5 things I’ve learnt about forming good client relationships

As an agency, we believe it’s nice to be nice. Forming authentic client relationships makes everyone’s days better, and makes us look forward to opening our laptops every morning. Our Digital Marketing Manager David is one of those people with an amazing can-do attitude, warmth and humour who genuinely brings a smile to most calls. Here he shares the 5 things he’s learnt about forming good client relationships. 

1) Get to know your clients personally

I have weekly video catch-ups with my clients, in addition to speaking daily with them on chat applications. I find that 80% of our time on the call isn’t about work. It’s chatting socially, building on that relationship and checking in that all is ok. The 20% is often a brief chat about what’s coming up in the next week/month. I find client work so much easier when I have a great relationship with them. There’s no tip-toeing around when you want to speak candidly about something and you can let your guard down a little. So much more fun!

2) Never say ‘no’

I’ve not had the pleasure of working for the Walt Disney company, but one thing I know about their customer service and their training is that they don’t say ‘no’. Rather than saying ‘no’ and ending the conversation, ‘cast members’ (employees in Disney language) suggest an alternative that can be accommodated. I try to apply that in my day-to-day life when working with clients. Sometimes a client will ask to do something that isn’t possible, but I try to find a workaround instead. You can’t upload gifs to Facebook or Instagram, but you can upload a video version instead. You can’t embed a YouTube video into a Mailchimp campaign so it’ll play within the email, but there are ways of making it appear like you have and minimising clicks.

3) Never be afraid to give your opinion on something - trust your instinct and offer your advice. It’s up to the client whether they want to listen!

I’m often a people pleaser. I like to say what the client wants to hear, sometimes to a fault. However, I’ve learned that the client has put a lot of trust in me and they value my opinion. If something doesn’t feel right for their brand, speak up and suggest an alternative. If something isn’t quite working, find out why and suggest new methods. When Queen Elizabeth II passed away, I was asked my opinion on whether the brand should make a statement on social media. I gave my opinion, it was appreciated and we went with the majority. Your voice is just as valuable as a salaried member of the team.

4) Never take things personally

I’m not sure I’ve quite mastered this as I have a lot of passion for my work. Sometimes you’ve written what you think is a great piece of content and by the time it’s published, it doesn’t feel like your work anymore. That sometimes just happens and it’s often because the client is so passionate about the subject. Your hard work was never wasted. You did the grunt work, and the research and you lit the flame to get the final version to where it needed to be. It’s never personal. 

5) Remember your please and thank yous

My manners might have been drilled into me when I was a kid, but they stuck with me throughout my life and career. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’ve had an order barked at you, especially when so much of work comms is done via a keyboard. If you need something from someone, whether they’re a colleague or a client, a please and a thank you go a very long way.