As an agency leader, my focus has always been on client satisfaction. My primary job is to get inside my client’s head and to represent her needs inside the agency at every stage. I work tirelessly to inspire great creative by serving as my clients’ voice, ears, and eyes. And since my clients are busier than ever, I structure every project so the work gets done as quickly as possible without compromising quality.
Before I jumped to the agency side, I spent years in corporate marketing roles working with various agencies. And I remember how I never wanted to hear from my account director that my favorite writer (let’s call him Corey) was unavailable. Or that the designer I knew would nail the assignment (that would be Dawn) was on another project. I cringed to hear the agency was really busy, and the team couldn’t get to my work for a week.
I didn’t want to know how the sausage was made, I just wanted it made the way I liked it.
I took that mindset over to the agency side, and in remembering those pain points I felt in corporate, I advocate for my client and her work every single day. I call it client advocacy, and the first step in true advocacy is true understanding. Here are five keys to understanding your client’s mindset.
1. Build trust
You don’t have to be friends with your clients to build a trusting relationship with them. Trust is earned over time and with consistency. Be kind, give of your time, go the extra mile, and listen carefully. In a nutshell, treat your clients they way you’d like to be treated (even if it’s not always reciprocated), and you’ll be on your way to building a trusting partnership with your client.
2. Learn her pain points
Whether it’s the business partner who doesn’t respect marketing, the leader who bulldozes, the colleague who takes credit, or the sales team who claims that marketing “doesn’t get it” … to advocate effectively for your client, you must understand her mindset. Turn up your EQ as high as it will go, ask a ton of questions, and most of all, listen and observe carefully.
3. Represent her tirelessly
Own that you are your client’s eyes, ears, and voice at the agency. Own it with your team by representing your client’s needs in every engagement. Own it with your client by telling her that your allegiance lies with her, that you will articulate on her behalf every chance you get. Put yourself in her shoes—she’s relying on you and your team to make something useful for her, and she needs to count on someone to speak for her when she’s not there. You are that person. Own it. Understanding this is a key role is critical, and empowering.
4. Don’t assume anything
Not just because it makes an ass out of everyone, but because assumptions trump communication. By assuming, you miss a key opportunity to reach out to your client for clarity. And clarity is a lot like understanding—the first step in advocacy. Get where I’m going with this?
5. Pick up the phone
You’ll have limited success building trust, understanding her mindset or her pain points if you don’t engage in real, live conversations. I like to schedule a weekly check-in with my key clients, a quick one-on-one phone call to check in on what’s going on. It’s amazing the insights that come up on these calls. All of a sudden, I understand and have privileged information about my client, and the team tunes up to listen. All that from just picking up the phone regularly.