17 | Takeaways On "The Art of Client Service

Whether in advertising, brand side business, consulting, etc. I want to go down the account management route (and I don't say "down" in a "I'm going to sell my soul" kind of way). I love solving problems through working them out with people and I appreciate the glue-like power of a strong relationship in rocky times. So at the recommendation of Deb Morrison and Brett Robbs in "Idea Industry," I picked up a copy of "The Art of Client Service" by Robert Solomon. 

It was a quick and painless read, but a valuable one. Most of the points in the book came across as potential "duh" concepts, but they speak truth. Solomon's personal stories were a bit short and dry, but that's also the name of the game sometimes. A responsible reader would use it to compare to his/her own career and make adjustments in one of fifty-eight suggested ways. Not everything was new, though it was a good clarifying tool from an accounts perspective, as opposed to creative or strategist viewpoints. Here's three broader points I'm taking away from the book:

Great work wins accounts, but great relationships keep them. Notice how selling is not the key to either winning or maintaining clients? I hope to be the trusted agent for both the agency players and clients to ensure that a superb environment for creating the best work is created. This goes back to what Tracy Wong spoke about in UO's Creative Strategist class: listening creates trust which kills fear. I have the best interest of both sides of the story at heart and mind. No single act of mind-blowing work is going to convince anyone of that. It takes dedicated time filled with diligent communication and striving for understanding between all parties. When enough of that is stockpiled, disaster can hit, but my relationship with working partners will be a major influence on whether the business will leave or not.


Don't make promises without consulting stakeholders. I am not the creative team. I am not the media department. I am not the countless other people working cohesively together to make a great brand come to be. But I plan to be in a role where my word will greatly affect their work and their lives. I cannot make those decisions alone. To do so would be self-centered and make many enemies out of my partners. This is not to mention, making business promises without knowing they can be kept runs a very dangerous course with a client. Failing to live up to a promise because I failed to consult the real experts and the people it affects will break trust and lose accounts. A phone call or email to verify not only may make or break the account, but shows people that you care about their input and well being.

I'm going to screw up. Take the heat and we may all live to see another day. Steve Gardner is quoted saying, "The best account people have such a profound sense of responsibility that they literally find a way to blame themselves for anything that goes wrong." I truly believe that most of the world's problems, big and small, stem from failures in communication. If I'm to be trusted with the critical link from client to agency, then damn right it's my fault if something goes wrong. I learned a long time ago that in the event of fault, admit your wrongs, fix them, and move on. You can't control the actions of the people around you. But you can influence their thoughts by showing your concern for their well being and accepting failures that got in the way. Humility (or the lack thereof) will define what level of respect you have for your client and their brand; and it will show.