I hope all is well. At the end of the day business relationships (agency or otherwise) are about value received compared to fees expended. If the cost benefit relationship is acceptable to both parties the relationship will endure…if not the relationship will have a limited lifecycle. Sustainable business relationships create value for both parties and to the extent they become out of balance problems will follow.

I recently authored a post which might be of interest to you entitled: “Is The Customer Always Right?” The post can be read here: http://www.n2growth.com/blog/?p=104

All my best to you and Sue. Thanks Lee…

Cheers,
Mike

You say: “On the agency side, there must be an effective process in place for accurately assessing the client situation and making proper recommendations.” This is very true, but like in a marriage, there needs to be an “ongoing process in place” (good communication), since people and relationships change over time.

My many years in sales, marketing and online/offline advertising have taught me that the best way to “sell” (educate) or maintain a healthy relationship is to “ask questions” or “fact find”, and then “peel the onion”. This can expose the “real needs” in a “needs analysis”. In fact, the “diagnostic approach” is an accepted keyword term for sales professionals.

I like your willingness to share educational information, and I’m hoping you or one of your readers will come up with a search marketing version of the “Feedback” forms I mentioned previously. Forms like these could be customized for “upfront” fact finding purposes, as well as ongoing purposes. Here is that suggestion again with a link to what a traditional ad agency association has come up with. If you look at page 25 you will see a cartoon that has some piercing humor to it.

“One suggestion to help buyer and seller is this. This

This happens to work with most people; say their correct and yuo usually receive a positive reaction.

It is crucial to have an adequate well-informed assesment of the client’s needs well in advance of any offering. A custom offering must be developed in nearly every scenario. That’s the reality. Please tell me if anyone has found another way. I’m all ears.

A good understanding of client’s product / target market, sales process and internal implementation capablilities are essential. Their staffing set up and internal communications structure must be throroughly reviewed and I recommend interviewing their staff with extensive intake – written, verbal and documented (without exhausting them) before you come to the table with an offered Plan of Action.

I hope this helps.