So, you read about prolonging valuable client-agency relationships. How do you actively keep everyone accountable? How do you avoid that oh-so-dreadful autopilot phase?
We recommend conducting regular pulse checks to ensure your client-agency relationship is consistently performing at its peak. These assessments provide valuable insights into the health of your partnership, allowing for proactive adjustments and maximizing your return on investment.
A pulse check tool offers a client health scorecard, a numeric value that illustrates whether your client-agency relationship is in unhealthy, neutral, or healthy territory. Read more about this resource and give it a go.
Signs Your Client-Agency Relationship May Need a Pulse Check
While obvious red flags like missed deadlines and budget overruns are easy to spot, subtle signs often indicate a need for closer examination.
These include:
- Doing things just for the sake of doing things
- Letting the ego get involved
- Micromanaging tasks and the partnership
- Being unwilling to solve communication issues
Even if you don’t experience significant issues, regular pulse checks uncover untapped potential and identify areas for improvement within a seemingly neutral relationship.
How the Health Score Tool Works
This valuable tool encapsulates the soft and hard skills and key principles discussed in Part 5 of the Client-Agency series.
Understanding the Scoring Criteria
The client health score template consists of three pillars that encompass successful client-agency partnerships.
- Communication: The quality and frequency of interactions between the client and agency teams.
- Accountability: The extent to which both parties fulfill their commitments, address challenges, and provide valuable insights that drive data-driven decisions.
- Strategy: The alignment of the agency’s strategies with the client’s overall business goals and objectives.
How to Use Your Results to Strengthen the Partnership
Based on your client-agency health score, you can use the following strategies as stepping stones to strengthen your partnership:
- Red (Needs Improvement): Schedule a candid discussion with your agency to identify the root causes of the issues. Work together to develop a clear action plan with specific timelines and accountability measures.
- Yellow (Neutral): Initiate brainstorming sessions or strategy workshops to identify areas for improvement and explore new opportunities. Encourage open and honest feedback from both sides.
- Green (Healthy): Celebrate your successes! But remember that even the healthiest relationships require continuous nurturing. Encourage regular feedback loops and proactively adapt to changing market conditions and evolving business goals.
Let Big Leap Help You Build Stronger Partnerships
At Big Leap, we believe in the power of strong client-agency partnerships. That’s why our CEO and founder, Bryan Phelps, has tapped into his 15+ years of experience in the industry to offer valuable insights and help strengthen your relationships. We encourage you to read the Manifestations of a Long-Term Client-Agency Relationship for further guidance.