It’s fascinating when a client says something to me that I’ve already thought or said myself many times. As if hearing the idea for the first time, their comment hits my head (or my heart) and drives home a concept chock full of value. That’s exactly what happened to me during a recent Zoom call with a client.
We were talking about their media plans and how they suggested we approach their strategy for the coming season. We were working through their goals, their budget, previous success, and some new ideas to consider. We were looking at some expansion to new markets for them when they said to us, “just treat it exactly as you would if it were your company to market or advertise.”
Interestingly, that is exactly what my media buyer and I already do at our agency.
Early in the development of our marketing firm, I used to say to clients – “if this were my company, here is exactly what I would do.” With that caveat, I felt even better about sharing my recommendations.
A few years back, my son (and our media buyer at 5Points) considered purchasing a franchise in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Ultimately, he decided it wasn’t the right time. However, through an odd turn of events, the gentleman who did purchase the franchise became a client of ours. What did we do?
Right away, we shared with our new client the plans my son had put together as the new owner prepared to open the business.
When the pandemic first became real to many Americans, our agency did the very thing we encouraged our clients to do. We invested in additional advertising and shored up our marketing and outreach approach. It is far easier to make strong recommendations when the advice you give is the advice you follow. That seamless approach over time is simply the way you do business. You practice what you preach. Then, you treat your clients’ business just like you would if it were your own.
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