One of the most important aspects of running an agency is managing client relations. Although often overlooked as a virtue in the world of content marketing, we can often become far too focused on how we communicate with potential leads and target audiences rather than the clients who are our first priority.
Good business isn’t simply a case of spreadsheets and analytics. It’s ultimately all about people, and getting all stakeholders singing from the same figurative hymn sheet is a big part of the job.
Anyone who has worked in marketing for any length of time knows that every client is different and that each relationship will vary wildly. Even the most successful partnerships will have their ups and downs, and managing the differences in working methods, communication, expectations, and even cultural and linguistic differences is key.
So, what are some latent psychological factors that influence agency-client relations, and how can understanding them help us improve our partnerships? This article will explore some of the behaviouralist science underpinning content marketing collaboration. Read on to learn more.
The first and most important behaviour you’ll have to exhibit with your clientele is empathy: the ability to place yourself in the shoes of those you’re working with, and understand their values, mission statement, strengths, weaknesses, and obstacles. Without the ability to empathise with a brand, and with that brand’s target audience/consumers, any content marketing campaign is doomed to failure.
Approaching a new collaboration with an empathetic mindset, rather than dictating terms and creativity from a position of assumed authority, is vital if your agency wants to embody the TOV and perspective of your client. Empathising with your clients (and your clients empathising with you) will also make it easier for you to get along with one another, and resolve potential conflicts or misunderstandings.
Along the same lines as the above, sharing your client's overall goals is absolutely crucial. Shared goals are the bedrock of good teamwork. Without you both holding the same objectives, it’s inevitable that your behaviour will instinctively lead your content away from what the client wants and expects, which will lead to work that doesn’t align with the original brief. The more in-sync you and your clients are, the less likely your work will drift away from its intended purpose.
The best way to ensure that your behaviour is in line with the campaign objective is to work hard in strategy sessions to interrogate their brief and ensure client alignment before the project commences. By setting measurable, specific, long-term, and short-term goals, you'll also be able to plan regular catch-ups and deadlines to ensure that your alignment is continuous.
In our personal lives, we value consistency in our relationships with others. We don't just want someone who shows up for us once in a blue moon or treats us with respect a couple of times in the year. We want someone who adds value to our lives consistently without missing a beat. This is the essential fuel powering the engine of trust.
The rules apply to creative partnerships within the world of content marketing. No matter how good your creative work is, if you as an agency can’t deliver solid results consistently, then your clients will be unable to fully trust your reliability, and your relationship will suffer as a result.
Another behaviour issue that can adversely impact your creative work is apathy and reactivity. In business, as in life, we like people who can take initiative and who are engaged in us and our struggles. Think about the relationships you might have had with housemates, partners, and family; there's nothing worse than repeatedly reminding others to perform a chore or task both of you are expected to fulfill.
Thus, if you make your client feel as though your agency is proactive about your project and is taking most, if not all, of the burden off of their shoulders, then it will go a long way towards assuring that you will enjoy a positive and fulfilling collaboration together.
The inability to admit wrongdoing, recognise one’s flaws, accept culpability, and learn from mistakes is a serious shortcoming in an individual, and this goes double for an agency. No enterprise is perfect, and human error is inevitable. But, how an agency reacts to its failings, and whether or not it chooses to learn and improve from its mistakes, is a definite indicator of how easy it is to work with.
So, if you really want to show your clients that you’re worthy of working with them on a long-term basis, make sure you show them that you can be accountable.
Arrogance is the downfall of many interpersonal relationships. In agency life, it always pays to be humble and adopt a (stop us if you've heard this one before) growth mindset. No matter what your level of experience, never assume that you know everything there is to know about a client or industry. Always try to learn from your client and be receptive to new information.
By the same token, learn to accept criticism with grace and humility. There will, of course, be times when you have to fight for your creativity and insist the client trust your expertise. But it pays to pick your battles and compromise from time to time. If you can manage this, maintaining a positive relationship should be a cakewalk.
Finally, we all know that good relationships depend upon being willing to communicate frequently and articulately. By taking steps to check in with each other, clients and agencies can ensure they are on the same page and respond to any misunderstandings or misalignment as and when these issues may arise.
On the agency side, schedule regular meetings with your clients to touch base about your current work and always request detailed feedback after the conclusion of each project.
Here at CopyHouse, we pride ourselves on the fantastic relationships with our client base. But we're always eager to make new connections and learn from others.
So, if you're interested in working with us, contact us here at marketing@copyhouse.io.
.svg){kind=small}
