cipr fresh - client handling

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Client Handling

Jim Hawker MCIPR11th June 2013



Chair’s introduction

Miki Lentin MCIPRClient Handling



I started working at Harvard PR in 1996 when the first dot com boom took off

Four years later I left as an Account Director position with key strengths being media and client relationships

Became media spokesperson for children’s charity WarChild in the States

In house at Amazon as Marketing Manager

Associate Director at what was MacLaurin PR heading up O2, Sony Playstation

Founded Threepipe in 2004, currently Creative and Business Development Director, overseeing top three clients, and principally act as ‘the internal client’

Threepipe is 53 people, newly merged with a digital marketing agency and providing PR plus PPC, SEO, Search, Display and Affiliate marketing

Worked both agency side & in house…



I am completely passionate about client happiness, growing client agency spend, as much as I am about ‘new’ business

Much of our current growth is coming from existing clients

Most of our referrals come from previous or existing clients

We have a new business target and plans for existing client growth

We have a ‘Client Love’ programme designed to cross sell, upsell and entertain

One of the biggest impacts you can make at AM and below is retaining and growing existing clients

That skill comes down to fantastic client handling

An agency has the clients it deserves

Introduction



Great client handling skills send the message loud and clear to your clients that

you are an organised, dedicated professional, who has their interests and

well-being at the centre of everything you do…..

Introduction



Of all the marketing disciplines, PR is one of the most intense and you must have a good working relationship with good chemistry

Daily phone calls, breaking news/stories/announcements

Social media is ‘always on’.

Often having conversations with clients at the weekend

We will pretty quickly move teams around if client/agency chemistry isn’t working

Introduction



Some people are naturals at it, others need to work harder at it

It’s not about saying yes, being everyone’s friend, you need to understand that this is a commercial relationship

I will wine, dine, entertain clients, I have been invited to their weddings but they are not my friends

You need to maintain a professional distance as well as friendship which can be a delicate balance

Professional boundaries



Jim’s Top Tips(regardless of what level you are in an

agency)

Top Tips



• Put yourself in their shoes• Do you really understand what your client does, how

they spend their day, how their business is doing?• They are not always there just to manage a PR agency• I read all annual reports of all my clients, I check their

share prices daily • Put yourself on a wider marketing/business course • Understand how PR fits into the wider marketing mix

and how it is supporting their business objectives• Learn how to read a Profit and Loss balance sheet

Think like the client



• Become a trusted source of information– About new trends– About their competitors– About their own company!

• Know more about their market than they do themselves• When an AE I used to have all the trade press titles at home• At the end of every monthly meeting we make time for a

trends presentation of cool things we have seen• Relevant to their market, get them to stretch their own

thinking as well as yours• Opportunity t0 upsell the client, which is good for both the

agency and client• When an AE I wrote a mini proposal for a client that was signed

off and led to £20,000 of new work and a nice bonus for myself

Know their marketplace and show it



• Build a relationship with your counterpart at the client side• They could become a good contact in the future• I have clients today that were my clients when I was an AE• Build a database when you pick up information – what team

do they support, what are their kids called, what are they up to this weekend, do you know when its their birthday?

• Building a relationship will get you through bad times when things don’t go to plan

Get to know your client



• Agreeing KPIs ahead of all work – don’t start without them

• Be absolutely clear on budgets – clients hate the Oliver Twist show

• Understand what the client really values and sees as success both internally and externally

• Updates – clear capturing of actions and follow up in writing on agreed work – also helps to cover yourself, keep emails

• Nothing worse than an agency thinking it has done a good job and the client is disappointed!

• Under promise and over deliver when setting targets

Manage Expectations



• Be open & transparent about the work you are doing and how it is progressing

• Hold your hand up when things don’t work out• Demonstrate what you are doing to make it right if

something goes wrong• If you don’t know an answer to something then

don’t commit yourself straight away – ask colleagues, Finance team etc

• They will (in most part) value your openness, honesty and integrity

• Develop a sixth sense! Be constantly looking ahead, anticipating issues as well as opportunities

Be honest and put things right quickly



• Excite them about the work you are doing• Don’t just send coverage emails or good news

emails across as an ‘FYI’, build some excitement around your work

• Celebrate success together at the end of a project/campaign

• Enter some of the joint work for industry awards• PR your client within their own organisation

– Showcase the results of the work you are doing– Campaign boards around the office – Presentations to the management team

Take them on the Journey



• Some clients are just bloody nightmares to work with • Those that are brilliant we don’t mind, those that don’t

know what they are doing are ‘frustrating’• Someone within the agency will have the right personality

type to deal with most clients• Build relationships above and below that person, likelihood

is that they are a nightmare to work with internally!• The CEO of the agency should become involved when

necessary to help the day to day team• Run a tight ship, be thorough, keep a paper trail, ensure

that silly mistakes don’t happen that open you up to criticism

• Remember that you learn from bad accounts and clients as much as you do from the good ones!

Difficult clients



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