Eight Client and Customer Expectations

Four of these expectations are focused on outputs and outcomes and four of them focus how the partner worksOutputs Insights Ideas Inspiration and ImplementationProcess Collaboration Continuous Improvement Operating Discipline and ValuesFour Key Output Expectations1 Insights Clients pay the highest premium in not just economic value but their attention and their admiration to firms that bring them insights about their customers or their business Client relationships can be salvaged or business can be poached away by firms that can provide a new way of understanding the marketplace Something that is so obvious and yet not obvious If we are living in an age where people are in control and markets are being transformed there is a premium placed on perspectives that allow a firm to better understand their customers and analyze their markets in ways that provide an edge against the competition2 Inspiration External suppliers and partners see a world different than a client Most work across different industries and have a different employee mix Clients in these changing times want to know how they benchmark against the best Not just their industry but across industries Showing them examples exposing them to different stimuli bringing in outside experts all speak to this hunger while underlining that their partners are in touch with changes happening around them3Ideas In the end despite debate as to whether they pay adequately for ideas every Client cares a lot about ideas and without a good flow of them it is hard for an outside partner to remain valuable Even if a client does not buy the ideas the inability to present ideas including ones that stretch and are out there often is reason for the Clients eye to wander Best partners provide quotgiftsquot of a big idea or two every few months4 Implementation Eventually insights inspiration and ideas mean little if they cannot be implemented in the marketplace Clients look for firms that have the skills either internally or thought tight partnerships to yield tangible programs products or services into the marketplace in a costeffective timely manner Skills that are relevant to changing times and beat to the metronome of increasing rapidity are criticalFour Key Process ExpectationsWhile insight inspiration ideas and implementation are the wings of a healthy partnership there are some processes or ways of working that are as important and often can carry a relationship when the ideas insights ideas or implementation are wanting or can challenge a partnership when not present even if ideas inspiration and insights are flowing1 Collaboration Clients hate and it is not too strong a word the lack of collaboration between their various partners They resent having to baby sit grownups who cannot play together They see the friction as a loss of time and economic value As industries blur in the digital world and many partners all claim expertise or rights to the same area eg quotsocialquot this has become an obsession with Clients The words quotchildishquot quotsoapoperaticquot andquot I wish I could dump the whole lot and start againquot are heard Yes often the Client39s incentives and structures encourage the petty and insecure behavior we engage in when our turf emotions and shortterm economic incentives make us forget the big picture The big picture is that clients are trying to build economic value of their brands via insights ideas inspiration and costeffective implementation and frankly will reward for that2 Continuous Improvement In a world of change businesses ask if the outside partner is continuously improving themselves Are they remaining curious challenging the status quo and by leveraging technology or other efficiencies costs becoming more productive Businesses are under intense pressure to enhance productivity and are looking for their partners to become more productive themselves This is not just about cutting costs but also developing better product reusing ideas from one part of the globe in another eliminating or automating things that can be3 Operating Discipline This is the least sexy and interesting part of what Clients want because in many ways they expect it Can their partner run their own business by managing budgets schedules legal clearances and the like Are they responsiveness and do they staff with capable people Can the agency or partner make the trains run on time read the signals and ensure the engine stays on track The wrong ad shipped to the wrong media company lack of legal approval and nonresponsiveness in an emergency get folks fired all the time4 Values This is an expectation that has grown increasingly important over recent years as companies increasingly care about employee wellbeing diversity and purpose Integrity and trust have always been critical to Clients but they now want to know about the workforce of their suppliers and partners Are they being treated well Are the sufficiently diverse Is the company giving back to societyA Way to Build Enduring Client and Partner RelationshipsOne way to keep enduring relationships is schedule a meeting every six months with key partners and clients and provide a quick review of four areasWhat ideas insight or outside inspiration were provided in the past six monthsWhat were the key challenges and successes in program implementationWhere did collaboration thrive between partners and with Clients and where can they improveWhich products or services or employee programs were developed or enhanced over the past six months by your firmThese meetings provide multifaceted benefitsThey focus teams on making sure they are working the 8 key areas that Clients evaluate their suppliers since there will be a meeting to share progressSuccess in an increasingly connected world is the power of connections and relationships between people and partners Constant updating of expectations continuous communication and celebrations of successes build understanding and fuel enduring relationshipsIt allows clients and their partners to celebrate and often merchandise the progress they have made share the issues they have uncovered and plan how to build on things that work and correct those that do not without all the emotion and drama of being fired or reviewed or put on noticeIt allows both sides to understand how expectations are changing and which areas are critical and need to be focused onClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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Rishad Tobaccowala

Jon Miller | Cofounder Marketo, Engagio | The Gumball Machine is Broken - Rethinking B2B Marketing - By Mike Linton

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