The success of agencies hinges on one crucial factor: client relationships. While some agencies thrive on enduring client partnerships, others falter due to neglect in this area. Why? Because robust client relationships translate into flourishing projects, loyal clientele who not only stick around but also recommend your services, and an enhanced brand reputation. It’s a win-win situation that makes even the daily grind more satisfying for everyone.
So, what constitutes a strong client relationship? The answer lies in the same principles that govern any successful bond: attentiveness, open dialogue, empathy, mutual reliance, accountability, and honesty, to name a few.
This article presents 11 actionable strategies your agency can implement to embody these principles and foster exceptional outcomes for both you and your clients. Think of it as a journey towards a fulfilling partnership that benefits everyone.
The Significance of Client Relationships
It’s tempting to overlook the importance of nurturing strong client relationships, assuming it’s a given. However, a deeper understanding of how these relationships contribute to your agency’s growth enables a more strategic approach.
Reducing Client Churn
Securing a new client can be 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one. Additionally, the likelihood of securing a new agreement is significantly higher with an existing client compared to a new prospect.
A robust client relationship equips you to navigate challenging periods and identify clients at risk of leaving, effectively reducing customer churn.
Boosting Referrals
Client referrals are a goldmine for acquiring new clients. Referred clients are more likely to convert, demonstrate greater loyalty, and typically spend more than non-referred clients.
Strong client relationships pave the way for requesting reviews and referrals, particularly valuable if your agency operates in a niche market where connections matter.
Opportunities for Growth
Ever wondered about the impact of new regulations on your clients or the optimal way to market a service like PPC? Solid client relationships open doors to valuable insights.
While building this level of comfort takes time, it transforms your best clients into invaluable advisors for your agency.
Discover how 300 marketing agencies navigate services, pricing, and challenges in our State of the Digital Marketing Agency report.
Building Enduring Client Relationships
This section unveils actionable tactics to enhance client satisfaction and cultivate mutually beneficial partnerships, drawing insights from PPC agency experts like Mark Irvine, Francine Rodriguez, Akvile DeFazio, and Susie Marino.
1. Gathering Comprehensive Information
A strong agency-client relationship begins even before the client signs on. While accumulating information about your client is crucial for crafting a compelling proposal, the solution itself won’t forge a meaningful connection. The key lies in how you present the solution, demonstrating an understanding of both the business objectives and the team’s personalities and values.
This involves gathering both “hard” data:
- Products and services offered
- Target audience and end-users
- Top three competitors
- Prioritized goals and challenges
- Past successful and unsuccessful strategies
- Current software used
- Budget
And “soft” information:
- Definition of success
- Future aspirations (e.g., scaling, new offerings)
- Company mission, values, and unique selling proposition
- Differentiators from competitors
- Hobbies, interests, and preferences of team members
Approach information gathering with both sides of your brain.
Developing emotional intelligence about the team fosters personalized communication throughout the initial phases of your collaboration.
Side note: Be ready to answer their questions as well, even those unrelated to PPC.
2. Internalizing Gathered Information
The information you gather isn’t just for the proposal; it should permeate your execution and communication throughout the partnership. Internalize it to ensure it shines through organically.
- In-person or video information gathering: Body language and facial expressions speak volumes. Observe what excites (and doesn’t excite) them. Share questions in advance for thoughtful answers and follow-up questions.
- Iteration: As you listen, reiterate your understanding to ensure clarity. Incorporating even the smallest details into your proposal and execution builds client confidence in your grasp of their needs.
- Templatization: Utilize a standardized internal document to centralize all gathered information. This serves as a continuous reference for your team and promotes internalization through uniformity.
3. Exceeding Expectations in Your Proposal
From a project perspective, your proposal outlines the path to achieving your client’s goals. From a relationship standpoint, it reinforces your deep understanding of both their business and team. Address both business goals and the personal pain points and aspirations of their employees.
Think in terms of “what,” “why,” and “so that.”
- What: Your process-oriented actions.
- Why: Connecting the process to specific business goals.
- So that: Addressing team members’ pain points.
For instance, “We propose increasing ad spend later this month to boost signups, ensuring your sales team has ample leads.” Mirror the client’s language from your initial information gathering.
This strengthens the partnership aspect. You’re not just after goals; you care about the individuals impacted by them.
4. Implementing a Seamless Onboarding Process
A structured onboarding process is crucial for customer retention. As your collaboration kicks off, new points of contact emerge on both sides. A smooth onboarding experience sets the stage for clear communication and flawless execution, fostering a strong, lasting relationship.
Consider these onboarding actions:
- Welcome kit: Deliver branded swag, a greeting card, and personalized goodies based on your gathered insights.
- Housekeeping: Ensure mutual access to tools, accounts, and dashboards.
- Kickoff meeting: Confirm alignment for impeccable execution. By now, familiarity has grown, allowing for a more informal setting.
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5. Cultivating a Partnership Mentality
Treating clients solely as businesses results in purely transactional interactions. Conversely, treating them like family can breed miscommunication and unmet expectations.
A partnership approach strikes a balance, preserving identities while fostering a healthy mix of personal, purposeful, and transactional exchanges, where both parties contribute to success.
- Embrace reality: Acknowledge the mutual goal of generating revenue. They need your services, and you need their business.
- Structured fluidity: Maintain clear deliverables and stick to the plan while remaining open to input and feedback.
- Transparency: While protecting proprietary aspects, grant access to dashboards and data when feasible. Share non-confidential insights about your agency. Building trust is a two-way street.
- Honesty: Provide constructive pushback on client desires that might hinder long-term success (wants vs. needs). A successful good partnership thrives on diverse perspectives, leading to superior outcomes.
6. Embracing Proactivity
Akvile DeFazio, President of AKvertise, prioritizes proactive client communication.
Her team proactively:
- Shares ideas and proposes new campaign strategies.
- Provides advance notice of platform changes and necessary actions.
- Educates clients to empower them.
“This demonstrates care, builds trust, and earns client appreciation for our proactive approach,” she says. “We strive to be a seamless extension of their team. When they succeed, we succeed, and proactive communication is paramount.”
7. Choosing Empathy over Defensiveness
Mark Irvine, Director of PPC at Search Labs Digital, highlights the importance of empathy, echoing the partnership mentality from tip #5. Imagine your agency delivering exceptional results, yet the client is dissatisfied, not seeing new business.
“A counterproductive response is becoming defensive,” cautions Mark. “Insisting their business is thriving is insensitive. Instead, listen attentively. This might reveal issues within their marketing or sales teams.”
In such cases, Irvine suggests avoiding an “us versus them” scenario by collaboratively seeking a solution. Employ phrases like:
- “I understand your concern.”
- “That’s a valid point.”
- “We appreciate you bringing this to our attention.”
- “Let’s devise a plan to address this and report back with solutions.”
Position yourself as a partner in their campaigns, valuing their feedback. Collaboration fosters trust, even if you’re the expert.
“Remember,” Mark adds, “dismissing or disputing their concerns leaves an opening for competitors eager to listen.”
8. Establishing Communication Structure
Brett McHale, founder of Empiric Marketing, LLC, offers valuable communication and boundary-setting advice:
Avoid Constant Availability
Being perpetually available through Slack or other direct channels blurs work-life balance and distracts from other clients.
Conduct Regular Action-Oriented Meetings
Instead, schedule weekly or bi-weekly meetings for check-ins, performance reviews, and Q&A. “I always ensure actionable takeaways from these meetings,” Brett explains. “This keeps me accountable, and delivering on promises builds client trust.”
Leverage Email and Instant Messaging
“Email can feel impersonal,” Brett observes. “I prefer a less formal approach. Direct messaging fosters rapport and a more human connection.”
He recommends reserving instant messaging for urgent matters, using email otherwise. This minimizes back-and-forth emails while assuring clients that while you may not be constantly available, you’re always responsive.
9. Early Communication of Concerns
Mark Irvine emphasizes this, particularly with the evolving advertising landscape. Imagine your client harboring ambitious plans, and while you’re eager to accommodate them, doubts linger about audience feasibility or the impact of iOS updates on Facebook targeting.
“Don’t feign agreement and then panic,” advises Mark. “Trust erodes when you overpromise and underdeliver, even if it’s not your fault.”
Instead, showcase your expertise by transparently communicating your concerns. Practice saying:
- “That’s an excellent idea. Let me verify potential ad policy implications.”
- “This new change might present challenges. I’ll monitor it closely.”
- “It’s too early to gauge the impact, but I wanted to keep you informed.”
If push comes to shove, try:
“While we love the idea, we must ensure it won’t negatively impact you in the long run.”
Transparency and a request for trust often position you as a valuable guide through uncertainty, a gesture clients remember.
10. The Power of Small Talk
Susie Marino, nexus-security’s Senior Content Marketing Specialist and former Customer Success Specialist, advocates for small talk’s role in building strong client relationships.
“It might feel awkward initially, but give it a try,” she encourages. “You’ll be surprised how receptive clients are. It paves the way for rapport, making those pre-meeting exchanges more meaningful.”
“People love discussing themselves, and clients are no exception,” Susie adds. “Inquiring about their garden shows genuine care. These conversations reveal your human side.”
Clients appreciate working with relatable individuals. Without a personal touch, connection beyond campaigns and metrics becomes challenging.
11. The Importance of Quarterly Business Reviews
Francine Rodriguez, former Senior Manager of Customer Success at nexus-security, believes quarterly business reviews (QBRs) are vital for client retention.
“Monthly reporting often revolves around deliverables,” she notes. “It’s crucial to dedicate time quarterly for high-level strategic discussions.”
QBRs allow both parties to reflect on new goals, past strategy effectiveness, and future adjustments.
They provide a platform for clients to share evolving business objectives and external strategies, fostering stronger relationships, trust, and partnership.
QBRs can also uncover opportunities for upselling new services. If your QBRs resemble monthly check-ins, it’s time for a format revamp!
Cultivating Strong Client Relationships: A Journey Worth Taking
Thriving agency-client relationships are founded on trust, reliability, transparency, and a human touch, leading to exceptional outcomes for everyone involved. If you’re experiencing shortcomings in productivity, loyalty, or overall client harmony, consider adopting or refining these strategies:
- Gather comprehensive information about your clients.
- Internalize and utilize that information.
- Craft proposals that exceed expectations.
- Implement a seamless onboarding process.
- Treat clients as partners.
- Embrace proactivity in communication.
- Choose empathy over defensiveness.
- Establish clear communication structures.
- Communicate concerns early on.
- Recognize the power of small talk.
- Conduct impactful quarterly business reviews.