Building the Foundation for Effective Client Relations Bonnie Stofer Senior VP/ Managing Director A triad of skill sets — marketing skills, business management skills, and communications skills — should be the criteria for agency hiring and training, as well as for clients evaluating potential agency partners. As the “owners” of the client/agency relationship, the best account management personnel possess three skill sets that provide the foundation for a long-term relationship. For clients, these skills translate into efficiencies, focused productivity, and highly impactful marketing communications. For agencies, they can lead to a profitable relationship in an environment that encourages outstanding creative work. In today’s competitive business climate, this triad of skill sets — marketing skills, business management skills, and communications skills — should be the criteria for agency hiring and training, as well as for how clients evaluate potential agency partners. Marketing Skills Clients expect their agency to know and understand their market, competition, challenges, and opportunity areas. They rely on the agency for new, proactive thinking. A solid grounding in marketing, preferably both consumer and direct-to-physician, provides the account management team with fuel for leading ideation sessions to develop actionable ideas and fresh thinking. It is incumbent upon the agency management to ensure that agency personnel who begin their careers as account coordinators are provided with outside training in classical marketing to secure a place at the table later in their careers. This investment in training provides both short- and long-term gains in client relations and employee retention. Business Management Skills Clients entrust their agency with significant amounts of money from their marketing budgets. The best account management personnel are accountable for each dollar spent, ensure each project provides value to the client, and are up-front and honest regarding the financial aspects of the account. Having direct conversations regarding finances is difficult for many younger account management personnel. The senior account manager should, therefore, involve junior personnel in these conversations, modeling the right behavior and coaching them on approach, timing, and reporting requirements. Being proactive is key; it is much easier to have a conversation about revising an estimate for a project due to a change in scope early on in the process. As stewards of the client’s budget, it is mandatory to be transparent with any/all expense changes, to be clear and detailed on estimates and billing, and to be consistent in providing financial reports to clients. Clients deserve this level of service and it should be the focus of agency training. Communications Skills Clients expect their agency team to constantly seek out information, analyze it, and present clear and focused strategic and tactical recommendations. To do this, agency account management personnel need to be curious, hungry, and eager to share. As the point person between the client and other agency personnel, the account manager is a conduit for daily information to fuel progress on the account. This includes frequent communication on market insights, current project status, and results of marketing programs. As account management personnel rise up through the ranks, there is an increasing need for them to demonstrate courage in their communications. Courage can be presenting conflicting points of view to clients, challenging the creative team to develop breakthrough creative, or securing the proper amount of time/budget from clients to do the highest caliber of work. The fast pace of the industry makes this challenging, especially if the agency team is predisposed to saying “yes” to clients. At some agencies, the culture is built around this type of “ultimate” client service regardless of the impact to the quality of work. It is incumbent on account management personnel to deliver value for each dollar, and be clear with clients if this value cannot be delivered. Ultimately, these conversations result in quality work from the agency and more effective communications with the target audience. Agencies should embrace this and clients should demand it. To strengthen client relationships, these three skill sets should be the focus for hiring and training agency account management personnel. The benefits are numerous: clients respect proactive and strategic marketing recommendations; they trust an agency that meticulously manages the business side of the relationship; and they appreciate clear and direct communications that help them do their job more effectively and efficiently. Clients who deliberately seek an agency team with these skill sets secure a foundation for a productive working relationship, while maximizing their marketing budget. Palio Communications, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., is a full-spectrum advertising and communications agency. For more information, visit palio.com. Agency Services March 2005 VIEW on Advertising

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