What, exactly, does client services do? It’s not what you think and it’s much more than communicating with clients and making sure they are satisfied.
At GRIT, our client services team provide support in a variety of ways, such as serving as a main point of contact for their clients, strategically recommending, informing and implementing marketing tactics and ensuring the team stays on budget and delivers projects on time. Client services helps GRIT deliver outstanding results – and we couldn’t do it without this key component.
For a behind-the-scenes look at how each department at GRIT has a hand in delivering and implementing projects, we recently sat down for a Q&A with a member of our client services team, Abby McGinnis, to get to know her perspective on client services, what it is and what she would tell prospective clients.
Q: What is the one thing you wish clients knew about working with a marketing agency?
Abby: You deserve a great experience! Your agency should be your partner. They should look to you as experts in what you do and bring you best-in-class ideas to meet your goals along with the ability to dig in and get things done.
Q: What is the one myth you wish you could bust about working with a marketing agency?
Abby: “It is going to be too expensive or I cannot afford it.” There are a lot of perceptions out there that working with a marketing agency will be expensive. At GRIT, we tailor our approach to each client’s goals, budgets and develop strategies and tactics focused on maximizing available resources. These resources include staff, internal expertise and budget.
Q: How can an agency add value to an in-house team?
Abby: We love the opportunity to work alongside marketing teams and we tailor our approach and delivery to meet their needs. Sometimes that means providing strategy and guidance, other times it means strategy coupled with execution. We work closely with clients to determine how we can best enhance their internal capabilities and support their teams.
Q: What is an important ingredient in a client/agency relationship?
Abby: A cultural match. At GRIT, working alongside clients who are a fit with our own internal agency culture is key. Having an aligned approach to doing business, trust and transparency make the best relationships tick and energizes the process for everyone involved.
Q: What exactly does a client services team member DO?
Abby: Client advocate. Budget steward. Cat herder (or ringmaster?). The GRIT team has an amazing lineup of specialized expertise. As a client services team member, I work to bring the right team members to the table to meet the client needs and work hard to ensure we are making the most of the budget and resources available to achieve the established goals. The buck also stops with me to make sure we are meeting our budget, hitting our deadlines and delivering outstanding service.
Q: If you could say anything to a prospective client, what would it be?
Abby: Don’t settle. You deserve a marketing agency partnership that delivers results and a great experience. If you are not happy with your current relationship, are not seeing the results you hoped for or have unanswered questions, let’s talk about how we can do better.
Q: What do you think GRIT does best in its client relationships?
Abby: At GRIT, we deliver. We do what we say we are going to do. No exceptions. Whether it’s on deadlines we’ve set, goals we’ve committed to or a promise we’ve made, we get it done.
Q: What should you expect from a client services rep?
Abby: Responsiveness. When you have questions, you should get answers and better yet, you should have an account representative who gives you information before you have questions. At GRIT, we are information junkies and I would always rather be accused of over-communicating versus the alternative.
Q: What do you most enjoy about your job?
Abby: No two days are the same and I have the opportunity to work with so many incredible people across a broad array of industries. I get to help shape local, national and international brands alongside an amazing team who I am blessed to learn from every day.
Q: What’s your favorite fun word to insert into conversations?
Abby: I love to throw in unexpected words and comments when the moment is right. The other day I used the words “spectacles” and “rotisserie chicken” in a meeting and both seemed to take everyone by surprise.
Are you interested in learning more about how GRIT’s client services team can improve your marketing, public relations, branding or graphic design efforts? Give us a call at 717-885-0014 or email us at [email protected]. We’re ready to bring our expertise to your next project!