified 3 reasons why your clients may leave you:

68% leave because they are unhappy with the service they receive.
14% are unhappy with the product or service.
9% decide to use a competitor.

A recent study conducted by Bain & Company (published in Harvard Business Review) revealed that acquiring a new customer costs six to seven times more than retaining an existing customer. And those businesses which boosted customer retention rates by as little as 5% saw increases in their profits ranging from 5% to 95%!

The research proves that keeping your existing clients will increase your profitability. But how can you ensure retaining your existing clients?

There are the typical ways to ‘try’ to keep your existing clients. You can “Google” the topic and find pretty apparent ways. The difference between Client Service and Client Leadership is that Client Leaders go beyond the common Client Service techniques.

If you want to be one of the few (yes space if very limited) to learn over 30 proven tactics that have been practiced in over 660 North American agencies, click here.

One way to build client loyalty is to be the expert. Not just the expert of advertising and marketing. Becoming a trusted advisor to the clients day-to-day business challenges. Become recognized as an integral part of your client’s business success.

Building trust has been proven to grow commitment. Studies show that one way to build trust with your client is to develop ‘shared values.’

But what are shared values?

Cultivating shared values means taking an interest in your clients and their business. The typical way of doing this is to do some research on their business, understand how you play a role in their day-to-day activities, and use that information to strengthen your relationship. Anyone can do this. But what Client Leaders do that the Account Managers do not?

Client leaders ask one simple question of their clients that Account Managers don’t.

At least once a quarter, a client leader asks their client “What differentiates you from your competitors?” With that knowledge, client leaders find ways they can assist them in strengthening that point of differentiation. Then, they follow up with their clients to let them know what opportunities they have identified. This extra effort shows that they have shared values and are genuinely interested in their business.

Merely providing service is no longer sufficient. In today’s competitive environment, retaining clients require client leaders to start building shared values with clients and showing they take a vested interest in them and their success.

This is the reason we have developed a 2 day workshop specifically designed for Advertising Account Executive/Managers. This workshop is jam packed with new ideas, secrets and proven tactics in Client Leadership successfully practiced in over 650 agencies. And, we are sharing it ALL with you in this 2-day workshop. Don’t miss it! Click Here for more information, a detailed agenda, and to reserve your space.

Connie Burtcheard – Your Workshop Leader

May 11th & 12th, 2016

Registration is Now Open

See the 2-Day Agenda

Early Bird Registration, before April 15th – $1,295 for both days!

Have additional attendees from your agency? Let us pay for their room!
Additional registrations from the same agency get $200 off – $1,095 for both days. (The savings pays for their room!)

After April 15th: $1,895 for both days.

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Defend your Creative Work without getting Defensive

February 24, 2016 / No Comments

How often do you present work to your clients – work that is entirely on target – work that you are incredibly proud of – only to be shut down by the client who “Hates It?”

Getting a client excited about an idea is a significant step in getting a concept accepted. But nearly all creative work will generate some observations or “opinions” from a client or prospect. How an account person handles that feedback goes a long way toward whether or not that concept will be accepted.

The chances are good that you have presented work you and your team are proud of, and then someone with none of your professional skill, knowledge, or expertise judges it in an instant – often based on vague or subjective criteria. They don’t know much about art, but they know what they don’t like.

It is only natural for criticism to sting. Agency staff can sound defensive or even argumentative when defending a concept which creates a divide between the agency and the client.

Account People are tasked with helping their clients articulate their response in an effective way they are able to move the project forward.

Client feedback can be very frustrating. However, it can be very helpful as they may present things that you haven’t considered. Work collaboratively and respectfully with them, and you may find that they become champions of great ideas. Often they just need more answers to be convinced.

Here are some tips on dealing with criticism of your Agency’s work. Continue reading 'Defend your Creative Work without getting Defensive'

Winning is Not a Matter of Holding Good Cards

February 2, 2016 / No Comments

“Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well.” – Jack London

Now is the best time to stop holding good cards by providing good client service. Instead, be prepared to play a poor hand well by providing exceptional client service. The way to keep clients coming back to you now, and stay with you into the future, is to exceed your client’s expectation in the experience they have when working with you.

Continue reading 'Winning is Not a Matter of Holding Good Cards'