Episode Details

What Do You Need to Do to Quit Losing Clients

Have you ever lost a client even though you've done great work for them? Puzzled as to why your "bad client" is so bad? This episode is all about what clients really want, from the woman who literally wrote the book. Learn all about maintaining good client relationships, how to quit losing clients, plus managing and training an amazing account service team that helps grow agency business.

In this episode, we'll cover:

• Why great work isn't enough to keep clients happy.
• What clients actually want from their agency.
• 3 ways to make agency clients' lives easier.
• Hiring and managing a team that grows your agency.

There's no such thing as a bad agency client... only a bad prospect or a bad process. In this episode my guest, Chantell Glenville, goes in depth on the bad agency processes that are killing your business. Chantell spent a number of years working both the client side and agency side of the business. She's the author of best-selling book "What Clients Really Want (And the Sh*t that Drives Them Crazy), the first of it's kind written from the client's perspective.

Why Great Work Isn't Enough

Chantell says over the span of her career on both sides of the business in agencies of varying size and specialties she witnessed lots of breakdown in communication between agency team and clients. There seemed to be a common thread among them. A breakdown in client relationships is what gets an agency fired - even when they're killing in with great work. So how do you quit losing clients and maintain good relationships?

So, What *DO* Clients Want?

Of course they want great creative, innovation and the expertise of the agency. But here's the part no one tells us… Clients want their agency to make their lives easier and to not make their lives harder.

[clickToTweet tweet="Agency Acct Service Golden Rule: Make your clients lives easier. Do not make your clients lives harder. " quote="Agency Account Service Golden Rule: Make your clients lives easier. Do not make your clients lives harder. "]

The problem is, agencies usually make the assumption that a new client starts at level zero on the unhappiness scale. We assume the client's life is already relatively easy, when in fact they might already be at a -3 or -4 on the scale. Then we end up inadvertently doing things that tip the scale and make their lives even harder.

3 Ways Agencies Can Make Clients' Lives Easier

1- Understand the client's work life. What pressures are they under? Who do they report to and what is their supervisor's work style? What is the structure of their day? If possible, go to their office and shadow them for a day to see what they "normal" looks like. Then adjust your style in a way that makes all things easier.

You might be surprised at what you learn when you get a glimpse into their world. (Especially if you've never worked client-side.) For example, if a large part of the client's day is spent in meetings, it explains why you don't get a quick reply to your "urgent" emails. So ask them if it's OK to text them first when you're sending something urgent. Figure out what makes the client's life easier - without making it harder.

2- Pay attention to detail. If your client is often pressed for time but feels like you aren't good at details that just creates extra work for them. Double and triple checking your work piles more on their to-do list. And, it is the exact opposite of making their life easier! If you're client feels like they're always catching your mistakes and needs to inspect every aspect of your work it adds an unnecessary amount of suckiness in their day.

For example, if your client has to send