The Art of Client Service The Classic Guide, Updated for Today's Marketers and Advertisers

Most advertising and marketing people would claim great client service is an elusive, ephemeral pursuit, not easily characterized by a precise skill set or inventory of responsibilities; this book and its author argue otherwise, claiming there are definable, actionable methods to the role, and provide guidance designed to achieve more effective work.

Written by one of the industry's most knowledgeable client services executives, the book begins with a definition, then follows a path from an initial new business win to beginning, building, losing, then regaining trust with clients.

It is a powerful source of counsel for those new to the business, for industry veterans who want to refresh or validate what they know, and for anyone in the middle of the journey to get better at what they do.

ROBERT SOLOMON is the world's leading authority on how to improve creative work by forging and sustaining trust-based relationships with clients.

Robert runs Solomon Strategic, a firm he founded in 1999 to provide marketing counsel to advertising agencies, client companies, and individual marketing professionals. Trained as a direct marketer who embraced Digital early on, Robert is known for his expertise as a brand strategist and new business developer. He is an expert speaker and workshop leader who also is certified as an organizational and executive coach, particularly skilled in job search.

Robert has handled a wide range of consulting assignments, in both offline and online media, for more than a score of clients, including Ammirati Puris Lintas, Blitz, BoomBox, Brandmuscle, Chase Insurance, Cognitive Arts, Condé Nast, Digitas Health Lifebrands, Deep Focus, Draft Worldwide, Ferrara & Company, Initiative Media North America, PALAZZO | Investment Bankers, PCR, Procurian, R/GA, Saatchi & Saatchi X, Sotheby's, and Womenkind.

Robert previously was President of Direct and Interactive Marketing at Ammirati Puris Lintas, General Manager of FCB Direct West, and Senior Vice President of Bronner Slosberg Humphrey (now Digitas).

Robert lives in Napa, California with his wife Roberta, and with the world's best dogs, Alvin and Molly.

INTRODUCTION xxiii

CHAPTER 1 What Makes Great Client Service? 1

PART ONE How to Be Great with Clients

CHAPTER 2 Account Management’s Role 9

CHAPTER 3 Achieving the Next Level 13

CHAPTER 4 Transforming a Career into a Calling 15

PART TWO Winning New Business for Your Agency

CHAPTER 5 New Business: What It Is,Why It Is Important, and Why You Should Give a Damn 19

CHAPTER 6 How to Contribute Before, During, and After Pitch Day 25

CHAPTER 7 Getting to Yes 41

PART THREE Beginning a Client Relationship

CHAPTER 8 In a High TechWorld, Be Low Tech 47

CHAPTER 9 What Success Looks Like 51

CHAPTER 10 Always Manage Client Expectations from the Outset 53

CHAPTER 11 Be Multilingual 57

CHAPTER 12 Live the Client’s Brand 59

CHAPTER 13 Ask, “What Do My Colleagues Need to Create Great Advertising?” Then Deliver It 61

PART FOUR How To…

CHAPTER 14 Run a Meeting 65

CHAPTER 15 Brief a Colleague 71

CHAPTER 16 Write a Conference Report 73

CHAPTER 17 Perfect the Perfect Scope of Work 77

CHAPTER 18 Craft That Schedule You Need to Create 89

CHAPTER 19 Build a Better Budget 93

CHAPTER 20 Draft a Letter of Proposal 101

CHAPTER 21 Create a PowerPoint Presentation 111

PART FIVE Formulating the Brief That Drives Great Creative

CHAPTER 22 Take the Word Brief Seriously 119

CHAPTER 23 What Makes a Brilliant Brief? 125

CHAPTER 24 In Writing the Brief, Provide the Client’s Perspective 133

CHAPTER 25 Know When to Look It Up; Know When to Make It Up 139

PART SIX Establishing Trust with Clients

CHAPTER 26 Great Work Wins Business; a Great Relationship Keeps It 143

CHAPTER 27 Client Presentations Are as Important as New Business Presentations 145

CHAPTER 28 Always Ask, “Does This Advertising Pass the ‘So What’ Test?” 149

CHAPTER 29 Don’t Fall in Love with GoodWork; Don’t Fall for Bad Work 151

CHAPTER 30 Choice Is Good 155

CHAPTER 31 Fight About the Work with Colleagues; Fight for It with Clients 157

CHAPTER 32 Do Not Sell 161

CHAPTER 33 Bring Your Clients into the Process Early and Often 163

CHAPTER 34 Respect What It Takes to Do Great Creative 165

CHAPTER 35 Credit Is for Creative Directors 169

CHAPTER 36 We Are Smarter Together Than We Are Alone 171

CHAPTER 37 Judgment Overrides Any Rule 173

CHAPTER 38 Ideas Are the Currency We Trade in 175

PART SEVEN Building Long-Term Client Relationships

CHAPTER 39 Make No Commitment without Consultation 193

CHAPTER 40 Take on the Coloration of Your Clients; Do Not Compromise Your Character 197

CHAPTER 41 Never Forget It’s a Business 199

CHAPTER 42 Once a Client, Always a Client 201

CHAPTER 43 Going Rogue 203

PART EIGHT How to Deal with Unhappy Clients

CHAPTER 44 Always Think Endgame 207

CHAPTER 45 No Surprises about Money or Time 209

CHAPTER 46 Deal with Problems Head-On 211

CHAPTER 47 If Things GoWrong, Take the Blame 213

CHAPTER 48 What Happens When I Screw Up? 215

CHAPTER 49 Getting Fired 219

PART NINE Regaining Client Trust

CHAPTER 50 How Happy Clients Help You Gain New Ones 223

CHAPTER 51 Five Client Challenges to Agencies 225

CHAPTER 52 Five Client Service Principles to Believe In 233

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: REMEMBER TO SAY “THANK YOU” 243

POSTSCRIPT 245

A BUNCH OF BOOKS TO MAKE YOU BETTER AT WHAT YOU DO 249

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 253

INDEX 255

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