On the first day of Christmas my client said to me…..

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With the end of year fast approaching, agencies across the land are trying to secure their 2018 plans for clients. Whether they are waiting for the brief, in the process of creating plans or not quite sure what is happening, there is a real opportunity for agency leaders to reflect on the year that has been and identify potential opportunities and threats for securing commercial success in 2018.

This starts by understanding client satisfaction levels within the agency. How is the agency perceived, what does it do well, what could be better and how could the agency add more sparkle to the clients they represent?

Good client satisfaction auditing is not just a tick the box exercise, it’s a real and credible way of driving commercial success. And there is no better hook than the start of a new year to truly address this.

In a recent workshop I did for the PRCA on ‘adding value in client relationships’ I introduced the concept of the ‘value matrix’ which helps teams map their accounts to each value set, so they can understand whether they are adding value to their clients. 

value pyramid.jpg

All of this starts by asking right questions:

  • Are you achieving the basic needs that your clients expect?

  • How good is your relationship with your client?

  • What do you do as any agency that takes that client to places it can’t take itself?

If as an agency you know you are delivering against the basic needs and requirements for the client, how do you drive the extra magic and sparkle that surprises and delights your clients?

Just this month, the Holmes Global Communications Report revealed that

‘Almost half of PR professionals and more than 60% of marketing executives believe that their two disciplines will become more closely aligned in the next 5 years’.

Which means there is a tonne of new expectations clients have from their agencies. When agencies can interpret these trends and showcase to their clients ‘innovation’, ‘the way forward’, ‘what’s next’, it can set good and great agencies apart.

Now is the time to ask these questions and deliver improvements not only at a team level but across the wider agency.

Lara Molins Caplin, is practicing PR consultant but also works with PR agencies across the UK to grow their client satisfaction levels and commercial success.