5 Tips on How to Be a Great Client to Your Creative Agency

I just started working with a new client, and they are phenomenal.

I've been client-side and agency-side, and I've even helped a large Fortune 100 company work better with their roster of agencies.

If you're working with a creative agency or consultant, here are a few common traits to cement your position as a top client:

  • Show a desire to learn from your agency. You know your business, your organization is filled with talented people, and you appreciate that outside help will provide a different point of view. You show a willingness to learn from it.
  • Treat your agency like an extension of the team. If an outsider were to shadow a meeting and be unsure about who was internal and who was external, you're doing something right.
  • Provide actionable feedback. Good agencies tend to try harder. They know they have to work to keep your business. When they're missing the mark, the best way to help them is avoid vague comments, like "This email just doesn't feel right", and instead give them something to work with: "The tone of the email is too formal. Can we try something more conversational and friendly?"
  • Don't throw fire. Your agency is there as a resource, but when a fire drill hits, you're in this together. Don't expect your agency to suddenly turn into a miracle worker. Putting out a fire takes time. Show some patience.
  • Be kind. This is a universal rule that gets ignored in business way too often. You're stressed and overworked. You know layoffs are coming. Your concerns are massive. We're all human. Take a deep breath and focus your feedback on the project, not the person.



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