New Guide: How We Work With Clients (And Why It Works)

Are talented marketing agencies hard to find? No. But thriving client-agency partnerships are. That’s why we collaborated with one of our clients to create this resource together—to share insight into how we do things and why it works.

We’re excited to share a new resource: How We Work With Clients (And Why It Works).

Inside, you’ll find guidance on how to: 

• Choose the right agency
• Build a strong relationship
• Give effective feedback
• Overcome obstacles together

We’re privileged to have such great relationships with our clients that we can co-write a resource like this together. We’re sending our sincere thanks to Susan Curhan, Director of Marketing at Vera Whole Health, for lending her expert perspective to this conversation.

Here’s a preview of what you’ll find inside:

The Client Perspective

The way you provide feedback has the potential to strengthen (or destroy) creative concepts and your agency relationship. Here are 3 ways to approach giving feedback: 

1. First impressions: During the presentation, be engaged enough to say “I like that” or ask a question.
2. Clear direction: Focus on what’s working and how to make it better. Focus more on the concept you like first, and then move to the ones you don’t like, with less detailed feedback
3. Focus on direction, not specific changes: Feedback is about static opinions, but direction includes action and decision making. Speak on behalf of your audience and your brand, this isn’t about what you (or your mom) would like best.

Our two cents

Feedback is where the rubber meets the road. It’s an opportunity to assess the work, share your expertise, and if necessary, collaborate on a new direction.

We encourage our clients to treat us like coworkers. What does this mean? In a nutshell, it means we’re all on the same team. You should have the same trust and the same expectations for your agency as you do for your internal team—and by the same token, you should be just as candid with us as you would be with someone in your own organization. We’re all trying to achieve the same goal.

Remember: A great agency is agile and dedicated to continuous improvement. At every stage of collaboration, we’re looking for ways to learn, pivot, and improve our approach. Whether your feedback is positive, negative, or a little bit of both, your agency can use that information to fuel the next iteration of your strategy.