Client-Agency Relationship Management Tools

Having worked on both client and agency sides, I have been able to experience first hand the challenges that invariably arise over time.

While all professional party working relationships commence formalities through what should be a comprehensive, mutually agreed-upon service contract, incidences eventually arise that cause friction. As with all new relationships, tolerance and forgiveness are high at first, and any process-related shortcomings should be identified, recorded in the Campaign Review Document (or PIR) and used as a lesson for future performance improvement.

The value of making the time to conduct PIRs can't be overstated, for it is only through this process that both client and agency are able to step back from the heat of the work furnace and look at what worked, what didn't and what can be done better next time.

From experience, and leaving aside the highly subjective area of 'the creative', the 3 areas of the relationship that cause most angst and frustration are usually based around:

Briefing - the process (verbal vs written, reverse briefing), inconsistencies, lack of detail, unclear objectives;

Approvals/Sign-offs - the number of parties, time delays due to unavailability, 'new' requirements;

Timing - late/incomplete briefing, lack of reasonable priority management (everything is due tomorrow), continual changes post scheduled sign-off date.

Naturally, the above are expected to, and out of market pressures etc, do happen, from time to time. That's business.

However, when it becomes obvious that a trend is beginning to occur, and the expected exception is rapidly becoming the norm, it's time for strategic intervention.

That's where the Progress Through Partnership review comes in. And from experience, I have had to utilise this strategy as early as six months into a new working relationship as the challenges had continued to mount to such an extent that staff were already questioning their sanity! And nothing ruins a good relationship more than choosing to ignore issues and hoping they will simply go away.

Happily, the PTP saved the day on this occasion. Both parties had time to prepare for the PTP meeting, and as a result of using real examples, objectively and unemotionally, we were able to resolve some unproductive and frustrating process and attitudinal challenges and get back to working much better together.

Identify - Evaluate - Formulate - Implement - Measure - Review

The beauty of incorporating the Progress Through Partnership tactic as a key element of the client-agency relationship management process is that it provides a valuable roadmap of how today's strengths and weaknesses can be developed, redefined and built upon to ensure tomorrow's mutually rewarding success. It is much like a Scorecard, but it is done both ways, with objectivity through demonstrable examples the cornerstone of its effectiveness.

'Perfect' working relationships are as rare as hens teeth. In fact, the same can be said about all forms of relationships. However, there are always measures that can be taken to facilitate early identification of issues and implement corrective intervention before a relationship becomes toxic.

If you don't currently employ a mechanism such as the Progress Through Partnership review as part of your strategic business model, you may be jeopardising a potentially beneficial partnership based on something as subjective as one person's prejudices or misconceptions.

Time to get NUDE!

IT’S TIME TO GET N.U.D.E!

Not your average business catch-cry, admittedly, but then again, there’s nothing average about N.U.D.E. Marketing.

With over 50 years of marketing and business experience, N.U.D.E. can provide your business with solutions to issues ranging from improved marketing returns to increased employee productivity.

The N.U.D.E. brand came from listening carefully to what businesses constantly ask for -  solutions that are New Uncomplicated Different and Effective.  That’s what we provide. We achieve this by turning intelligence into relevance, for your business, your staff and your customers. We take a channel-neutral approach to finding solutions. After all, channel selection is only a relevant consideration once the audience has been identified, and digital delivery is not necessarily the answer to every communication task – the audience dictates the channel.

Kym McInerney has been managing director of several of Melbourne’s largest Customer Relationship Management agencies (CMC, Grey Direct & EWA) and has worked with businesses including Myer Grace Bros, Honda, Officeworks, Telstra, ANZ Bank, Integrated Packaging, Mobil, Ford, Sancella, Blood Bank, World Vision, TAC, OfficeLife, GN Netcom, McMillan Shakespeare, Roundhouse Entertainment, PROV, RACV, Heidelberg, Monash University, Reclink, Stem Cells Australia, Cenitex, GTAC and many more. His key strengths are strategic planning & facilitation, customer engagement and communications effectiveness audits, creative development and leadership/management coaching.

Kim Gasperino has extensive experience in retail and business marketing including customer segmentation, brand-building and customer communications. Kim also provides individualised programs designed to improve employee productivity. This experience has been gained over 20 years through working in and with businesses such as Target, CML corporate, Ford, Roundhouse Entertainment, EWA Australia, Cenitex, Reclink, MS Society, Ozchild, SANDS Australia and the Public Record Office of Victoria.

Services offered by N.U.D.E. Marketing:

·        Marketing effectiveness audits/review.

·        Customer segmentation analysis – strategy & development.

·        Business and Marketing Plan development.

·        New business pitch facilitation.

·        Brand and customer communications – development & execution.

·        Stakeholder/Staff communications.

·        Corporate memory documentation.

·        Leadership Coaching & process improvement facilitation for employees.

For further information or an initial 30-minute discussion on how N.U.D.E. Marketing can help your business prosper, contact Kym McInerney or Kim Gasperino on 03 9587 2404 or visit www.nudemarketing.com.au.

We look forward to helping you build your business.

Add some real value - or someone else will!

I can't remember who sent me this visual but I believe it sums up beautifully the situation in which many service providers find themselves - and often as a result of their own actions. Or inaction to be more precise.

It never ceases to astound just how many business web sites and other branded collateral is littered with spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and inconsistencies such as font size, punctuation, spacing, capitalisation, multi-language spelling variations and text alignment.

And these quality issues should be picked up and rectified, particularly if the Brand promotes itself as "expert', "professional", world-class", "industry-leading" etc. Now don't get me wrong, errors will always occur, such is the nature of our endemic 'speed-to-market' environment and the fact that the creators are so close to it that little oversights are quite often missed. However, while accepting these factors, this does not excuse the fact that these taints on the Brand are not picked up and rectified quickly.

Maybe, in a world where spelling and grammatical bastardisations are acceptable thanks to the need for speed and the ever-pervasive "add to dictionary" function on all electronic devices, these errors aren't considered errors at all. Or perhaps my expectations of state-of-the-art, market-leading, subject matter experts with a reputation for quality, professionalism and integrity are simply unrealistic.

However, for as long as I can remember, marketing and communications specialists/experts/gurus/service providers have prided themselves on being the protectors of Brands, developers and custodians of a Brand's persona, its attitude reflected by how it is portrayed and, hopefully, enhanced.

So while marketers can not control all of the Brand touch points such as face-to-face customer service, store or office layout or phone-based customer interactions, they certainly can on all things promotional including web, brochureware and other collateral.

Want to keep your existing clients happy and continue to be recognised as a valued member of Team Client? Then you should probably take a little more time to review the work once it has gone live, particularly in the digital space where volume is increasing. After all, you'd hate to lose a client based on the fact that one of your competitors drew published mistakes to their attention!

Emotion and passion do not a compelling business case make

"...but it's the right thing to do..."

NFPs continually face the challenge and resultant frustration of having their well-intentioned and socially-beneficial activity funding proposals rejected. Why? In many cases, the compelling business case just isn't compelling enough - in the eyes of the funding party anyway.

Through personal experience working and volunteering in the Australian NFP sector, the eternal optimism of NFPs continues to be tested on a regular basis as they await, fingers, toes and everything else crossed, for the positive news about at least one of their funding submissions. They have poured their collective hearts and souls into the proposal. If they are diligent, they would have taken the time to investigate what aspects of the proposal the funder may have been touched by, previously supported or whether there is a clear alignment between the NFP and the prospective funder's CSR charter. And if they are realistic about their chances of securing the grant or funding, their proposal would have been reviewed objectively over and over again to ensure that the business case was clear, supported by robust figures/research/measurable outcomes and the 'WIIFM' that would appeal to an emotionally distant, rational and pragmatic funder audience.

"...however, on this occasion, you have been unsuccessful...."

Ah, these dreaded words - they break hearts and dent souls. And the NFP will undoubtedly spend many hours lamenting their lack of success and wondering why they were not successful. Mind you, the larger and more established NFPs feel this just as much as those NFPs that do not have the level of sophistication and business experience as their competitors.

Perhaps the key difference between the two types of NFP is the ability to develop sound business cases. Business cases that would 'stand up' to rigorous scrutiny when it comes to defined, measurable outcomes. Business cases that incorporate facts and figures, supported by credible research, that present such compelling benefits that they are 'no brainers' - the funding bodies can see clear 'WIIFM' benefits and they match the strategic direction of the funder.

The Business Case: prepare, review, be objective, review again.

Emotion and passion are an NFPs hallmarks. But these things are rarely the sole basis upon which grants or funding is awarded. A compelling business case must include measurable financial, societal and achievable benefits and must align with the funder's strategic direction for it even to be considered. Even then, in a space where there is so much competition for limited resources, it must have a 'WOW factor' that ensures the audience sits up and takes notice - remember, there are many others competing for the same pool of money.

You never get a second chance to make a good first impression!

Hey SME (all!) business owners, how long has it been since you reviewed your website? I mean REALLY reviewed it by putting yourself in the prospective customer's shoes and asking yourself whether the impression it gives makes your brand shine and truly reflects your brand positioning?

If you haven't done this recently (or ever), you might want to consider this:

Bad grammar and spelling mistakes: What impression do you think this gives your existing and prospective customers? Assuming your service and product offerings are on par with your competitors, a simple mistake such as misspelling on your site may make your prospects consider whether you are as professional as your promotional collateral and advertising states.

Most SME's describe themselves as "professional", "reliable" or "trusted". However, when reviewing their 'virtual shop fronts' online, it surprises me how many sites contain spelling mistakes and poor grammar. Does this make a good first impression of those businesses? Not to me it doesn't, and the same applies to many of your prospective customers who jump online to search.

Don't let simple little mistakes get in the way of making a good first impression. Have your web site and other marketing collateral reviewed objectively and make sure all elements of your brand support your "professional" brand image.

"....but everyone was emailed about that!"

It never ceases to amaze us how often businesses, both large and small, can excel at communicating with their customers but fail dismally to do so with their own staff. Some appear to hold the belief that events or news will get through to their staff via osmosis or word of mouth or that once the message is sent, the receiver will automatically understand it because they "have been told". More often than not, this results in feelings of frustration or even alienation from those on whom the reputation of the brand is so heavily reliant.

If you have not recently surveyed your staff about what behaviours the business should do more of and less of to make it a better place to work at, do it now! We'll bet London to a brick that one of the, if not THE most frequently raised issue will be lack of communication. And without addressing this issue, there is a real danger that your organisation will become increasingly disjointed and there will eventually be a measurable cost of quality due to the need to communicate further about something that should have been better communicated up front.

Don't wait for something to go wrong before incorporating your staff in the process....it could save your brand unnecessary cost, adverse publicity and staff angst.