By: Susan Finco, President, Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc.
We were having a discussion the other day about favorite clients. You know, the ones you’ll jump through hoops for, drop everything for and will generally go to war with? OK, OK, I know that as an agency leader I should say that ALL clients are favorite clients. The reality is…some are better than others and I’m not talking about how much a client is spending with us. So what makes a client, a great client? Here are my top five:
5.) They set realistic deadlines. If you want our best work, we can’t give you a full blown social media proposal overnight. It’s important we understand what you’re hoping to accomplish, who your target markets are, etc. Yes, we can do things quickly and will gladly do so when it’s important but everything shouldn’t be a crisis.
4.) They pay on time. Everyone likes getting a paycheck. It’s tough to meet payroll if your clients aren’t paying in a timely manner.
3.) They’re upbeat. Let’s face it, we all prefer working with people who are genuinely nice. There’s never a need to be nasty, snarky or downright abusive toward the agency people you work with. If you think your agency is that bad, then maybe you need a new agency!
2.) They’re responsive. It’s pretty hard to get anything accomplished if a client isn’t giving you feedback or signing off on work.
1.) They view our relationship as a partnership. Success doesn’t occur in a vacuum. If a client is involved from start to finish, without being overbearing, it’s much easier to be successful. We are respectful of our clients’ expertise, and hope they are respectful of what we do as well. That’s why a partnership approach works best.
What other things make a client, a GREAT client? And, while you’re thinking, what things make an agency GREAT to work with? Love to hear your feedback.
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