Dear Client,
Something I’ve never understood is why a company would hire an Agency and then question every concept, every strategy and every tactic that’s presented. After you’ve gone through the process to interview and hire an Agency, it just doesn’t make sense to not trust them.
If you think you can do it better, you’re probably right because you’ll hinder your Agency’s progress at every step. If your mindset is that you have better creative ideas, greater strategic planning abilities, and a stronger sense of what makes impactful copy and design – do us all a favor and don’t hire an Agency in the first place. Because what happens when you step into a relationship with that perspective is that you undermine all the skill and talent of the team you’ve just hired to help you reach your goals.
So… from the outset, we all lose.
Creative people are sensitive (myself included). And that sensitivity is what drives us to deliver work that moves the needle. Great creative people are observant, we understand human behavior and what kind of messaging and visuals will appeal to them. We’re out of the box thinkers who come up with big ideas and work collaboratively to execute marketing perfection. We see the big picture and how this one concept will help you reach your goals a year from now.
When you don’t trust us, we never get the opportunity to do our job and live our purpose, which is to help you grow and reach your goals through creative and influential marketing. And you never really get what you want because you spin everyone’s wheels with indecision and crazy amounts of revisions and changes, only to end up with a mediocre result (at best).
The truth is – when you’re unwilling to take the professional guidance of the folks who live and breathe marketing all day — every single day, you’ve essentially decided to be your own surgeon while also laying on the operating table under anesthesia, and all the talent who can ensure a smooth operation are watching from the observation deck. How can that ever work? You wouldn’t want someone micro-managing you in your job, right?
So here’s our suggestion. Do your due diligence to hire the right Agency for your business. Do some research, look at Agency outcomes, ask great questions, and hire the Agency that is best suited to your needs. Then give them the information they need to do their jobs – like your business goals, your advertising budget, your approval process – and then step back and watch them work. You may be surprised how productive a partnership can be when you just let go a little.
With respect & gratitude,
Darci
This is part of an ongoing blog series, Dear Client, that will provide insights and advice on how to get the greatest results from your Agency partnership, written by Darci Knowles.
