One important aspect of marketing is developing a strong agency/client relationship, according to Marketing Land. Developing a favorable rapport takes time and effort from both parties, but one that could pay off for both. Marketing veterans have learned a few techniques that could be advantageous to the fresher’s in their industry.
First thing the new marketer should realize is that potential clients tend to be attracted to their own business styles. So, if a marketer works in a positive business environment where the exchange of ideas between worker and management is encouraged, then you won’t likely attract a client from a highly-structured business in which the manager surrounds himself with yes-men.
Another important concept in building up a favorable and long-lasting dialogue with a client is remembering that they know their own company better than you do. Because marketers deal with multiple clients, they tend to be very channel-smart when promoting their products. That is the strength they bring to the agency/client relationship. On the other hand, the client working for a widget-manufacturing company usually knows more about his widgets and who buys them than the marketing expert does.
A third important fact in marketing, a client believes strongly that a particular strategy is the absolute best way to sell his widgets, but you disagree with his/her idea. As a professional marketer, you must tell your client that your experience and training tells you it will not work. Ultimately, you must respect the client’s wishes even if you believe they are bad.
Another potentially frustrating situation occurs when a potential client is looking for marketing expertise at a cheap price. This would-be client will likely hire an amateur. The old adage, “you get what you pay for” applies here, but that is a lesson they must learn the hard way.
