BEST PRACTICES FOR AGENCIES -- HOW TO WORK WITH YOUR CLIENT
A couple of years ago, someone asked me to give my thoughts on how to build a stronger relationship with their clients. Here’s what I wrote then. After reviewing them in today’s context, they still make a lot of sense.
How to say “no” to a client.
The only way to say “no” to a client, and not totally piss them off, is to have a left-brained logical reason for why it’s not a good idea, or can’t be done, or shouldn’t be done. If you can tie the “no” answer reason to financials, it usually goes down a little better with the client. Most clients won’t accept the “we just don’t like that idea” answer from their agency.
Another good strategy for saying “no” to a client, is to not react immediately. Rather, I prefer to say let me see if that is possible, wait some time, and then try to tell them that we’ve reviewed it thoroughly, and think “no” is best for them (important that you say “no” is best for them, not best for us).
How to calm an angry client.
My first step is always to try to get the client to express the reason for his anger. If you can get him to talk about it, you can understand more about why he is angry.
My next step is to try to empathize with his situation. When an AE comes to me to tell me a client is angry about something, my first question is “why” and my second is “do you agree with him”. If they don’t agree, then I try to understand the AE’s perspective first. Then, I ask the AE to put themselves in the client’s shoes and try to understand why they are acting or overreacting the way they are.
A final tactic is to get a senior executive at the agency to call the client to let them know we are aware of the situation and take it seriously enough to have the boss call them. Sometimes, just knowing that we are listening to them helps.
How to build the your business with a client without alienating the client or appearing to be opportunistic.
If your true desire is to help the client grow their business (not just yours), then you can do things to make sure the client knows you are sincere. I have ridden on a bread truck at 3 a.m., made store checks at all hours of the day and night, made pizza, flipped hamburgers, toured chicken processing plants, and a bunch of other things I never thought I would do in order to understand the client’s business better. Then, I have some credibility when I recommend things that might generate more business for the agency.
By the way, one of the most powerful things an agency can do is offer suggestions to the client on how to grow their business that don’t involve advertising. Then, a key element, is to find a way to merchandise your selfless actions to the client without appearing to have just done something for the recognition.
If a client has multiple agency partners, you must never, ever denigrate the other agency or their work. You don’t have to praise it, but any criticism is a criticism of the client who approved the work or who hired the agency. And it seems petty and unprofessional.
How to identify integration opportunities.
Get inside your client’s head to understand what his business is really about. How do they really make money? What are their long term goals? Understand his problems, before you offer solutions.
Another tactic is to probe for their personal or professional feelings on what you are trying to sell as an integration opportunity. If the client hates the Internet, or doesn’t really understand something relating to newer technologies like mobile marketing or social networking, maybe you should pre-sell them by feeding them statistics on penetration and usage, or demographics to show how their target audience is using these tools. Sometimes, giving them new information about how a competitor is using a new marcom tool will stimulate their desire to think more about other options.
How to get more deeply involved in the client’s business.
I’ve already addressed a few of these in a previous answer. Volunteer to work with the field sales force. Or work in the store.
Subscribe to all trade journals, and always be on the look out for articles of interest that you can send to them.
Call the client every day. Make sure they know you are thinking about their business all the time.
Buy stock in their company. It shows a real commitment on your part when you casually mention that you just read the Annual Report and were very impressed with it.
Use their products as another way to demonstrate your commitment to them. At Leo Burnett, they were fanatics about this. If you smoked anything other than Marlboro, you’d better not leave the pack out in plain sight. When I was there, the company brought in special coffee machines that only dispensed Taster’s Choice coffee. When Leo died, a long-time employee, Phil Shaaf, told a wonderful story about Leo’s dedication to using his client’s products. It seems that Leo often had severe attacks of angina that could only be soothed by chocolate. Once, at a P&G meeting in Cincinnati, Leo had an attack in a client meeting, and was doubled over in pain. Someone said “Get him a candy bar”, and Leo shouted “Make sure it’s a Nestle”. I can tell you clients appreciate it when you are that dedicated to them.
