This guide will help you seize understand client’s demands on agencies and avenues to:
• Maximise Client Revenues
• Improve Client Retention
• Grow Your Agency
• Create an Agile Working Environment
• Improve Your Internal Processes
Article from Business Management magazine: ClearAction and Seybold Group discuss the business case for a customer-centric organization. See http://ClearActionCX.com Contact us at OptimizeCX@ClearActionCX.com
Have we let advertising agencies become dinosaurs? Marketers are looking for effective business solutions, speed and low cost. While many agencies are still enamored by growth in size, stature and heft.
Here are some thoughts on how agencies can close this gap.
Article from Business Management magazine: ClearAction and Seybold Group discuss the business case for a customer-centric organization. See http://ClearActionCX.com Contact us at OptimizeCX@ClearActionCX.com
Have we let advertising agencies become dinosaurs? Marketers are looking for effective business solutions, speed and low cost. While many agencies are still enamored by growth in size, stature and heft.
Here are some thoughts on how agencies can close this gap.
Strategies in Corporate Communications: Fostering a Collaborative Culture in ...Greenfield/Belser Ltd.
Strategies in Corporate Communications: Fostering a Collaborative Culture in the Partnership Ranks
No question about it: culture is defined by the leadership of the firm. But if collaboration is a hallmark of the firm's culture, communications can play a large role in energizing collaboration. This session offers three valuable strategies to help facilitate clear, effective communication and foster creativity between law firm partners. Our presenters will address:
• The Vampire Syndrome: Killing Off Deadly Communications Permanently
A step-by-step program to remove impediments to collaboration that include dreadful practice descriptions, chilly biographies, pale internal updates and bloodless newsletters
• Beyond the Drum Circle
Creative ideas that foster and sustain collaboration.
• What's Your Partner's Elevator Pitch?
How to enable lawyers to "sell" one another through collaborative learning.
Facilitators:
Burkey Belser, President, Greenfield/Belser Ltd.
Joe Walsh, Principal, Greenfield/Belser Ltd.
Webinar presentation the discussed how to leverage the "Buyers Journey" to overcome obstacles, gain insight and better predict outcomes and customer actions. Learn how to plan with foresight by maximizing customer insight and communicate the value of social captivation
The Creative State North West hosted a Discovery Session for Creative Businesses June 7th 2012.
Dr Judy Scully, Aston Business School presented an overview of the Creative Credits B2B Innovation Vouchers. And shares the U.K. experience of match making creative and traditional businesses.
Watch the video of this presentation on http://creativestatenorthwest.com
Client Experience for Professional Services - KeynoteCX Pilots
Experience for Client Services is different. Law firms, consultancies, engineering firms, management consultancies have to plan for and deliver experiences where the relationship is the core product. This keynote was delivered by Steven Keith from CX Pilots at CXPS 2017. It details what Client Services professionals need to thinking and doing to succeed in Professional Services today.
It explores the difference between CX/CEM (customer experience) and Client Experience.
Customer Experience: Customer Experience is the sum total of all feelings and interactions a customer has with a brand over time. It’s a volume concern. Lower incremental stakes.
Sure, it’s about relationships, but it’s a lot more about removing friction from discrete interactions.
Client Experience: Client Experience has a similar sum but it is far more concerned with longevity and depth of relationships.While discrete interactions are important, it’s more about qualitative relationships where highly-skilled services are the “product” delivered, personally.
How structural collaboration leads to value propositions in the financial sectorInSites Consulting
In the (post-)crisis era, challenging the status quo through innovation will be critical to restore profitability in the financial sector. The commoditisation of products within the industry is making it very difficult to compete on price. Moreover, a whole array of non-banking entities is entering the market to close the gap between the offerings of banks and the needs of customers. Suddenly, banks face competition from telcos, supermarkets, tech firms and innovative start-ups, all experienced in building online relationships and developing and marketing transparent products.
In this paper we explain how financial institutions can install structural collaboration trajectories with key stakeholders (consumers, employees, management) in order to develop true value propositions consumers are willing to pay for.
Creative agencies are often called in to brand their clients but have a difficult time doing this to themselves. This paper from Swystun Communication provides highly practical and creative lessons for standing out.
Guide to turbocharging your marketing agencies performance with online collab...Kahootz
This guide is essential reading if you’d like to:
• Improve your communications with clients
• Improve client retention
• Devote more time to creativity and less to admin
• Widen your pool of creative talent
• Increase productivity and margins
• Win new clients and service more accounts
• Deliver better campaigns
Learn best practices for developing integrated multichannel marketing campaigns using social media, email, creative design and direct mail. Integrating these channels into the marketing mix will produce meaningful results that will keep your customers coming back for more.
Strategies in Corporate Communications: Fostering a Collaborative Culture in ...Greenfield/Belser Ltd.
Strategies in Corporate Communications: Fostering a Collaborative Culture in the Partnership Ranks
No question about it: culture is defined by the leadership of the firm. But if collaboration is a hallmark of the firm's culture, communications can play a large role in energizing collaboration. This session offers three valuable strategies to help facilitate clear, effective communication and foster creativity between law firm partners. Our presenters will address:
• The Vampire Syndrome: Killing Off Deadly Communications Permanently
A step-by-step program to remove impediments to collaboration that include dreadful practice descriptions, chilly biographies, pale internal updates and bloodless newsletters
• Beyond the Drum Circle
Creative ideas that foster and sustain collaboration.
• What's Your Partner's Elevator Pitch?
How to enable lawyers to "sell" one another through collaborative learning.
Facilitators:
Burkey Belser, President, Greenfield/Belser Ltd.
Joe Walsh, Principal, Greenfield/Belser Ltd.
Webinar presentation the discussed how to leverage the "Buyers Journey" to overcome obstacles, gain insight and better predict outcomes and customer actions. Learn how to plan with foresight by maximizing customer insight and communicate the value of social captivation
The Creative State North West hosted a Discovery Session for Creative Businesses June 7th 2012.
Dr Judy Scully, Aston Business School presented an overview of the Creative Credits B2B Innovation Vouchers. And shares the U.K. experience of match making creative and traditional businesses.
Watch the video of this presentation on http://creativestatenorthwest.com
Client Experience for Professional Services - KeynoteCX Pilots
Experience for Client Services is different. Law firms, consultancies, engineering firms, management consultancies have to plan for and deliver experiences where the relationship is the core product. This keynote was delivered by Steven Keith from CX Pilots at CXPS 2017. It details what Client Services professionals need to thinking and doing to succeed in Professional Services today.
It explores the difference between CX/CEM (customer experience) and Client Experience.
Customer Experience: Customer Experience is the sum total of all feelings and interactions a customer has with a brand over time. It’s a volume concern. Lower incremental stakes.
Sure, it’s about relationships, but it’s a lot more about removing friction from discrete interactions.
Client Experience: Client Experience has a similar sum but it is far more concerned with longevity and depth of relationships.While discrete interactions are important, it’s more about qualitative relationships where highly-skilled services are the “product” delivered, personally.
How structural collaboration leads to value propositions in the financial sectorInSites Consulting
In the (post-)crisis era, challenging the status quo through innovation will be critical to restore profitability in the financial sector. The commoditisation of products within the industry is making it very difficult to compete on price. Moreover, a whole array of non-banking entities is entering the market to close the gap between the offerings of banks and the needs of customers. Suddenly, banks face competition from telcos, supermarkets, tech firms and innovative start-ups, all experienced in building online relationships and developing and marketing transparent products.
In this paper we explain how financial institutions can install structural collaboration trajectories with key stakeholders (consumers, employees, management) in order to develop true value propositions consumers are willing to pay for.
Creative agencies are often called in to brand their clients but have a difficult time doing this to themselves. This paper from Swystun Communication provides highly practical and creative lessons for standing out.
Guide to turbocharging your marketing agencies performance with online collab...Kahootz
This guide is essential reading if you’d like to:
• Improve your communications with clients
• Improve client retention
• Devote more time to creativity and less to admin
• Widen your pool of creative talent
• Increase productivity and margins
• Win new clients and service more accounts
• Deliver better campaigns
Learn best practices for developing integrated multichannel marketing campaigns using social media, email, creative design and direct mail. Integrating these channels into the marketing mix will produce meaningful results that will keep your customers coming back for more.
Saying you are customer centric is easy, however, delivering a truly outstanding customer experience requires more than marketing fluff. This presentation will explore the topic of Customer Experience and what it means to your customers and your enterprise in today’s competitive landscape.
Social media for Customer Service Summitharryrollason
If you’re social media strategy is moving from traditional marketing and beginning to expand throughout your company – especially customer service. Then hear from 20+ leading corporate speakers like Citi, Zappos, KLM, Coca-Cola, Xbox and more. All with first-hand experience at leveraging the power of social media for better customer service
Addressing the contact center opportunity, discuss five important contact center trends, and explain how companies can embrace these trends to create a smart strategy that can improve the top and bottom line.
Your Digital Journey is Being Mapped by Your CustomersCapgemini
Capgemini's Scott Clarke talks with with MIT Sloan Management Review contributing editor Michael Fitzgerald about the impact of digital transformation and the reception of the research in the market.
It’s proven that digital marketing is a must for the business, which fulfills many objectives of the marketer like brand awareness, product awareness, reputation management and keeping the audience glued with the brand to grab their mind and wallet share.
UC 2015 - How Government Departments are improving agile working in a secure ...Kahootz
This presentation was used to explain how the UK Government has used a Cloud First policy to break away from the need to commission “special for government” IT in order to benefit from innovative, and more affordable, cloud commodity services served over the public internet. This has meant a fresh look at security accreditation and adoption of COTS applications that can be deployed in minutes and not months or sometimes years. Cloud collaboration services, that have the correct security credentials, have become very popular and John will provide case study examples and best practice advice as to how public and private sector organisations have introduced new and effective collaborative ways of working.
Collaborative Procurement - using the cloud to involve staff, partners and su...Kahootz
Presented at Civil Service Live 2014 - If there’s one area of public sector activity that’s really under pressure to deliver more for less, it’s procurement. With the new Crown Commercial Service setting the standard, government at all levels is refining – and often rethinking – the way it sources goods and services and subsequently manages supplier relationships and project delivery.
Public sector procurement teams have realised there is immense value in bringing people together to work online before, during and after formal procurement.
With reference to 6 public sector case studies across both central and local government, this workshop will explain how, and where, cloud collaboration tools are currently being used to support and improve stakeholder communications and agile team working in support of pre-market engagement, formal procurement and project delivery.
Slides used for UKGovCamp '14 - to stimulate debate around experiences of using different digital tools to engage (inform, consult and collaborate) with stakeholders
The Cloud - Innovative Collaboration and Empowered Staff (CSL 2013, London)Kahootz
The Civil Service Reform Plan actively challenges the status quo stating “it is vital to engage and empower staff” and also demands change “by innovating service delivery by using technology to achieve efficiencies; working in partnership across departments”. Combining these two objectives requires new ways of thinking as departments shift from traditional top-down ICT deployment to a user-driven bottom-up approach.
Fortunately the adoption of Cloud First policies and the increasing availability of pre-accredited services via the G-Cloud is helping to change attitudes as the Cloud starts to deliver cost savings and improved business agility across the public sector.
This session is for anyone who wants to understand how to deploy Cloud-based technologies to improve team collaboration and public consultation as part of a stakeholder communication and engagement strategy or project. You will learn how the Cloud can be used as a platform for bottom-up innovation and understand, by example, how various local and central government organisations have engaged and empowered staff to develop new ways of working together.
Enterprise Excellence is Inclusive Excellence.pdfKaiNexus
Enterprise excellence and inclusive excellence are closely linked, and real-world challenges have shown that both are essential to the success of any organization. To achieve enterprise excellence, organizations must focus on improving their operations and processes while creating an inclusive environment that engages everyone. In this interactive session, the facilitator will highlight commonly established business practices and how they limit our ability to engage everyone every day. More importantly, though, participants will likely gain increased awareness of what we can do differently to maximize enterprise excellence through deliberate inclusion.
What is Enterprise Excellence?
Enterprise Excellence is a holistic approach that's aimed at achieving world-class performance across all aspects of the organization.
What might I learn?
A way to engage all in creating Inclusive Excellence. Lessons from the US military and their parallels to the story of Harry Potter. How belt systems and CI teams can destroy inclusive practices. How leadership language invites people to the party. There are three things leaders can do to engage everyone every day: maximizing psychological safety to create environments where folks learn, contribute, and challenge the status quo.
Who might benefit? Anyone and everyone leading folks from the shop floor to top floor.
Dr. William Harvey is a seasoned Operations Leader with extensive experience in chemical processing, manufacturing, and operations management. At Michelman, he currently oversees multiple sites, leading teams in strategic planning and coaching/practicing continuous improvement. William is set to start his eighth year of teaching at the University of Cincinnati where he teaches marketing, finance, and management. William holds various certifications in change management, quality, leadership, operational excellence, team building, and DiSC, among others.
Kseniya Leshchenko: Shared development support service model as the way to ma...Lviv Startup Club
Kseniya Leshchenko: Shared development support service model as the way to make small projects with small budgets profitable for the company (UA)
Kyiv PMDay 2024 Summer
Website – www.pmday.org
Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/startuplviv
FB – https://www.facebook.com/pmdayconference
In the Adani-Hindenburg case, what is SEBI investigating.pptxAdani case
Adani SEBI investigation revealed that the latter had sought information from five foreign jurisdictions concerning the holdings of the firm’s foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) in relation to the alleged violations of the MPS Regulations. Nevertheless, the economic interest of the twelve FPIs based in tax haven jurisdictions still needs to be determined. The Adani Group firms classed these FPIs as public shareholders. According to Hindenburg, FPIs were used to get around regulatory standards.
VAT Registration Outlined In UAE: Benefits and Requirementsuae taxgpt
Vat Registration is a legal obligation for businesses meeting the threshold requirement, helping companies avoid fines and ramifications. Contact now!
https://viralsocialtrends.com/vat-registration-outlined-in-uae/
Affordable Stationery Printing Services in Jaipur | Navpack n PrintNavpack & Print
Looking for professional printing services in Jaipur? Navpack n Print offers high-quality and affordable stationery printing for all your business needs. Stand out with custom stationery designs and fast turnaround times. Contact us today for a quote!
[Note: This is a partial preview. To download this presentation, visit:
https://www.oeconsulting.com.sg/training-presentations]
Sustainability has become an increasingly critical topic as the world recognizes the need to protect our planet and its resources for future generations. Sustainability means meeting our current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. It involves long-term planning and consideration of the consequences of our actions. The goal is to create strategies that ensure the long-term viability of People, Planet, and Profit.
Leading companies such as Nike, Toyota, and Siemens are prioritizing sustainable innovation in their business models, setting an example for others to follow. In this Sustainability training presentation, you will learn key concepts, principles, and practices of sustainability applicable across industries. This training aims to create awareness and educate employees, senior executives, consultants, and other key stakeholders, including investors, policymakers, and supply chain partners, on the importance and implementation of sustainability.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Develop a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental principles and concepts that form the foundation of sustainability within corporate environments.
2. Explore the sustainability implementation model, focusing on effective measures and reporting strategies to track and communicate sustainability efforts.
3. Identify and define best practices and critical success factors essential for achieving sustainability goals within organizations.
CONTENTS
1. Introduction and Key Concepts of Sustainability
2. Principles and Practices of Sustainability
3. Measures and Reporting in Sustainability
4. Sustainability Implementation & Best Practices
To download the complete presentation, visit: https://www.oeconsulting.com.sg/training-presentations
Buy Verified PayPal Account | Buy Google 5 Star Reviewsusawebmarket
Buy Verified PayPal Account
Looking to buy verified PayPal accounts? Discover 7 expert tips for safely purchasing a verified PayPal account in 2024. Ensure security and reliability for your transactions.
PayPal Services Features-
🟢 Email Access
🟢 Bank Added
🟢 Card Verified
🟢 Full SSN Provided
🟢 Phone Number Access
🟢 Driving License Copy
🟢 Fasted Delivery
Client Satisfaction is Our First priority. Our services is very appropriate to buy. We assume that the first-rate way to purchase our offerings is to order on the website. If you have any worry in our cooperation usually You can order us on Skype or Telegram.
24/7 Hours Reply/Please Contact
usawebmarketEmail: support@usawebmarket.com
Skype: usawebmarket
Telegram: @usawebmarket
WhatsApp: +1(218) 203-5951
USA WEB MARKET is the Best Verified PayPal, Payoneer, Cash App, Skrill, Neteller, Stripe Account and SEO, SMM Service provider.100%Satisfection granted.100% replacement Granted.
Digital Transformation and IT Strategy Toolkit and TemplatesAurelien Domont, MBA
This Digital Transformation and IT Strategy Toolkit was created by ex-McKinsey, Deloitte and BCG Management Consultants, after more than 5,000 hours of work. It is considered the world's best & most comprehensive Digital Transformation and IT Strategy Toolkit. It includes all the Frameworks, Best Practices & Templates required to successfully undertake the Digital Transformation of your organization and define a robust IT Strategy.
Editable Toolkit to help you reuse our content: 700 Powerpoint slides | 35 Excel sheets | 84 minutes of Video training
This PowerPoint presentation is only a small preview of our Toolkits. For more details, visit www.domontconsulting.com
Improving profitability for small businessBen Wann
In this comprehensive presentation, we will explore strategies and practical tips for enhancing profitability in small businesses. Tailored to meet the unique challenges faced by small enterprises, this session covers various aspects that directly impact the bottom line. Attendees will learn how to optimize operational efficiency, manage expenses, and increase revenue through innovative marketing and customer engagement techniques.
Event Report - SAP Sapphire 2024 Orlando - lots of innovation and old challengesHolger Mueller
Holger Mueller of Constellation Research shares his key takeaways from SAP's Sapphire confernece, held in Orlando, June 3rd till 5th 2024, in the Orange Convention Center.
Event Report - SAP Sapphire 2024 Orlando - lots of innovation and old challenges
How to grow your marketing agency in tough times - Guide
1. A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE
How to grow your
marketing agency
- delight clients and boost
profits in tough times
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE If it’s collaborative, it’s in Kahootz
1
2. Contents
Can you shine in a crowded market? 3
What do your clients want from you? 4
What do the clients say? 5
Communication that keeps clients keen 6
Seeing project management through your clients’ eyes 7
Offering your clients something extra… 11
Get efficient, work smarter, profit more 13
Attracting new clients 15
What do I do next? 17
A last word 20
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 2
3. Can you shine in a
crowded market?
No matter which niche your marketing With more agencies out there, clients But it’s not all doom and gloom. With a
agency is in, you’ll be up against fresh have more choice than ever. And with a growing market comes opportunity —
competitors almost every week. huge choice of full service agencies and if your agency is willing to seize it.
those specialising in digital, advertising, This guide is here to help you do that
It’s not just a feeling, it’s a fact. Take
social media or other areas — there’s no by:
a look at some of these figures from
denying we’re in a buyer’s market.
the 2011 DCMS Creative Industries • Maximising client revenues
Economic Estimates. That means good new clients are harder • Improving client retention
to come by, and current ones are harder • Growing your agency
• n 2011, there were 106,700
I
to retain. • Creating an agile working environment
creative enterprises in the UK
• Improving your internal processes
• etween 2009 and 2011, advertising
B
enterprises grew in number from
13,930 to 16,010
• In 2010, 268,254 people were
employed in advertising alone.
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 3
4. What do your clients
want from you?
Don’t wait for your clients to tell you If you’ve been in the agency world long Good communication helps you give
what you’re doing wrong — get in enough, you’ll know there’s a thread clients the service they want and
there first and ask them what you that connects all three of these factors. helps you achieve the results they need.
can do better. And that, in turn, encourages them to
Communication stay with you — and recommend you
Why? to others.
• It’s communication that helps clients
Because your clients want you to. understand your approach, what
But how do you go about it?
is happening with their project and
A study of major agencies by Reardon when – thanks to clear reporting and
Smith Whittaker asked clients what transparent working processes
pushed them into searching for a “Given the challenges
new agency. • It’s communication that helps them
clients are facing in light of
understand your creative direction the economy, they need
The top three reasons were: and allows them to get involved in agencies that can get up to
1) nhappiness with their
U
shaping it speed quickly, add smart
agency’s approach value-added thinking and
• And it’s communication that’s at
the heart of being proactive, are a trustworthy lot.”
2) issatisfaction with creative work
D
allowing you to create a full picture Mark Sneider,
3) Not being proactive enough of their requirements before any MD, Reardon Smith Whittaker
competitor does.
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 4
5. What do the clients say?
A recent study by an American That’s a wake up call if project • etter project management (60%)
B
company specialising in collaboration management and client communications
• aster project completion (53%)
F
found that 38% of clients have decided aren’t your agency’s strongest assets.
not to give business to an agency • isibility of progress results (44%)
V
But what is it that clients value
because it didn’t have good enough
from good management and Interestingly, when agencies got their
tools for managing the account’s work
communications? If we know the systems and processes right, they not
and communications.
answers to those questions, they only improved their project lead times
can help us focus our efforts in the — but improved client satisfaction.
right place.
A CMO Council survey So, the message is clear — improve
recently found that only The answer comes from the same study. your project management and
36% of marketers are Where respondents worked with an communications and you and your
committed to staying with agency that had effective systems and clients will achieve more together,
their current agency this processes in place, clients said they strengthen your working relationship
year. What are you doing to valued the following things: and make it last longer.
retain the 64% who might
start looking elsewhere?
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 5
6. Communication that
keeps clients keen
Clients want better project Help! What can I do about it? So how can we give
management and communications — clients what they want?
and few are committed to staying with Doing nothing isn’t an option. As we all
their agency, especially if they feel it’s know, it costs you five times more to The first step is to overcome the
not being proactive enough. recruit a new client than it does to keep obstacles that prevent you delivering
a current one. the project management they’re asking
for — and then to find ways of delivering
the proactive relationship they’re
looking for.
That means seeing project management
through your clients’ eyes. Turn the
page to get started.
“It’s five times cheaper
to keep a client than to
get a new one”
US Office of Consumer Affairs
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 6
7. Seeing project management
through your clients’ eyes
Good communication is the essence Sticking point 1: • egular contact to assure you the
R
of effective project management. Clients feel out of the loop project is going well
Clients also expect it. When • n opportunity to collaborate in
A
It’s easy to get wrapped up in a project
communication is clear and open, it the creative development
and forget that your client doesn’t know
builds trust, helps both parties manage as much about it as you do. • ccasional requests for
O
expectations and makes it easier for
additional information
you to coordinate project work with For example, you might allocate your
your colleagues. team 10 days for creative development Even when there’s nothing to
and plan to show your client the results communicate, most clients appreciate
But where many agencies go wrong at the end of that time. the reassurance of regular contact.
is by failing to see their project Keep them in the loop and you can spot
management processes through the You may not think there’s anything
and address their concerns
eyes of their clients. to update your client with during that
as they occur.
period. But what if you were in the
Asking the client is always the best firstclient’s position?
step, but in our experience these are the “Projects are executed
main communication sticking points you If you take the client’s view in this way, by humans. And humans
need to address if you want to develop you might conclude that you’d like: must interact.”
Alistair Cockburn Jim Highsmith, 2004
lasting, loyal client relationships.
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 7
8. The only problem is that, even with a Sticking point 2: You’ll probably find that your agency
dedicated client manager, giving clients Clients don’t understand team and your clients need to see files
daily updates can be time consuming at different stages of development, but
how you work
and expensive — and you won’t be that you still need a common repository
popular if these add significantly to the One of the biggest challenges modern for them. If that’s the case you need
cost of the project. marketing agencies face is one of to ensure you have a shared system
working transparently with clients. that has different access or visibility
The key is to find out from the outset
preferences, depending on the user.
how often your client expects to be Transparency throughout the project
updated, and then find the most process has benefits for both your That way, you can keep your working
appropriate way of doing it, whether agency and your clients — clients notes invisible to your client, but make
by phone, email or a shared project appreciate the insight into the way you sure they have full access to all drafts
management system. work, and it can improve both project and resources. This will allow them to
performance and productivity. revisit different stages of the project for
ideas and inspiration, but won’t burden
The question you need to ask is
them with unnecessary detail.
Stong client relationships what information you need to share
are characterised by with clients, and what you need to
regular communication, keep private.
transparency, clarity
and directness
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 8
9. Sticking point 3: The drawback is that the more This also helps you manage fluid
Communications breakdowns points of contact you have, the working teams, where new team
more opportunities there are for members on your or the client’s side
and client misunderstandings
communications to go awry or break may get introduced half-way through
The larger and more fluid your project down. People can end up working from the project. All information is up to date
team and the more members of your different versions of the same files, and can be found in one place.
client’s team, the greater the chance updates can land in spam folders, calls
But whatever system you do choose
for communications breakdowns. can get missed and not acted on.
or develop, make sure your clients
On the positive side, giving clients direct And once problems start, they can understand how it works or you can
access to team members can stimulate quickly proliferate. The way to solve quickly find yourself back at square one.
greater creativity and ensure the client them is to make sure that your project
can refine work in close conjunction with and client management systems log
the relevant people. details of all communication, updates,
and edits and changes to files —
giving you a full audit trail of work.
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 9
10. Sticking point 4: Meeting While many companies use agency
and beating client deadlines software to keep tasks on track, this is
Beware! Client usually for internal use. If you want to
relationship flashpoints Poor communications not only make it avoid problems, keep your client
more likely you’ll miss deadlines, they informed and onside — find a way of
• Unclear project
deliver a worse problem. giving them access to project progress,
objectives
milestones and setbacks.
• Misunderstood briefs When clients don’t know that a project
is running into trouble, the missed
• Insufficient deadline can catch them unaware —
communication and can cause resentment, or even
• No audit trail damage to their business.
of documents
• ack of transparency -
L
clients kept in the dark
• Email overload
• Missed deadlines
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 10
11. Offering your clients
something extra…
We’ve looked at ways of managing Idea 1: Tap into a new If you develop the right project
your relationships with your clients. pool of resources management and communications
Working well together is what stops systems, you can find ways of allowing
them leaving, right? You’ve got some seriously talented your freelancers to work alongside your
people on your team, but your client is in-house team, whether they’re sitting
Yes. And no. starting to complain that that your work at a desk in another town or
While it’s vital to have relationships that doesn’t have the same power to delight even continent.
are based on clear communications and or surprise that it used to.
With the right technology you can fully
transparent project management, you Yes. The curse of familiarity is rearing integrate them into the project process,
need to be thinking about these as a its ugly head. and your clients will benefit from an
baseline service.
even greater pool of talent that you have
The simple solution is to bring in
The real benefits are using the new in-house, giving them additional reasons
freelance talent to add new fizz into the
systems you develop to offer extra to stay with you.
resource mix. The problem is doing it
value to your clients. That’s what in a way that doesn’t make your client
turns customer satisfaction into think you lack that talent in-house.
customer loyalty.
These are some of the ways you
can do it.
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 11
12. Idea 2: Work as an By acting as an extension to your You’ve also created the perfect
‘extension’ to your client’s client’s marketing department, you can conditions to run ideas for new
quickly find your agency being entrusted campaigns past them, and to
marketing department
with additional projects — driving up collaborate together on
Your new systems have been your profitability. their development.
designed to make it easier to work
Working in this way is also a great offer Stronger relationships result in stronger
with your clients when they come to
for prospective clients. It gives them trust. And because clients are more
you for a project.
access to an expanded marketing likely to back ideas they’ve helped to
So why not do the logical thing and take team as and when they need it, without develop, your enlightened approach
the systems to your clients? having to hire new, full-time staff. to communications and project
management can result in a steady
If you do, it not only means you can Idea 3: Develop new project stream of new campaigns and
work more closely and productively ideas with your clients client requirements.
with your own team — but you can
work just as productively with your You’ve developed two-way
clients’ marketing departments as and communications with your clients, and
when they need you. Importantly, if they’re more closely involved at every
you are embedded into your client’s step of the project.
working practices in this way, it makes
it much more difficult for your rivals to
supplant you.
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 12
13. Get efficient, work
smarter, profit more
When you improve the way you Idea 1: Joined up working Use the systems and technology
communicate and work with your you have developed to work more
clients, you also improve the way your No matter how large or small your effectively with your clients to work
team members work with each other. agency, it can be hard to manage more effectively with team members
your creative teams. You may have in different locations.
Use this to your advantage — make copywriters in one place, designers
your internal working practices more in another and digital experts working
efficient too. away in the place they seem to like best
— a dark and rather poky basement.
This is crucial at a time when marketing In 2011, the profitability
agency profits are at a record low and At the other end of the scale, if you’re of UK marketing
many are looking for smarter working a small agency you probably have agencies hit a record low.
practices that can deliver better team members who work part-time, at Average profits halved
margins. home or on a freelance basis. Getting to just 5.43%, down
them round the same table can be a from 11.63% in 2010
Here are two more ideas to help you
major challenge, and not one for the
streamline your processes and enjoy Kingston Smith
faint hearted!
greater efficiencies
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 13
14. Once you do that, you can gain an Idea 2: Reduced Other ideas
organisation-wide view on the progress turnaround and billing time
of all projects, collaborate to develop These are some of the innovations
internal policies, work together on your You’ve seen how both clients and agencies have adopted to improve their
own marketing and much more. agencies find that transparent, working practices and profit margins.
collaborative working makes project
Joined up working gives your agency • hared asset libraries for images,
S
completion quicker.
a clearer direction, and the productivity designs and copy
benefits can be quite outstanding. Your clients have access to project
• gency-wide ‘swipe files’ — online
A
milestones and progress, and problems
collections of great work for inspiration
are identified early on — ensuring you
can get things back on track quickly. • anaging freelancers’ availability
M
and progress
This allows you to turn projects round
faster, resulting in better margins for • olicies and procedures
P
you and more satisfied clients. And as — shared libraries of company
you grow, you need fewer teams to policies and documents.
service more clients — giving you profit-
boosting economies of scale.
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 14
15. Attracting new clients
It might be cheaper to retain clients Idea 1: Working
than it is to win them, but the secret to across borders
agency growth is attracting the right The average business
kind of account. We’re in a global market and English loses 50% of its clients
is the business lingua franca. over 5 years.
As the size and reputation of your Harvard Business Review
clients increase, the easier it becomes Whether you’re a large agency or a
to attract accounts — people like to be small one, you can draw on the best
associated with your success. talent in your home country or
overseas — creating the most gifted
But how do you position yourself to teams from in-house and freelance
start winning that next tier of business? creatives as needed.
The quality of your work is the clincher,
of course. But in a competitive market,
it also matters what added value you
can bring to the client relationship.
These are our three top ideas for
bringing that bit extra to the table.
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 15
16. Use technology to work effectively It’s an approach that also reassures
with clients in any country, regardless potential clients that you’re used to
Better communications of location of time zone. With the working internationally — and that
and project management right systems and approach to you’ve found a way of making the
allow you to build your communications, there’s nothing to stop agency/client relationship as smooth
service around your you targeting a client with a head office and productive as possible.
client, in a way that in the US, a marketing team in Germany
makes them feel valued and a sales department in London. Idea 2: Targeting new clients
and using methods that
As you’ve read through this
get significant results.
guide, you’ve probably been
If you can’t sell that, struck by one major advantage
you’re in the wrong with online collaboration.
business.
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 16
17. What do I do next?
If you want your agency to grow, retain Action 1: Put your Important!
clients and deliver better margins, clients in the loop — Staff and client support is
the key lies in addressing two related
and keep them there essential if you want to make
factors — client communications and
sure your adoption of online
transparent project management. Clients love to feel included at all stages collaboration is successful.
of a project. Even when there’s little to
You’ve seen some of the ways you can Avoid collaboration software that
communicate, a simple email, call or
improve both, but how do you effect forces you to completely change
request for additional information can
change across the whole agency? the way you do things. Instead,
keep your relationship strong and allay opt for an agile solution that
Every agency is different, but there are any worries before they grow or fester. adapts to the way you work —
five steps you can take to get results. look for software that allows you
So find ways to make regular contact to create template workspaces
We’ve put together this simple checklist with clients, give them as much visibility for common collaborative
to guide you through them. as you can of the project’s progress and situations, and which lets you
ensure they’re updated whenever work match the tools you need to any
is done— even if it’s a note to tell them chosen context.
a creative session went well and they Or to put it more simply: choose
can expect visuals in a few days. software that simplifies your
workflow, not a solution that gets
in the way of it!
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 17
18. Action 2: Offer a clear Action 3: Review Get members of your team involved in
approach to project working your processes this review. It will help you uncover many
different working processes that need
Projects have a habit of spiralling off Agencies quickly get in the habit changing — and others that can serve
in different creative directions, which of doing things in certain ways. as models of good practice.
is great fun for any agency but can be The processes that grow out of these
worrying for clients. habits tend to suit the agency better Action 4: Look
than the client, though it’s not always to new markets
Be sure to agree a project scope easy to spot this.
with clients at the outset and, if When you have refined your processes
possible, give them access to any Conduct a review of all your major and communications, look towards
project management tools you use. processes, both internal and external, other markets. Do your new working
Stick to deliverable dates, and if and review them by asking two practices make it easier to work
possible beat them. When clients know main questions. with overseas clients, or to act as
what to expect from you (and when) an extension to their marketing
1) an we make this process deliver
C
it takes much of the stress out of the departments?
something extra for our clients?
process and keeps them on side.
Also, are you now in a position to
It also makes your working relationship 2) an we make this process more
C
manage additional creative talent,
more enjoyable — which is a major efficient without diluting the quality of
drawing on a wider pool of freelancers?
reason to come back to your agency service we’re offering?
Or could you improve your margins
time after time.
by decentralising some core skills —
without jeopardising client service?
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 18
19. Action 5: Research systems However, before you invest in systems,
that support your efforts be sure to compile an agency-wide
checklist of the processes you need
Every time you change processes, look help with. If you match systems to those
to see whether there are systems that wider needs, you will avoid investing in
can support your efforts. Ask yourself many different systems with overlapping
whether there are technical solutions functions.
that will help you share files, collaborate
on projects, set milestones and Finally, if you expect your clients to
measure progress, work more closely use any system, be sure to trial it first
with clients and freelancers, systematise — it’ll help you avoid potentially
better communications or more. expensive mistakes.
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 19
20. a last word
According to the CMO Council, only a Find out more…
quarter of major client marketers have
developed formal guidelines for client/ The advice in this guide is based on the
agency relationship management. real-world challenges faced by modern
marketing agencies.
That means you can not only beat your
competition to drawing up better service It is brought to you by Kahootz, the UK
levels for you clients — you can beat online collaboration software experts
them to providing it. who have been offering collaboration
solutions to organisations since 2002.
Good luck!
Find out more about our work.
Visit www.kahootz.com today.
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE 20
21. 1 Weston Court, Newbury Road, Weston, Berkshire RG20 8JE
t. +44 (0)1488 648 478 e. info@kahootz.com
kahootz.com @Kahootz
For more information about Kahootz
and to sign up for a FREE trial please visit:
kahootz.com
A MARKETING AGENCY GUIDE If it’s collaborative, it’s in Kahootz
21