by Lorraine Stewart Lockhart
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Secret #10
Recognize, Manage and Welcome Change
Rapid change is the norm in business today. Now more than ever, it’s critical for clients and agencies to recognize these top change conditions and to proactively team together to address the issues and adjust the relationship as necessary.
Leaders within both the agency and client world can proactively manage process to facilitate a positive outcome during times of rapid or destabilizing change.
Rojek ranks top five conditions of changes affecting agency-client relationships:
- Organizational change
- Budget changes
- Merger & acquisition activity
- Competitive activity
- Change in a client’s value system
Secret #9
Build a Resource Network Together
To be successful, clients often rely on multiple vendor partners (a resource of agencies, printers, fulfillment companies, database companies, etc.) At RCG we have found that these resource networks work most effectively when the lead agency and client work together to provide leadership and strategic direction to the network.
The lead agency identifies a brand positioning umbrella that overlays the entire agency resource network. The client clearly sets the expectation that the work done by every resource partner needs to align within and reinforce the direction established by the lead agency. With processes and reporting standards in place each agency can focus on their task more effectively…ultimately providing more ‘on brand’ work, greater integration, and efficient tactical execution.
Secret #8
Pay Attention to Process
Poor communication most often results from a “lack of defined process.” RCG works with clients and agencies to literally custom design their work processes to meet the needs of the clients. At a minimum, agency account people should feel empowered to step off the “well worn track” and innovate ways to solve problems. They deliver the agency to the client.
Clients need to practice basic fundamentals like providing clear, concise and complete direction up front on assignments, defining the objective and expected results for each project and allowing reasonable time for completion. These basics are often compromised in urgent reactionary organizations.
Secret # 7
Involve the Customer
One often overlooked lens for developing the brand work is the customers' perspective. Customers have more choices and opportunities to engage or disengage from a relationship or traditional advertising with a simple point-and-click. Now more than ever clients and agencies have the ability to stimulate a relationship with the customer and to track that relationship via experiences. By understanding the customer, we can provide better ‘widgets,’ be more persuasive, more effective, and more meaningful.
Clients look to agencies to provide this external perspective to the work they create together.
Secret #6
Dollars Count
Client-agency relationships that succeed year after year know that everyone involved wants to make a fair profit and get paid on time. Don’t let fear of discussing financial issues cause a relationship failure for you.
- Review your agreement and compensation plan to understand key issues.
- Conduct regular reviews of dollar expenditures and hours incurred.
- Clients - include agencies in the annual budgeting and planning process.
- Agencies—be responsible stewards of your client funds.
- Address surprises immediately.
Secret #5
Create a Roadmap to Success
Failing to plan means failure. Client agency relationships are much stronger when there is a planning discipline in place for four reasons:
- Agencies don’t like clients constantly peeking over their shoulders. With a plan in place clients don’t have to peek.
- There’s little room for miscommunication. Execute great work against the plan; stay on schedule, and save money by taking advantage of completing work early.
- Clients and agencies that plan together have a better shot at creating sustainable campaigns that build brand value.
- Smart clients establish direction early, complete the plan, and then use the work to create internal momentum.
Secret #4
Measure Your Performance
Measuring customer satisfaction is another building block in the foundation of growing a successful relationship. Agencies ask our clients RCG’s three “million dollar questions”:
- How can we make your experience with our agency more positive?
- Do you anticipate any upcoming changes that we can help you with?
- How else may we serve you?
Clients - provide a system of performance measurement. At RCG, we recommend our best practice review. We help companies create methods to evaluate the impact of the agency work on key performance indicators.
Secret #3
Encourage a Creative Atmosphere – Treat Each Other Well
When asked about the agency reviews and searches we conduct for our clients, people frequently say, “that must be really interesting.” And it is. But the unfortunate part is that we don’t see the same “new business excitement” within most existing client-agency relationships that we see at the start.
Agencies, stay excited about your clients the same way you do for new business. Use the same methods of presentation and staging that you might for a new business prospect.
Clients, encourage a creative atmosphere, keep criticisms kind and structured, and approvals streamlined. Allow your agency to enjoy freedom within a simple strategic framework.
Secret #2
Acknowledge Corporate Culture
Understanding your corporate culture is relevant to not only smart hiring decisions, but to the selection of key vendors and partners. While it’s not necessary to have the same culture, the compatibility of the value systems directly impacts the success and longevity of the client-agency relationship.
For example, the degree to which both groups can define the following attributes paints a picture of the reality of working together over time:
- Acceptable levels of risk
- Responsiveness
- Willingness to share information freely
- Results-driven
Secret #1
Have Fun, Build Personal Relationships – It’s A Business About People
Sharing reflective times and celebrating successes with others allows employees, customers and vendors to explore the personal meaning of their work and make emotional connections.
Here are some useful examples of appropriate client-agency connections that can help generate creativity and new ideas;
- Understand the personal family make-up and interests of the key people that you interface with at a client or agency
- Make time to formally acknowledge and thank good work, good insight, long hours, internal progress, and approvals
- Work together in community or volunteer causes
- Help each other network toward new resource or revenue relationship
