How to Maintain The Perfect Client-Agency Relationship
“You can’t make everyone happy, Carli”, one of the partners at my former advertising agency told me during one of our monthly 1-on-1 check-in meetings. I always use these meetings to highlight my team’s accomplishments and share my struggles—it’s basically my therapy.
“I know, I know,” I told him. But in my head, I thought, “Challenge accepted.”
I can’t help it; my Sparktype is a Nurturer, I love meeting new people and maintaining friendships. I often think back to my days as a Girl Scout when my troop would sing, “Make new friends and keep the old, one is silver and the other’s gold.” I still sing this to my nine-year-old son today.
I’ve taken this trait and used it to build and maintain strong relationships both within my organization and with clients.
For instance, I do everything in my power to give my creative team the information they need to develop great ideas that the client will love, while simultaneously working closely with the client to ensure we’re on the right track to meet their business goals. And, of course, I make sure I’m utilizing the agency’s resources efficiently. Sounds easy, right?
Here are a few things to consider when maintaining a solid client-agency relationship—and even internal relationships, for that matter:
Active Listening: What do they need? Ask questions, collaborate, and impress them with your honest feedback and curiosity.
Regular Updates: Don’t overwhelm them with emails, but communicate often. It builds trust and shows your dedication.
Tailor Your Communication: Project a professional and respectful tone, and tailor your communication based on the client’s preference: email, text, phone call, in-person, etc.
Set Clear Expectations: If your project is delayed or you’re stuck on a question, let the client know right away. They’ll appreciate your transparency, accountability, and honesty.
Prioritize Responsiveness: I have a “24-hour rule”—you must respond to an email within 24 hours. This gives you enough time to provide a clear, thoughtful response.
Be an Extension of Their Team: We say this a lot, but truly acting as if you work for their organization shows you’re invested in their business needs.
Build Trust: As a client once told me, “Trust is earned, not given.” So, exhibit transparency and honesty to build and maintain that trust.
Chemistry: Be yourself. There are many different personality types out there, but if you’re good at relationship building, you’ll find a way to mesh well with each one of them.
Challenge accepted?
Share an example in the comments of a time you faced the challenge of balancing client expectations with internal team needs. How did you handle it?
