Just got off the phone with one of our Agency clients at RSW/US who was asked directly by a Marketing prospect to participate in an RFP on a quick turnaround.  Not starting with the greatest amount of respect…wouldn’t you say?!

It was a client with sizable potential…so consequently he willingly agreed.  This Agency put a ton of time into brainstorming ideas and putting pen to paper to deliver the best possible strategic and creative solutions for the proposal request.

A week after the first conversation, my Agency client called up the Marketer to ask a few clarifying questions and found out that the Marketer had decided to go with one of their “old standby” Agencies…sorry!  No call, no email…nothing!

I’m not sure what’s more painful.  This…or the twitter cattle call RFPs hosted by some of the country’s leading agency search consultants.

The process doesn’t need to be that painful and there really should be mutual respect if the process is going to work at all.  If as a Marketer, you start out in a one-sided type of relationship when managing the RFP, the likelihood is your relationship with your future Agency isn’t going to blossom into a good collaborative partnership.

If you’re under the gun to make a decision, be upfront with the Agencies you’re talking to.  Let them know what kind of pressure you’re under and be honest with the Agencies you’re dealing with.

This goes for agency search firms as well.  We at RSW/AgencySearch have managed over forty searches since our founding in 2010 and many of the agencies we’ve represented in searches have told us how refreshing it is to be treated respectfully and nicely – suggesting that most other agency search firms don’t.  What a sad state of affairs.

I know it’s business…but life’s too short to be a jerk…or not respectful.

Treat the Agency folks the same way you’d want to be treated and I’m 100% certain you’ll end up with better work and a stronger business in the end.

Looking for a new agency for a special project or full-on, AOR relationship?  Give us a call (513-293-6785) or drop us a line (msneider@rswagencysearch.com).

Happy Day!