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Skills For Success

March/April 2003

The Client Connection

Susan W. Youdovin
President, B&Y Communications
HBA Co-Director of Communications

A business development consultant once advised me that, all other things being equal, clients hire vendors because they expect to find the experience enjoyable and satisfying. Ability to achieve business objectives is primary, but the choice is also based on the promise of a rewarding relationship.

Building this relationship requires a collaborative effort between client and vendor. At B&Y Communications, we've developed suggestions from the vendor perspective to help enhance the connection.

Believe You Can Make a Difference

The first principle is to believe in what we can accomplish together. Clients and vendors who consciously share in the mission to save lives and improve health, well-being and quality of life, forge a connection that can transcend the day-to-day issues of tight deadlines, tough clearances, uncertain budgets and occasional missteps.

My staff and I take great pride in being part of the healthcare industry. If our work results in one more person getting vaccinated or learning about an important medical condition or taking a lifesaving medicine as prescribed, then we have made a difference. Making a difference extends to our working with the nonprofit organizations that advocate for new medicines and vaccines and help patients, a constant reminder of our basic mission. As part of a sense of responsibility to that mission, our agency has established a nonprofit division.

Choose Great Clients

This isn't always possible, especially in tough times, but the top candidates that vendors seek out are those who respect their skills and expertise and partner with them, rather than "dare" them to succeed.

Build Trust

As in any good relationship, communication is essential. Open, frequent communication builds trust between clients and vendors and helps advance the quality, speed and efficiency of the work.

Clients also need to know that when they are overwhelmed, or when internal processes preclude quick approvals, vendors will understand and help strategize alternative approaches to implementation.

Straightforward business practices, honest billing and well-crafted legal agreements also support a trusting relationship. Gossip destroys it. Because we are a relatively small industry, and today's client may be tomorrow's employee or competitor, resist the temptation to "dish."

Communicate Fearlessly and Often

Clients are not looking for an echo. Most want the outside perspective and counsel that an experienced advisor can bring to the table. The vendor needs to listen critically and speak up diplomatically but clearly when the client is heading off course. This is especially helpful when staff on the client side is less experienced. Candor, integrity and a watchful eye serve clients well.

For some clients, an overdue bill might be the only occasion for contact with senior staff once the sale is made. I knew I wasn't checking in enough when one client answered my "Hello, how are you?" call with, "I know, you're calling about the invoice!" No client is too small, no vendor too big, no executive too senior to demonstrate how much clients and their assistants are valued. Taking time to say hello or sending a note on a special occasion can help build the human connection that makes the work more productive and the relationship more rewarding.

A generous spirit is part of the giving attitude that enhances these connections. If the meter is always running, clients are reluctant to contact vendors unless there is a defined business purpose. Ties are cemented and new business often generated as a result of informal and ongoing contacts.

Be Fresh; Be Creative

Clients expect a fresh, creative approach that fits the culture of the company. This may mean pushing beyond the vendor's comfort zone into new territory, or it may mean reining in creative that would violate the client's culture or boundaries. Although many vendors worry about giving away great ideas a valid concern it's important to walk the fine line that demonstrates creativity while securing the position as quality planners and implementers.

Help Clients to Be Strategic

Clients sometimes get so caught up in day-to-day responsibilities and internal crises that they lose sight of the larger context. Experienced vendors help to keep big-picture thinking on the screen and remind the client of the original objectives or advise them when those objectives are no longer valid. In our agency's "Thinking Partner" approach, we begin at the end: What does the client want to accomplish? Why? For whom? Then, we keep momentum pointed toward those outcomes.

Long-time vendors can also provide consistency when there are changes on the client side, or the vendor has worked with other divisions in the company. They can be the connecting thread for corporate messaging, familiarity with the company and a broader, global picture of industry issues.

Deliver Great Service

Quality implementation and attention to detail, from the big idea to the final proofread, are hallmarks of professionalism. Can the positioning be more targeted? Would changing a word or an image make a difference? Is this on message? Was the source checked? Is there a Plan B? Take the work seriously, think through options, suggest changes judiciously, manage multiple versions and always think proactively on the client's behalf.

Client satisfaction is always the primary goal. This often means parking egos at the door and making the client a star. A glorious achievement that causes problems or disaffection for the client is no achievement.

Avoid Surprises

We try to live by the principle of "no surprises," or "invoice others as you would have them invoice you." An invoice is as much an expression of vendor culture as a brilliant plan or impressive client report. This means frequent communication on the business side, careful budget management, checking in advance if fees and expenses look like they might be higher than predicted and giving clients information in the format they need to support the invoice and, if need be, defend it.

There should be no legal surprises either. The best relationships are put in writing so that both sides agree to a reasonable approval process, mutual confidentiality, fees, invoice and payment schedule, indemnification and cancellation provisions, dispute resolution and other matters that can impact day-to-day business relationships if not spelled out in advance.

Work to Resolve Issues Quickly

Communications, honesty, integrity and trust all come into play when clients have issues. If vendors have worked hard to build trust and good will, then most problems can be talked through and worked out. In our experience, the majority of vendor-client differences are a matter of misunderstanding rather than real conflict. The best advice is to bring clients in early, whether it's budget, a strategy that isn't working or when there are creative differences, so that issues can be handled up front rather than after the fact.