Dealing w/Client Conflict

As someone fortunate enough to have been brought up through the account service ranks by great mentors, I've directly encountered, seen or learned about a wide variety of conflicts with clients. As you grow and experience different situations, you learn to have an appreciation for how serious (or not) certain conflicts are.

The most enduring advice I learned early on is that agency-client relationships are like marriages. Some are short, others endure, some end amicably and others don't. Even in the good relationships...just like marriage...conflict is inevitable.

Conflict isn't necessarily bad at all. The key to "healthy" conflict is a relationship based on agreed-to principles. If it's all about the business result, then having a creative-driven discussion can be problematic if there's not a direct tie to the numbers. If both parties enter a relationship focused on strict adherence to budgets, then presenting worthy big ideas that require extra money on the client's part can be a non-starter. When principles align, the debate can be spirited, as everyone has the same objective in mind. Nothing wrong with that.

I've always found transparency to be the best approach. You can be tactful in your arguments, but be indelibly clear on your position. If you screwed up, say so...and tell them how the situation is being dealt with. If the client is in your opinion unfairly upset, defend yourself, your team or your agency. That doesn't mean be combative. You know your clients well enough to understand what demeanor is appropriate.

The one area that nobody should have any tolerance for is disrespect from either side. There is nothing that can demotivate someone on your team or the client's as much as a condescending, rip your head off ass-chewing. I have no problem with someone being upset and expressing their frustrations. That's bound to happen...and it can be done in a frank, respectful manner. What, as a team leader, you should demonstrate and demand is respect for others regardless of the circumstances. Challenging anyone (client or agency) who does otherwise is not only a good show of leadership, it's a way to ensure admiration amongst your team.

A motivating management tool for juniors

Newsflash - advertising is not a business for the timid. When you combine the complexities of what we do, the egos involved and the dollars at stake, it's enough to make any junior person on your team shy away from asking questions or offering opinions. And in certain circumstances, that's OK. We don't want anyone on our team's vocal opinion to make them (or us) look inept in front of colleagues or clients.

What's important as a manager, though, is that you make sure juniors on your team feel they have not just a voice, but an obligatory participative role in what's going on beyond their immediate responsibilities. "What do you think?" is an empowering gesture...an expression of value. Either you value the answer they will give, or you value the opportunity to teach and mentor them if you don't agree with what you hear.

The appropriate time or place to ask questions like this is at your discretion as a manager, but don't neglect the opportunity. If you've hired the right people, you are bound to learn a thing or two, and they will walk away feeling appreciated.

Be a respite for your customers

Can the news get any worse (wait--don't answer that). As I checked in this morning with the Today Show to see which crisis du jour Matt, Meredith and Ann are mulling over, it occurred to me how nice it would be to see or hear something...anything that would lift my spirits a bit. I'm sure most Americans feel the same.

As managers and leaders of brand experiences on behalf of our clients, don't lose sight of that perspective. Regardless of what your product or service is, any respite you can provide customers from the storm of bad news raining down on us can only be a positive. There are several ways to do that...

-View advertising as entertainment (especially on TV). Yes, we should have been doing this all along, but any way we can delight our customers while informing them...tell a funny story, a feel good story, put a smile on their face...will be appreciated even more now than it has in the past.

-Refine your client's service experience. Even categories that are perceived as mundane (banking, insurance, etc) can look at the ways they interact with clients and make it a more entertaining, endearing experience. For example, why couldn't a bank's website offer an iTunes playlist while on the site? Customers notice the little things...and they will appreciate it.

-Offer something customers will not expect but greatly appreciate. Again, most astute marketers would say this should have already been happening. Whether its' a unique discount (like Hyundai's return policy), or a random, on-the-spot discount, or something completely different...work with your clients to catch their customers off guard.

I'm not saying clients can make customers forget about what's going on around us...that's not realistic and not respectful to the problems people face. What I am saying is that we all need more reasons to smile and appreciate the little things these days. Brands who give us more of those opportunities will win.

Whenever the economy turns for the better, brands who make the effort to entertain and provide a brief respite to their customers will a) realize they should have been doing it all along and b) be steps ahead of their competition.

Also, Matt, Meredith and Ann will then be able to once again turn their focus to more important subjects like Brangelina's newest baby, Brittany's sanity and promos for new NBC shows....

Ask.com goes NASCAR

I'm not one of those who gets NASCAR. Nevertheless, while channel flipping in desperate need to for something to watch, I saw what I view as a great sponsorship and brand integration...

Not sure if they've done this in the past, but I thought Ask.com's sponsorship of the Daytona 500 was a smart move. True to what Martin Lindstrom says about effective brand sponsorships being truly integrated into the programming, Ask.com's sponsorship has been worked in very nicely during the race.

By literally asking questions about the race, it's competitors and it's history, TV viewers (the vast majority of whom are hard-core fans) are sent to Ask.com to find the answers...which is exactly what the site's premise is.

I'm generally skeptical of any sponsorship opportunity for my clients unless I can check the following boxes...

1) My client's brand has a clear connection with the sponsoring brand. It doesn't have to be obvious (as in an auto parts brand sponsoring a NASCAR race), and in fact the uniqueness of the connection is sometimes what creates some of the buzz.

2) Brand integration into the event itself. This can't just be about having a name or a sticker on a car. My client needs to have an active role in telling the event's story. Think Coca Cola room for American Idol.

3) The exposure justifies the price. We work with our media team from an exposure perspective (similar to outdoor or guerilla) to understand how much we'd be paying per viewer, and whether that's in-line with other opportunities. While a more integrated sponsorship is going to increase the length and entanglement of my client's viewers, I need to make sure we can reach a critical mass of potential customers that justify the investment.

I'm curious to hear how others view sponsorships for their clients.

What Leaders Do

A little latitude, if you will, for my football analogy...

Having lived in the Dallas area for the last 11 years, I've little-by-little shed my affinity for the Denver Broncos and turned my allegiance towards the Cowboys (though John Elway will forever be my sports hero). As a newly minted Cowboys fan, perhaps I can look more objectively at what ails their organization vs. one of our bitter historical rivals and newly-crowned World Champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers. There's also a good lesson for account managers.

The Cowboys are a team of stars (pun somewhat intended) with a clear lack of common purpose. Too many individual agendas and no reverence for their collective potential. While some of that's personality-driven and falls on the players' shoulders, it's obvious there's no leader with the gravitas to "motivate" people, set the team's bearings on the same path and move forward in unison. Additionally, the current coach (who's not a natural leader to begin with) isn't empowered by the owner to make adjustments to his team's make-up as he sees fit. Talk about a recipe for disaster.

Contrast that with the Steelers, whose record of stability and success is almost unparalleled in modern sports. Three coaches over almost 30 years, completely empowered by ownership to run the team as they see fit. While the team has been littered with Hall of Famers, rarely do you see the "me first" attitudes you get in Dallas. Anyone who doesn't buy in to the team concept isn't there long. Mike Tomlin, at the ripe age of 36, was trusted by ownership because of his unwavering demand that everyone on the team put the team's goals ahead of their own. It's funny how the team's winning took care of a lot of personal goals in the process. What Tomlin and the Steelers have also shown is that talent and prima donna don't have to go in the same sentence. Look at the Steelers defense and you'll find the most star-studded lineup in the league.

In the ad business, there's no doubt that finding and retaining talent is critical (especially if you lead a team). But the adage "you are only as good as the talent you have" is only half partly true. If someone isn't in charge who can turn everyone in the same direction, that talent is wasted.

In my opinion, here's what common in great leaders...
-Provide vision
-Attract talent that puts the team's goals above all else
-They are 100% empowered to make decisions
-While confident in their abilities, there's a sense of humility...that they are actually in the service of their team vs. in charge
-They walk the talk

I'd like to think there's someone out there who meets this criteria for the Cowboys, but I unfortunately know any coach will never be empowered to lead in Dallas. Sigh.....