Emily, a New York native, is a marketing and PR professional who founded the award-winning R Public Relations agency. She has faced challenges in onboarding clients that are a good cultural fit for her business. She emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions during intake calls to determine the viability of client partnerships. By focusing on questions that delve deep into the client’s company culture, values, and communication style, she believes agencies can avoid potential issues down the line.
Emily highlights the importance of spotting client-agency misalignment based on past or existing relationships. If there is friction or difficulty in working with a client, it may indicate a lack of alignment in values or expectations. By recognizing patterns and addressing potential issues upfront, agencies can ensure better client relationships. She suggests asking critical questions that reveal the client’s understanding of success in their industry as well as their past experiences with agencies.
In preparation for client introductory sessions, Emily recommends asking six key questions to ensure alignment and successful partnerships. These questions focus on defining success metrics, understanding past agency collaborations, aligning with core values, standing out from competitors, choosing an agency over internal employees, and understanding the client’s perspective on failure. By getting clear answers to these questions, agencies can onboard more committed and enthusiastic clients.
Emily emphasizes the need for clear communication, mutual respect, and goal alignment in client-agency relationships. Asking clients about their alignment with the agency’s core values and reasons for choosing an agency over internal employees can help determine the compatibility of the partnership. She advises walking away from clients who cannot answer these questions or do not align with the agency’s values to avoid potential issues in the future.
By focusing on onboarding the right clients, Emily has noticed improvements in her team’s happiness, work-life balance, and quality of deliverables. Choosing clients that align with the agency’s values and expectations has led to longer-lasting and more lucrative relationships. Emily believes that onboarding the right clients is crucial for agency success and growth. She also emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and improvement in client relationships for long-term success.
