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jcouchoud's review against another edition
3.0
This was a very quick read. There are a few useful pointers and reminders of how to provide excellent client service. Very relevant to agency work. Nothing really blew my mind here, but it's a solid primer, especially if you are just starting out.
brendanpgh's review against another edition
5.0
Super interesting to see all of these case studies. Easy to read, practical and well written
savanna12's review against another edition
3.0
A very well written book. The reason I’m giving it such a low rating is simply because it seemed like it would apply tips to self-marketing or marketing in general, but it’s actually more of a book for those working with corporate agencies.
readbydeb's review
4.0
Very informative and easy to read book about how to be a good marketing account manager. The information is presented in easy to digest chunks with great, real world examples that help to drive the points home. You can tell that the author is very knowledgeable, but it never felt like he was trying to prove that he was the master of account service or that he knows better than anyone else. However, it did start feeling repetitive towards the end of the book, to the point where I wondered if I had already read the chapter.
Notes
- Define what success looks like at the outset, and make sure it's achieveable and realistic. What is the goal of the project? What reaction does the client want from their stakeholders?
- Know the client inside and out. Be completely steeped in their brand. Know the history, people, culture. Know what people and the press are saying about them. Consider their opportunities and threats and how you can address them.
- Be clear from the get go about schedules, budget and strategy, even on quick-turn, fire-drill projects.
- Manage client expectations from the outset, and make sure they clearly understand how the entire project will go/don't take concepts too literally so there's no disappointment/surprises down the road. Look out for blatant or subtle client concerns and address them/ask probing questions to get clarity.
- Keep creative briefs brief. They should be focused, sharp and tight. Involve the creative team in the process whenever possible. Focus on: current situation, problem the project is trying to solve (from the viewer's perspective), objective, benefit/promise (must be strong enough to overcome the problem and meet the objective), facts supporting the benefit/promise, audience, competitors, tone, mandatories.
- "Combine what you know with what you feel in order to push for new ideas and better solutions" (P27) sometimes you just need to use your instinct
- The marketing can't just be on strategy, it has to be engaging and make them want to pay attention
- "If you are satisfied with work that is merely good, you will never deliver great work for your clients" (p41)
- If a piece of work is bad, you need to clearly explain why, such as its not on strategy, don't engage the viewers, doesn't clearly deliver the message, etc.
- Typically three concepts is a good number to present; it provides choices without being overwhelming. But make sure you only present concepts you would be comfortable executing.
- Fight about the work with colleagues; fight for it with clients.
- As an account person, it is your job to improve the work that creatives show you, not approve it. Give constructive feedback that respects the work they put into it.
- Your job is to push for great, if what you're seeing is merely good.
- Presentations to existing clients are just as important as new business presentations.
- When giving a presentation to a client, it is important that one person from your doesn’t dominate the conversation or else you run the risk of the client thinking everyone else isn’t competent or senior enough to know what they’re doing. If someone doesn’t have a role in the meeting, they shouldn’t be there.
- Be prepared to adjust your presentation to your client’s needs instead of insisting on your own agenda. Otherwise they’ll tune it out.
- How you say it is second only to what you say. Sometimes it works best to speak informally and relaxed yet confidently, and that cannot happen when you wing it, it works better when you have time to prepare.
- The opening to a presentation is the most important and sets the tone for the entire conversation. A mistake in the beginning will throw you off your game.
- Anticipate what might happen and be prepared for it; that way you’ll be ready even if it doesn’t end up happening. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
- Make sure you can support what you say/recommend.
- Make sure you listen to your client; ask them questions and allow them to talk rather than spending the entire presentation talking yourself.
- Internal meetings need to be as punctual as client meetings. Start on time, end on time. Goal should be to make meetings as short as possible. Make sure all meetings are actually necessary, include only the necessary people and that you accomplish what you set out to accomplish.
- Create an agenda to determine if a meeting is actually necessary or if an email or phone call can suffice. If the meeting won’t advance the work or if you can accomplish that as effectively without a meeting, it’s not needed. If you do need a meeting, stick with the agenda and share the agenda with the client beforehand to get their input. Agenda is your guide, but don’t let it control the meeting if it ends up needing to go a different direction.
- Say what you have to say quickly, clearly and concisely.
- Send a follow up after each meeting/call in which a decision was made to make sure it’s clear to everyone.
- “The two fatal mistakes an account person can make are to become either the client’s ‘man’ at the agency or the agency’s ‘man’ at the client. Both fail. A good account person gives us objectivity, commitment, insight and—above all—truth.” - Martin Puris, CEO Ammirati & Puris. You need good judgement to be a good account person; and this comes from learning from previous bad judgement.
- You need face time with your clients. If you lack a reason to see them, make one.
- Need to make sure client feels loyal not just to you, but to others in the agency and to the agency as a whole.
- Great work wins business; a great relationship keeps it. Relationships are more than just face time; it’s also building trust with your client by asking the right questions, anticipating and solving problems, meeting commitments, managing expectations, eliminating unpleasant surprises, taking ownership and acting with integrity. A client who trusts you will forgive honest mistakes and partner with you in taking the risks that lead to great work.
- Collaboration is key. Don’t think of the different departments of your agency as competitors. You need one another to make the best possible marketing in the most efficient and cost effective way.
- Don’t make a commitment to a client (such as about tightening up a timeline) without consulting your team so you don’t make a promise you can’t keep.
- When a client makes a seemingly unreasonable request (about timeline, budget, revisions, etc.) don’t flat out say no and instead compromise.
- Get the facts on the table before giving your opinion so your opinion presents as informed.
- When the client is asking you to be an order taker to the detriment of the work, give them what they asked for but also present other options that give them what they need and solves the problems that what they asked for presented.
- Always advise clients up front about the cost or timing implications of their decisions so they can make an informed decision instead of being surprised later.
- Deal with trouble head on instead of waiting; you want to be the ones to deliver the bad news to your client rather than them finding out from another source.
- When having a dinner with a client, make sure it’s no more than 2 agency people per 1 person from the client side.
- Make sure you always say thank you to your team. It will show that you appreciate them and make them more willing to go the extra mile when you need them to.
- Great account people embody integrity, judgement, ideas, creativity, communication, patience, discipline, grace under pressure, a sense of humor, meticulousness, a sense of ownership, a spirit of collaboration, self-effacement, a sense of context and a service orientation.
Notes
- Define what success looks like at the outset, and make sure it's achieveable and realistic. What is the goal of the project? What reaction does the client want from their stakeholders?
- Know the client inside and out. Be completely steeped in their brand. Know the history, people, culture. Know what people and the press are saying about them. Consider their opportunities and threats and how you can address them.
- Be clear from the get go about schedules, budget and strategy, even on quick-turn, fire-drill projects.
- Manage client expectations from the outset, and make sure they clearly understand how the entire project will go/don't take concepts too literally so there's no disappointment/surprises down the road. Look out for blatant or subtle client concerns and address them/ask probing questions to get clarity.
- Keep creative briefs brief. They should be focused, sharp and tight. Involve the creative team in the process whenever possible. Focus on: current situation, problem the project is trying to solve (from the viewer's perspective), objective, benefit/promise (must be strong enough to overcome the problem and meet the objective), facts supporting the benefit/promise, audience, competitors, tone, mandatories.
- "Combine what you know with what you feel in order to push for new ideas and better solutions" (P27) sometimes you just need to use your instinct
- The marketing can't just be on strategy, it has to be engaging and make them want to pay attention
- "If you are satisfied with work that is merely good, you will never deliver great work for your clients" (p41)
- If a piece of work is bad, you need to clearly explain why, such as its not on strategy, don't engage the viewers, doesn't clearly deliver the message, etc.
- Typically three concepts is a good number to present; it provides choices without being overwhelming. But make sure you only present concepts you would be comfortable executing.
- Fight about the work with colleagues; fight for it with clients.
- As an account person, it is your job to improve the work that creatives show you, not approve it. Give constructive feedback that respects the work they put into it.
- Your job is to push for great, if what you're seeing is merely good.
- Presentations to existing clients are just as important as new business presentations.
- When giving a presentation to a client, it is important that one person from your doesn’t dominate the conversation or else you run the risk of the client thinking everyone else isn’t competent or senior enough to know what they’re doing. If someone doesn’t have a role in the meeting, they shouldn’t be there.
- Be prepared to adjust your presentation to your client’s needs instead of insisting on your own agenda. Otherwise they’ll tune it out.
- How you say it is second only to what you say. Sometimes it works best to speak informally and relaxed yet confidently, and that cannot happen when you wing it, it works better when you have time to prepare.
- The opening to a presentation is the most important and sets the tone for the entire conversation. A mistake in the beginning will throw you off your game.
- Anticipate what might happen and be prepared for it; that way you’ll be ready even if it doesn’t end up happening. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
- Make sure you can support what you say/recommend.
- Make sure you listen to your client; ask them questions and allow them to talk rather than spending the entire presentation talking yourself.
- Internal meetings need to be as punctual as client meetings. Start on time, end on time. Goal should be to make meetings as short as possible. Make sure all meetings are actually necessary, include only the necessary people and that you accomplish what you set out to accomplish.
- Create an agenda to determine if a meeting is actually necessary or if an email or phone call can suffice. If the meeting won’t advance the work or if you can accomplish that as effectively without a meeting, it’s not needed. If you do need a meeting, stick with the agenda and share the agenda with the client beforehand to get their input. Agenda is your guide, but don’t let it control the meeting if it ends up needing to go a different direction.
- Say what you have to say quickly, clearly and concisely.
- Send a follow up after each meeting/call in which a decision was made to make sure it’s clear to everyone.
- “The two fatal mistakes an account person can make are to become either the client’s ‘man’ at the agency or the agency’s ‘man’ at the client. Both fail. A good account person gives us objectivity, commitment, insight and—above all—truth.” - Martin Puris, CEO Ammirati & Puris. You need good judgement to be a good account person; and this comes from learning from previous bad judgement.
- You need face time with your clients. If you lack a reason to see them, make one.
- Need to make sure client feels loyal not just to you, but to others in the agency and to the agency as a whole.
- Great work wins business; a great relationship keeps it. Relationships are more than just face time; it’s also building trust with your client by asking the right questions, anticipating and solving problems, meeting commitments, managing expectations, eliminating unpleasant surprises, taking ownership and acting with integrity. A client who trusts you will forgive honest mistakes and partner with you in taking the risks that lead to great work.
- Collaboration is key. Don’t think of the different departments of your agency as competitors. You need one another to make the best possible marketing in the most efficient and cost effective way.
- Don’t make a commitment to a client (such as about tightening up a timeline) without consulting your team so you don’t make a promise you can’t keep.
- When a client makes a seemingly unreasonable request (about timeline, budget, revisions, etc.) don’t flat out say no and instead compromise.
- Get the facts on the table before giving your opinion so your opinion presents as informed.
- When the client is asking you to be an order taker to the detriment of the work, give them what they asked for but also present other options that give them what they need and solves the problems that what they asked for presented.
- Always advise clients up front about the cost or timing implications of their decisions so they can make an informed decision instead of being surprised later.
- Deal with trouble head on instead of waiting; you want to be the ones to deliver the bad news to your client rather than them finding out from another source.
- When having a dinner with a client, make sure it’s no more than 2 agency people per 1 person from the client side.
- Make sure you always say thank you to your team. It will show that you appreciate them and make them more willing to go the extra mile when you need them to.
- Great account people embody integrity, judgement, ideas, creativity, communication, patience, discipline, grace under pressure, a sense of humor, meticulousness, a sense of ownership, a spirit of collaboration, self-effacement, a sense of context and a service orientation.
jakekilroy's review against another edition
4.0
I can't believe I really enjoyed this book, as I have made a career out of avoiding business books (yuk yuk yuk). However, now that I've fully leaped into the advertising and marketing world, this book made sense. It was written for a person like me, forced to read it for work. But, because of this, it was a quick read and it was quick to the point and it quickly charmed me with the avoidance of corporate jargon. The world of advertising is fascinating, and it doesn't take a financial genius or a shark to get it. It's about ideas and, what's better than being creative and getting paid for it?
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