Featured on 4A’s
— Read the published 4A’s article —
Considering the time, energy and expense marketers spend conducting reviews—and that agencies spend on developing new business—it’s critical for both partners to ensure a long and fruitful relationship.
Having a powerful relationship-management program can help you get your relationship off to a good start and stay on track.
Relationship management is how you keep winning after you’ve won. 4A’s Relationship Management Best Practices Guidance is your new playbook.
Relationship management is a platform for discussing and building the value your agency brings to the client’s business at every step.
It’s a process that helps you and your client identify and review all key aspects of your relationship openly and regularly, so you can define success, clarify expectations, reveal issues, and optimize your working relationship.
Relationship management is all about communication and understanding:
- the client organization and individual clients’ goals and aspirations.
- how to address issues with respect—and get results.
- when and how various individuals prefer to communicate:
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- phone, email, text, video conference, or in-person.
- during office hours or after hours.
- what’s urgent and what isn’t—and the right response and timing for each.
Above all, a relationship management program helps build the essential trust at every step of the agency-client relationship, starting with the pitch and through the new client transitioning and onboarding, the 100-day check-in, and beyond.
4A’s Relationship Management Best Practices Guidance was created with valuable input and insights from a host of subject matter experts.
Matt Kasindorf
SVP–Agency Management Services, 4A’s
For Download: 4A’s Relationship Management Best Practices Guidance
Appendix A: Transition Checklist and Article
A – 1. Full-Service Account Transition Checklist
A – 2. ICA AGENCY TRANSITION BEST PRACTICES2014
A – 3. Media Services Transition Checklist
A – 4. AMS_How To Handle The Heat of Agency Transitions
Appendix B: Sample Onboarding Templates
B – 1. On Boarding Strategic Template
B – 2. New_Client_Kickoff_Playbook-HubSpot
B – 3. Account Onboarding Checklist
Appendix C: Sample Evaluation Templates
C – Agency Evaluation Sample A
C – Agency Evaluation Sample B
C – Agency Evaluation Sample C
C – Client Evaluation Sample A
C – Client Evaluation Sample B
C – Client Evaluation Sample C
Appendix D: Related Resources
D – 1. R3Worldwide_Winning at Agency Relationships_2014
D – 3. Mercer Island Group_Best Practices in Client Agency Relationships _July 2014
