Entrusting any portion of your marketing efforts to an agency can be a stressful proposition.

If the agency ends up pushing your company down the wrong path with the wrong strategy, then the ramifications can be significant for both your company and your career.

As such, the agency-client relationship can be in a constant state of strain if it’s not managed well.

While the agency needs to continually bring new ideas to the table, the marketer also has a significant responsibility in keeping the relationship healthy. Here are a couple tips on how to keep everyone happy:

Be Clear

Communication is essential in any relationship. While the agency needs to keep you up to speed on how a project is progressing, you too need to keep the agency in the know when it comes to any changes that may impact their abilities to serve you effectively.

If you are unable to keep a deadline on your end for website copy or design approval, then you need to let the agency know when to expect your response. Not doing so causes the agency to misappropriate resources, costing them money and frustrating the relationship.

Communication applies to projects just as well to the over strategic direction your company is taking.  Treating the agency like a partner and not a vendor is key to success.

Don’t Waste Time

Many agencies are dependent on hourly billing to survive.

Every unnecessary meeting that you ask for is potentially lost revenue for the agency. The math is simple – for every individual in the agency that you call into a meeting, multiply their hourly rate for the length of the meeting, and that’s how much the meeting cost.

This does not mean that the agency never wants to meet, but try to be as organized and efficient with the meeting as possible.

Give Them Rope

Letting your agency feel like they have some  control will make them smarter, happier partners.  If you try and micro-manage every element of what they do, frustration will set in and the relationship is sure to be strained.

Having a trustworthy, reliable agency is an invaluable resource, but like any relationship, it takes work and commitment.

Happy to discuss ways to improve or strengthen your agency-client relationship if you feel like it could use a measure of improvement.  Just give us a call.