How to keep a client-agency relationship alive and thriving. Dinosaur reveal the secret to their long-lasting client relationships
As creative agencies, we talk a lot about wanting to be a strategic partner to our clients rather than simply a delivery arm of their business. But aside from waiting to receive a strategy-based brief, how can an agency cultivate the trust needed to truly be a partner and support our clients to achieve their business goals?
At Blueberry Spark, we firmly believe the answer lies in a strong client relationship. Without the trust, openness and respect that brings, there’s little room to challenge briefs, add value and push businesses to think bigger - without seeming too salesy.
And this is why we were so excited to sit down with Dinosaur’s Client Services Director, Shona Needham, and their Founder/Chief Creative Officer, Mark Beaumont. Dinosaur, who recently celebrated their 25th birthday, is an agency that boasts long-standing and successful client relationships with clients such as Bupa and Co-Op Bank and, as our own Founder Sally Stevens can personally testify, considers carefully how to manage those relationships in every aspect of their work.
Let’s dive in…
How do you set up a client relationship for success, right from the start?
“Establishing the right conditions for a relationship is very important and I think that Dinosaur's down to earth approach helps us to do this”, says Shona. Our clients immediately get a sense of a shared purpose.
“What you see is what you get, and we encourage an openness, as well as questioning and listening styles of communication. At Dinosaur, we remove any obstacles to ensure clients feel very comfortable right from the start.”
The team at Dinosaur noticed that the induction of new colleagues was focusing on internal processes and systems, so they flipped it. The start point is now about getting under the skin of a the client’s business to provide new joiners with a much broader perspective ahead of working on any briefs.
“It’s so important to be absolutely aware of the dynamics facing their category and business”, adds Shona
“The business is the brief. You need to know how that business survives, their internal challenges, what external factors could challenge their profitability, why customers have a preference for their brand or competitors and so on. We can wait for briefs, or we can get ahead of these with ideas on how to tackle issues or leverage opportunities”
How do you build trust with a client?
“The most important thing is to deliver”, says Mark. “That’s why word of mouth is so powerful, and works so well for Dinosaur, because clients need to know that you can deliver with insight and inspiration.”
Shona adds, “And word of mouth goes a long way because, when you get introduced to another client based on a relationship that’s been going 14 years, it’s clearly a testament to the work. Bringing in a new agency can be a scary moment for marketing leaders. They need to feel confident that this new agency will deliver.”
We’ve managed to build trusting relationships by creating work that works. Our clients know that we genuinely have their best interests at heart and see this come through in the way we respond to their briefs and manage their projects.
“Dinosaur’s reputation for fuss-free delivery set them apart from the other agencies we considered working with. When you see such big business names on their website and then realise that most of their relationships are 5+ years old, it takes the pressure off such an important decision. It sets your mind at ease.”
How do you continue to build strong relationships, past the initial few projects?
For Mark, “What keeps the relationship going strong is when you land the idea and think about how they can then take it and deliver for their business. You need that advanced thought and the passion for seeing it through to the end. You need to care enough about what the client is trying to achieve. We are here to create brand success, client growth and customer connection. Our client’s appreciate our professional commitment to the job at hand.”
For Shona, and from a Client Services perspective, regularly reviewing clients and their businesses is essential to ongoing relationship success.
“We constantly review our client’s business - what is driving it forward or holding it back. Proactively thinking about their business helps us to avoid complacency and also demonstrates our commitment to delivering meaningful outcomes. We are always looking to build and maintain momentum in our relationships.
“Dinosaur’s constant attention to the changes in our business/category and their responsiveness to those changes - some of which we might not even have yet spotted - is a huge benefit to us as a business. It’s reassuring to know that your agency has your back in that way, and provides you with a soundboard outside of our internal organisation,”
When asked about socialising outside of work, Mark highlights that “while they do have a social element, that’s not the heart of our client relationships and we’re not reliant on those moments”.
What internal processes support Dinosaur’s client relationship building?
“In addition to the regular reviews we carry out on a client’s business, our day to day delivery is supported by an excellent workflow process”, says Shona
“And this process underpins our ability to deliver to a high standard, on time. There are no surprises for the client, and we never shy away from tough conversations. Expectations are managed and set from the outset.”
Mark adds, “Closing the loop is really important. We always look at what’s driven success and reflect on it, with a commitment to constant improvement”.
What can prevent a successful client relationship?
“When they hold back information. This can be frustrating as you can lose some important context that might help shape your response,” says Mark.
“Luckily, all our clients are terrific and don’t feel the need to keep us in a box. They let us see and contact other departments within their business, which allows us to truly get under the skin of their challenges. For a client-agency relationship to be successful, you need to be collaborative, honest, integral and respectful. But they also need to allow you to be that.”
“I’d agree with all of that”, says Shona. “I’d also add to Mark’s point about respectfulness. We need to respect that the day-to-day can be difficult for marketing teams and try to make their lives easier. In return, clients need to respect the time and effort that’s gone into the work and be generous with their time, to allow us to do our job better. That means taking the time to write clear briefs and to give feedback on existing work with detail and consideration.”
Lastly, what’s the key to building lasting customer or client relationships?
“I’m not sure there is some big secret to a long client relationship. It’s the same psychology as personal relationships, ultimately,” says Mark.
“Communicate well, develop one-to-one relationships, adapt, listen, be accepting, evolve with shared interests and change as needed. It has to be human - informal to a certain extent, it needs to be collaborative. It has to be an actual relationship! Which means talking without trying to get a brief out of them.”
“I think it’s about creative energy,” adds Shona. “The start point is when you deliver something of value that they get excited about. But beyond that you need to keep the creative energy and the questioning curious mind. Their business will have evolved in that time, it will have new audiences, new opportunities, new channels, perhaps a new structure and definitely new competitors. We’d absolutely hate it if our clients felt we were giving them more of the same - because they’re not the same.”
“That being said, if the work lacks stand out they’ll move on.
Blueberry Spark provides bespoke account management training to creative agencies and Client Services teams. To find out how we can help your account managers develop the skills to build long-lasting client relationships, get in touch today.
