Client Servicing – Why Bother?
Did you see our latest Facebook Live, where Robert Craven and Delyth Parsons discussed client servicing? Check it out below.
Here’s my take. I’ve been there, I’ve done it. I started my agency life as an Account Executive. I left it as an Account Director. I’ve worked in small agencies, big agencies, groups and independents in various cities and countries. It’s a hard job.
In my experience, the bigger the agency, the more client servicing/project management roles. In a small agency, you will probably be working very closely with the MD, running projects, scheduling resource, winning business.
In big agencies, you might just be a project manager working with a new business manager, traffic manager, client service director, media planners etc.
So why do I think you should bother with client servicing at any size? I’m not going to waffle on, here’s a list of what client servicing offers.
They…
- Are cheaper than creative/developers – you can stop reading there if you want.
- Dissect and understand client needs
- Translate what the client needs into a language that the creative/dev team understands
- Translate what the creative/dev teams are proposing into a language that the client understands
- Do the arguing for the agency – no we’re not making it pink
- Do the arguing for the client – they absolutely need it pink
- Be a brand guardian for both the agency and the client
- Be the face of the agency – suited and booted
- Manage budget, time and resource
- Confirm project briefs to the client and back to the creative/dev team
- Do the research
- Write a winning proposal… not just a quote
- Get to know the clients, build a rapport… gain trust
- Develop existing business
- Support the client through their project
- Support the creative/dev team and keep them on track
- Quicker response times to client and more accessible to client
- Time to take meetings, leave the office
- Have time to do all of the above, because that’s their job.
- +++ everything else that they do.
Everyone has their place in a team. Ask yourself these questions:
- Should creatives/developers be spending their time speaking (arguing) with clients?
- Should clients have access to the creative/dev team? Or put another way: Does the interruption of a client phone call disrupt the creative/dev process?
And lastly… Will your agency be more profitable if your highest fee earners are working entirely on fee earning work?
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Here’s the video that prompted the article… great watch from Robert Craven and Delyth Parsons.