Client service in a new agency: The transition from people to processes
In a new agency there may be a small number of founders / shareholders who club together and do all the work themselves. Most of the clients they have are a result of relationships forged by the founders. In order for the business to progress I have understood that it is key to make sure that the business that you get from a client is not forever dependent on the relationship with an agency founder. A transition has to take place from a single project relationship to a steady flow of projects or service/fee agreement where the client can be relied on as a long term source of business.
This transition is one where the values projected by the founder members as a result of both personality and the agency’s chosen niche are translated into processes.
Why should an agency define its processes?
1. Processes are an agency’s key asset. If you consistently produce great work as a result of a process, the process can be touted to clients as the key to success of the project or client/agency relationship. Client’s come back to you and no matter who is managing the project, the client knows the way things work and that way….works.
2. The processes defined by the founders are a guarantee that the original values of the agency are carried forward and the founder’s vision for the agency lives on. The reason most agencies come into existence is because the founders believe they can do a better job than anyone else. So, why not write down how a better job can be done and replicate throughout the organisation.
3. Agency founders do not have to be involved in every project in order to guarantee good work. This means an agency can grow without stretching the founders until they snap. This also means that the agency now is a functioning breathing entity with an instilled culture because recently employed creatives, accounts and planners are independently following and improving on the processes and passing this knowledge on to those that come after them.
Conclusions
Make the process awesome
Get people excited about the process
Train every new person in the process
Make sure the process is being used
Don’t mention the word process as many times as I have in this post
