Over the past few months, several clients have asked (in jest for the most part), “Do you bill me for the times we spend chitchatting or talking about things non-work related?” Personally, as a Brand Manager, I feel that’s a valid question, particularly since I spend a great deal of my time with the clients and getting to know them.
It’s important to understand that ad agencies operate a lot like lawyers – we have to account for every 15 minutes of our day. In a perfect world, all of that is billable. But in actuality, agency personnel devote a lot of time, non-billable, to form a relationship with their clients. To them and the agency, this is far more valuable than billable hours. Making a connection with your clients might be the single most important thing an account person does. Why? Because I truly believe that if you know your account manager on a personal level and establish a relationship with them, it strengthens the final product.
Some people will argue, “business is business,” and trust me, I believe that wholeheartedly. Sometimes you have to make decisions based on what’s best for your brand.
But, to me, because I love what I do and believe so passionately in what my company has to offer, that I want my clients to know the real me. I am the one who loves to laugh, crack jokes, cry with my clients’ during hard times, knows when to say “yes, sir” and “no, ma’am,” but most importantly – they look forward to our meetings together because it will be a good mix of business and fun.
Finding that balance is what helps build a strong relationship between the client and the agency. To me, I want to have a client where I can have a serious budget meeting with and at the same time, tease them about being behind on a deadline. Your agency should be more than an extension of your marketing/communications department – they should be your family.
