Ever wondered how a marketing or design agency really feels about its clients?
We’ve been in the industry for over 20 years and during this time have observed what makes a partnership blossom and what can turn a relationship sour. Here are our 10 commandments for clients to follow if they want to get the best from their creative agency.
Be honest
Be honest about what you expect and how much you want to spend. In return your agency should be honest about what it can deliver.
Make time for face to face meetings
We’re all busy and time is precious but nothing beats a face to face meeting. The better we know each other, the better the work produced. Don’t see it as a burden, it’s an hour well spent.
Don’t waste our time
If you’re asking for something, make sure what you ask for is clear so we can get it right first time. Only ask for things which you actually need and don’t tell us it’s urgent when it isn’t. In return we promise to do the same.
Apologise
If we’ve made a mistake we’ll apologise, then put it right, straightaway. If you’ve made a mistake we’d expect you to do the same.
Trust us
Trust that your agency knows what they’re doing and that they have your interests at heart. Remember, if you do well, so do they. If you don’t trust your agency you need to question why you’re working with them.
Treat us with respect
Treat your agency with respect and you’ll get the best from them. Remember, we both need each other.
Share information
Don’t keep things hidden. The more both parties know about a project the better. By sharing all of the information available your agency stands a better chance of success. Don’t forget we’re in it together.
The fewer decision makers, the better the end result
‘Too many cooks spoil the broth’ – never has a saying been so true, or in our case ‘too many decision makers ruins a good idea’. If you want to know what your customers want invest in research and testing. Then let a couple of people take charge of signing off a creative brief. The more people involved, the weaker the idea becomes as everyone wants to put their stamp on the concept. Trust us, it happens all of the time.
Have fun and celebrate success
We’re working towards a common goal so share in each others successes, no matter how small. Life is stressful, when something good happens, shout it from the rooftops. A thank you also goes a long way.
Don’t see failure as a disaster
Marketing isn’t a science. We all have to get things wrong to grow. As long as we’re learning from our mistakes we’ll continue to get better and better.
To view the accompanying eshot click here
I hope this has been useful to you as it was intended to help clients get the best from their agencies. Please leave any comments as I would love to hear them. If you’re an agency, do you agree with our ‘commandments’ or do you have your own?
