ADVICE FROM THE CLIENT SIDE

Last week, I shared some thoughts (for my marketing friends) on how to get the most from your agencies... coming from someone who’s spent nearly two decades on the client side and is now back co-running an agency.

I promised I’d come back with the flip side.

Agency friends — this one’s for you/us…  Agencies do better work when we really understand what life is like on the client side.

1☝️ The work (whatever talents you provide) is 100% of your job. It’s a fraction of theirs. For a CMO, VP, or Marketing Director, agency deliverables are one sliver of what they’re responsible for.

They’re measured on business results.
They’re expected to present the work (strategy, creative, media, insights), the results, the implications, the trends — and know it all.
They manage teams and partners.
They defend budgets.
They navigate internal politics.
They’re asked to do more with less. Over and over. (And therefore, so are we)
They answer to a CFO, a president, a board.
So when they miss a deadline to approve work that the team worked all weekend to deliver on time, it’s not meant to be disrespectful or about you. It’s bandwidth. They hate it too.

2✌️ Your job is to make their jobs easier.... Not just to make great work.
That means:
– Remind them of things you’ve already covered
– Resend the doc without frustration (and make it easy to digest)
– Give them talking points for their bosses and teams
– Package work in a way that connects to business goals
– Help them prep for meetings you’re not even in
– Say yes, with clarity on trade-offs
“Can we do this tomorrow?”
Yes, and here’s what else shifts.
“Can we cut the budget?”
Yes/Maybe — and here’s what we lose.

The more you reduce friction in their world, the stronger the relationship — and the longer it lasts.

3✌️☝️ Trust comes from honesty + flexibility. Tell the truth.
Say what you actually think will work.
Ask questions about the business.
Push for the data and goals behind the request.
But also…
If they choose a different route because of internal realities you can’t see, don’t dig your heels in. Don’t become the “yes agency”, but don’t be the “that will never work” agency either. The best partners hold a point of view and adapt to context.

The best client–agency relationships are built just like strong personal ones:
Go out of your way to help the other succeed. Ask questions. Communicate. Assume good intentions… And always, give each other some grace.

Grace Creative is a leading advertising agency redefining marketing to consumers 50+.