Spring Cleaning Your Client Management Practices
Ahhh …. Spring. The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming. You’re ready to shake off winter by shaking out your rugs and tackling a million other to-do’s on your list. And, if you’re a digital marketing agency owner, you might also be thinking about whether you’re meeting those goals you set for yourself at New Year’s.
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, a little burnt out, or a little behind on your goals right now, that could mean some client management could be falling through the cracks. ‘Spring cleaning’ your client management practices might be just the thing you need to get on track.
Here’s what we recommend.
Do Your Client Management Practices Need A Refresh?
Client account management is the proverbial bread and butter of any marketing agency. No clients = no agency.
That’s why sticking to client management best practices is just as important to your success as any other work you do, if not more so. It’s the key to happy clients who’ll want repeat business and refer you to their friends.
But in our experience, most agency owners started their agency because they were passionate about some other element of digital marketing. Maybe they offer the best SEO going, or they geek out on making great websites, for example. So while they focus on their passion, it’s easy to overlook account management, and to let some of those best practices slide.
So, do your client management practices need a ‘spring clean?’ Anytime is a great time to reassess your internal processes to see what’s working and what’s not, of course. But as we approach a new quarter and a new season, it can be especially useful to check in and see if you’re on track to meet your yearly goals.
And if you’re not on track to meet your goals, or if you’re not sticking to your SOPs, or you’re just going a little crazy … take a deep breath. Know that’s ok! It might just be because you need to spring clean some of the following key elements of account management.
Your Expectations
First up, let’s talk expectations — both yours, and your clients’. Are they in alignment? If not, what can you do to get them there?
It’s always essential that everyone is on the same page when it comes to timelines, communication protocols, project goals, and KPIs. If you think you or your client need some clarity, perhaps now might be a good time to have a meeting to set everything straight.
Your Communications
Similarly, has your communication fallen through the cracks this year? Then it might be a good idea to run an audit on how you’re communicating, both with clients and within your marketing agency.
So, are you in touch with your clients often enough? You or your Client Account Manager should be scheduling regular check-ins, along with providing regular progress reports. Regular emails go a long way.
In general, there are two good rules of thumb to follow when communicating with clients: communicate often, and be transparent. Regularly check in to let them know what’s working and (crucially) what’s not working, too. This is how you get ahead of any small issues (which are inevitable) before they blow up into big problems.
It’s also how you help build that trusting relationship that is the key to growing your business in the long term.
Finally, don’t forget about providing digestible campaign reports. If your reporting could use a refresh, too, then don’t miss our 5 details to consider when reporting on client projects and campaigns.
Your Tools
We’re a completely remote team, which means that spring cleaning for us includes spring cleaning our home offices, too. And it can definitely be fun to spruce up your desk and tidy up your desktop.
But when we say ‘tools’ here, we’re talking about what you use to get your work done each day.
Namely, are you using good project management tools? Are they optimized? And is your team using them, too?
You probably also use Slack (or a similar tool) to stay in touch with your team. But are you using Slack the right way?
Finally, don’t forget about the power of systems. The more you have systems and tools in place that let you put your client management on autopilot, the more you’ll be able to focus on all the high-value work that really grows your business.
(And pssssst … find our tips for creating systems that your team will actually use here).
Your SOPs
Speaking of systems … anytime is a good time to make sure you have rock solid standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place for your agency. SOPs are just about the most important tools a digital marketer can have in their tool kit. Taking the time now to get them in order can save you so much time down the line (seriously).
To start, snag our free client onboarding checklist, which will help you establish great processes for onboarding new clients.
Other areas that can really benefit from SOPs include campaign planning, client reporting, offboarding, communication, and offboarding.
Your Team
How strong is your culture? Are you connected to your team? Investing in them in the right ways?
We believe it’s critically important to empower your people. Trust them, and allow them to be flexible. You hired them for a reason. We know we don’t have to micromanage our team, because we hire the best and have faith in our systems and training!
But if you feel like your team just isn’t where it should be, you’ve got a few options.
First, switching to a fully remote team is almost always better for your bottom line. And the money we save by working remotely goes right back into our team.
Hiring a fractional Client Account Manager can also boost your team, without breaking the bank. Our Account Managers can help you get organized and serve your clients better. Plus, even though they’re fractional, they will fully integrate with your team, and can help you get some new (and better) SOPs and tools in place. Win win win.
Finally, if you or anyone on your team is struggling with client account management, then you might want to try the popular CAM Community. It provides access to our systems and training, along with support from our community of Account Managers. Learn more about CAM Community here.
Your Clients’ Experiences
Saving the most important for last, are your clients happy? Every agency needs to be able to answer that question. This is why we regularly send out Happiness Surveys to our clients (get our template here).
This spring could be a great time to put your own plan for regular surveys into place. If your clients are happy, then you’ll know that your SOPs and campaigns are working just like you’d like. And if they’re not happy, then it’s better to find that out now, so you can start taking steps to make things better.
For many companies, the difference between a satisfied client and an unsatisfied one is simply good account management. To learn more about how our fractional Client Account Managers can help ‘spring clean’ your agency, please schedule an intro call!