What Is a Workflow and How Do Client Account Managers Use One?
We all know that feeling of being in the zone, where everything flows and comes together effortlessly. What if we told you there was a way to bring that flow and that sense of ease into your digital marketing agency?
To keep everything running smoothly, Client Account Managers (CAMs) can use good workflows to standardize approaches, which in turn helps them to be more efficient, transparent, and flexible. Specifically, good workflows can help streamline virtually all critical aspects of client management, leading to better relationships and more long-term scalability for your business.
Whether you would like to train your current Account Managers to use better workflows, or are considering hiring a fractional Account Manager to help make your agency more efficient, here’s what you need to know.
What Is A Workflow?
A workflow is basically a map that lays out the series of steps you need to take, for any given task. It’s literally the way you want the ‘work’ to ‘flow.’
The more you can use SOPs, the better. For example, if you’re a content creator, then you could certainly ‘wing it,’ taking each project as they come and letting inspiration hit and lead you when and where it wants. But we don’t need to tell you that’s not a sustainable way to grow a profitable content writing agency.
On the other hand, if you have a content creation workflow that lays out the steps you’ll take within each project — from idea generation, to writing, to editing, to reviewing, to publishing—you’re setting yourself (and your clients) up for long term success. And that’s not to mention all the headaches you’ll be avoiding.
Similarly, a workflow in client account management can divide different aspects of the entire client journey, creating processes to optimize each one. The idea is to make their own lives/jobs easier, while also always providing the best possible service to clients at all times.
How Do Client Account Managers Use Workflows?
At the most basic level, marketing agency Client Account Managers use workflows to ensure they’re always providing the most efficient and effective service possible. Workflows are a critical client management tool that helps standardize service. The goal isn’t just to meet expectations, but to exceed them.
Specifically, Client Managers use workflows in a few ways.
First, workflows help them to make their own lives easier. A ‘day in the life’ of a CAM is a bit like a box of chocolates—every client and every project is different, so you never know what you’re going to get. Projects miss the mark, ad campaigns run out of funds, new members join the team, new clients want to chat. Of course Account Managers need to be flexible (which is why flexibility is one of the key traits we cover in our Client Account Manager Training). But flexibility alone isn’t enough.
Instead of reinventing the wheel anytime a problem (or opportunity) arises, or anytime a new client comes on board, CAMs can turn to a workflow. Where there would have been uncertainty and a lot of time wasted, now they’ll have a step-by-step guide they can follow (bonus points if your workflows actually include email and report templates—you gotta love ‘copy and paste!’).
In short, workflows make killer customer service a repeatable process.
This, in turn, allows CAMs to make their clients’ lives easier, too. Workflows are how you ensure that things don’t fall through the cracks. So Account Managers can take that step-by-step guide, and make sure that every step is completed well and on time. This in turn helps reduce or even eliminate errors, inconsistencies, oversights, delays, and rework.
Like you’d expect, this leads to better results (and ultimately higher ROI) for your clients. They’ll ultimately get higher quality work, quicker and at a lower cost.
Workflows can be especially valuable in fractional client account management. For example, our brilliant and brilliantly trained Account Managers usually work 10, 15, or 20 hours a week in a digital marketing agency. Having workflows helps make sure that they’re using every second of that time on value-added activities (versus repeating redundant or unnecessary steps all the time).
Examples of Account Management Workflows
So what are some specific workflows an Account Manager might use in a digital marketing agency?
For starters, we (very strongly) recommend that each and every agency have a solid workflow for client onboarding.
Nothing is going to be more important to your success than your client relationships. So you want to set the right tone and expectations from day one. Simplifying this process with an onboarding workflow ensures that your team is able to deliver a great experience from the get-go, and that your clients get the same quality of service each and every time.
A client onboarding template should include a plan for internal communication, a plan for invoicing, a plan for project management, and a plan for the first and ongoing meetings. This is how DOT & Company client Brandon Smits, partner and CMO of Solar Cheat Code, found, “when my agency started working with DOT & Company, we utilized their onboarding systems and immediately were able to begin scaling, bringing in 3, 5, and up to 7 clients at one time with ease.”
Ready to get started? Grab our (free!) client onboarding workflow here.
Workflows are also great for all those ‘ugh’ tasks on your list. You know: the ones you avoid because they’re boring and time consuming, even though they’re really important.
If there are certain tasks you tend to put off (we’re looking at you, client reporting!), think about how you can break them down into small steps. Then it’s just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other, working your way through each task step by step … and before you know it, you’re done.
Like you might expect, we’re all about workflows at DOT & Co. That’s why we provide access to our exact systems to all the wonderful people in our CAM Community.
We also regularly share our favorite workflow tips and tricks on our blog. For example, you can find our 2023 Facebook Ad Clients workflow here.
And to learn more about how you can access our 50+ done-for-you workflows, from SOPs to scripts to templates, don’t forget to check out CAM Community. And always feel more than free to schedule an intro call with any questions!