Art of Client Service

ROBERT SOLOMON is the world’s leading authority on how to improve creative work by forging and sustaining trust-based relationships with clients. Robert runs Solomon Strategic, a firm he founded in 1999 to provide marketing counsel to advertising agencies, client companies, and individual marketing professionals. Trained as a direct marketer who embraced Digital early on, Robert is known for his expertise as a brand strategist and new business developer. He is an expert speaker and workshop leader who also is certified as an organizational and executive coach, particularly skilled in job search. Robert has handled a wide range of consulting assignments, in both offline and online media, for more than a score of clients, including Ammirati Puris Lintas, Blitz, BoomBox, Brandmuscle, Chase Insurance, Cognitive Arts, Condé Nast, Digitas Health Lifebrands, Deep Focus, Draft Worldwide, Ferrara & Company, Initiative Media North America, PALAZZO | Investment Bankers, PCR, Procurian, R/GA, Saatchi & Saatchi X, Sotheby’s, and Womenkind. Robert previously was President of Direct and Interactive Marketing at Ammirati Puris Lintas, General Manager of FCB Direct West, and Senior Vice President of Bronner Slosberg Humphrey (now Digitas). Robert lives in Napa, California with his wife Roberta, and with the world’s best dogs, Alvin and Molly.

• Foreword xixIntroduction xxiiiChapter 1 What Makes Great Client Service? 1Part One How To Be Great With ClientsChapter 2 Account Management’s Role 9Chapter 3 Achieving the Next Level 13Chapter 4 Transforming a Career into a Calling 15Part Two Winning New Business For Your AgencyChapter 5 New Business: What It Is, Why It Is Important, and Why You Should Give a Damn 19Chapter 6 How to Contribute Before, During, and After Pitch Day 25Chapter 7 Getting to Yes 41Part Three Beginning A Client Relationship Chapter 8 In a High Tech World, Be Low Tech 47Chapter 9 What Success Looks Like 51Chapter 10 Always Manage Client Expectations from the Outset 53Chapter 11 Be Multilingual 57Chapter 12 Live the Client’s Brand 59Chapter 13 Ask, “What Do My Colleagues Need to Create Great Advertising?” Then Deliver It 61Part Four How To … Chapter 14 Run a Meeting 65Chapter 15 Brief a Colleague 71Chapter 16 Write a Conference Report 73Chapter 17 Perfect the Perfect Scope of Work 77Chapter 18 Craft That Schedule You Need to Create 89Chapter 19 Build a Better Budget 93Chapter 20 Draft a Letter of Proposal 101Chapter 21 Create a PowerPoint Presentation 111Part Five Formulating the Brief That Drives Great Creative Chapter 22 Take the Word Brief Seriously 119Chapter 23 What Makes a Brilliant Brief? 125Chapter 24 In Writing the Brief, Provide the Client’s Perspective 133Chapter 25 Know When to Look It Up; Know When to Make It Up 139Part Six Establishing Trust With ClientsChapter 26 Great Work Wins Business; a Great Relationship Keeps It 143Chapter 27 Client Presentations Are as Important as New Business Presentations 145Chapter 28 Always Ask, “Does This Advertising Pass the ‘So What’ Test?” 149Chapter 29 Don’t Fall in Love with Good Work; Don’t Fall for Bad Work 151Chapter 30 Choice Is Good 155Chapter 31 Fight About the Work with Colleagues; Fight for It with Clients 157Chapter 32 Do Not Sell 161Chapter 33 Bring Your Clients into the Process Early and Often 163Chapter 34 Respect What It Takes to Do Great Creative 165Chapter 35 Credit Is for Creative Directors 169Chapter 36 We Are Smarter Together Than We Are Alone 171Chapter 37 Judgment Overrides Any Rule 173Chapter 38 Ideas Are the Currency We Trade in 175Part Seven Building Long-Term Client Relationships Chapter 39 Make No Commitment without Consultation 193Chapter 40 Take on the Coloration of Your Clients; Do Not Compromise Your Character 197Chapter 41 Never Forget It’s a Business 199Chapter 42 Once a Client, Always a Client 201Chapter 43 Going Rogue 203Part Eight How To Deal With Unhappy Clients  Chapter 44 Always Think Endgame 207Chapter 45 No Surprises about Money or Time 209Chapter 46 Deal with Problems Head-On 211Chapter 47 If Things Go Wrong, Take the Blame 213Chapter 48 What Happens When I Screw Up? 215Chapter 49 Getting Fired 219Part Nine Regaining Client Trust Chapter 50 How Happy Clients Help You Gain New Ones 223Chapter 51 Five Client Challenges to Agencies 225Chapter 52 Five Client Service Principles to Believe In 233Acknowledgments: Remember To Say “Thank You” 243Postscript 245A Bunch of Books to Make You Better At What You Do 249About The Author 253Index 255