Agencies & Consultancies

Training for agencies at all skill levels

  • Account management
  • New business
  • Confidence
  • Productivity
  • Writing
  • Motivating teams

In-House Comms

Training for in-house communications professionals

  • Best practice
  • Demonstrating value
  • Brand recognition
  • Confidence & Credibility
  • Media training

Kickstart Your PR!

Two-day intensive public relations workshop

  • Capturing media attention
  • Brand recognition
  • Engaging content
  • Supporting sales and marketing

Big Fish Balance

Mental health and wellness for communications professionals

  • Beating Burnout
  • mindfulness
  • Work-Life Balance
  • Mental Health in the Workplace

Kickstart Your PR!

Two-day intensive public relations workshop

  • Capturing media attention
  • Brand recognition
  • Engaging content
  • Supporting sales and marketing

Four Steps To Fruitful Client-Agency Relationships in 2020

We've made it to the final furlong of 2019! It feels like we should be winding down as the year draws to a close but, by all accounts, there are still a lot of briefs to tackle, and pitches to get through before we can down tools and usher in the next decade.

Four Steps To Fruitful Client-Agency Relationships in 2020

Strapped for time, we rarely take a step back and have the conversations that are necessary to address early frustrationsNew agency-client relationships will form and new campaigns will commence in the New Year, with all the optimism of a fresh new romance, brimming with ideas and enthusiasm.

But it's a depressing fact that the honeymoon period is often all too short. How long before the agency starts saying, "We've got all these great ideas, but our client just isn't listening to them"? How long before the client thinks, "The agency team just keeps asking the wrong questions"?

Strapped for time, we rarely take a step back and have the conversations that are necessary to address early frustrations. Instead they fester and infect the relationship... sometimes indefinitely.

Long-Term Versus Short-Term

The thing is, we are all in it together. And, ultimately, we all have the same long-term goal. Whichever side of the table you are on, you're invested in doing great work that hits the right objectives and earns you a virtual high-five from the people that matter.

However, it's all too easy to lose sight of the longer term goals. Agency teams quickly develop a laser focus for detail, for hitting weekly and monthly KPIs and diligently report back on regular calls. But it can feel like the client isn't really listening. In-house comms managers have got other balls to juggle, targets to hit and budgets to play for. And it can feel to them that the agency doesn't really understand their pressures.

If matters do come to a head, it'll probably be around a meeting table when one party is least expecting it. At which point, the agency will most likely vomit solutions onto the aforementioned table with embarrassingly little consideration of the end goal.

I'd hate anyone to interpret this as a general criticism of agencies not being strategic enough. That's absolutely not the case. But it is easy for agencies - and in-house comms teams, for that matter - to get caught up in the weeds.

Step Away From the Day-to-Day

It's fine to say: "This is my response right now, but I don't have all the answers.It would be easy to say the answer lies in listening better. It does, of course. But it's more than just keeping one's mouth shut for a chunk of the next conference call or meeting.

The canny account handler needs to think about building time into the programme to ask questions and genuinely listen to the replies. That probably isn't during the weekly conference call or even the monthly meeting or quarterly review. It might be a separate 1-2-1 call or coffee and a chat. The point is, we need to identify the opportunities to have an actual two-way conversation, not just deliver a download on the progress we've made towards hitting the KPIs.

Lose the Game Face

Such a conversation requires confidence. So often, it's too scary to acknowledge a failure; that something we've done hasn't worked as well as we thought it should. And that we don't have all the answers. So we ignore it, and try to move on. Then it comes back to bite us around that meeting room table when we're least expecting it, so we slap on the game face and try to solve the problem in the room.

Slow down.

Hemingway said: "The first draft of anything is shit." So much truth in that statement.

We need to give ourselves permission to be honest. It's fine to say: "This is my response right now, but I don't have all the answers. Give me time to reflect and I will come back to you with them." And then go away, consider the problem and work out all of the possible solutions. Only then should you try to discuss them.

Collaboration is What You Need

Once you take away the pressure of delivering an immediate "wow moment" response, the relief is palpable, and true discussion can take place. That's the point at which true collaboration begins between client and agency, and where each has mutual respect for the other. And surely that's the mark of a good relationship.

Good luck with all of those pitches, and make sure you take steps to ensure the honeymoon period isn't over by Valentine's Day in 2020!

Training Courses for PR and Comms Agencies

show all

All of our training courses for agency professionals

talented with clients

Be credible, effective and prevent problems

talented in the office

Manage time, people and campaigns with ease

talented with the media

Writing and pitching stories that get noticed

bigfish balance

Wellness Programmes for PR and Comms Professionals
Advanced Presentation Training
with Clients

Become a captivating and effective presenter

More

Awareness of First Aid for Mental Health
Big Fish Balance

FAA Level 1 Award, Regulated Qualifications Framework

More

Beating Burnout
Big Fish Balance

Stop stress from dragging you down

More

Becoming a Manager
in the Office

Incorporate great management techniques into your daily life

More

Bespoke Leadership Coaching
in the Office

By application only

More

Bite-Sized Leadership Coaching
in the Office

Rapid coaching conversations

More

Client Management
Talented with Clients

Improve and develop your working relationships with each client

More

Confidence and Assertiveness
in the Office

Say what you mean, professionally and directly

More

Creating Work-Life Balance
Big Fish Balance

Don't choose between your career and your life: have both

More

Crisis Communications
with Clients

Where do you start when it all goes wrong?

More

Grammar Crammer
in the Office

Grammatical errors and how to avoid them

More

Getting Buy-In
with Clients

Influencing and Persuading

More

Internal Communications Training
in the Office

On demand courses for internal comms professionals

More

Improving Personal Communication Skills
in the Office

Make good working relationships great

More

Kickstart Your PR!
with the Media

Introduction to PR

More

Mastering the Art Of Writing
Talented with the Media

How to write almost anything

More

Menopause in the Workplace
Big Fish Balance

How it can affect us, our work, and what to do about it

More

Mental Health in the Workplace
Big Fish Balance

Cultivate good mental health

More

Mental Health for Managers
Big Fish Balance

Create greater mental wellbeing in your team

More

Mindfulness in the Workplace
Big Fish Balance

Keeping your focus in times of chaos

More

Management and Leadership Training
in the Office

Get the best out of your team

More

Neurodivergence Awareness in the Workplace
Big Fish Balance

Embrace Neurodivergence for a More Inclusive Workplace

More

Neurodivergence for Managers
Big Fish Balance

Unlock the Potential of Neurodivergent Team Members

More

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Big Fish Balance

Equip yourself with the tools to build more confidence

More

Practical Creativity for PR
in the Office

Power up your brainstorms and boost your creativity

More

Practical coaching skills for managers
in the Office

Increase your team's engagement and productivity

More

Professional Impact and Presence
with Clients

Stop being overlooked

More

Editing and Proofreading Other People's Writing
in the Office

The seven steps to successful editing

More

Presentation Training
with Clients

Make every presentation more engaging and effective

More

Refresh your press release writing skills
with the Media

Be more successful at getting your stories published

More

Social Superstars
With the Media

How to Make Your Clients' Social Media Communications Shine

More

Supercharge Your Writing
with the Media

Take your writing to a higher level

More

Supervising First Aid for Mental Health
Big Fish Balance

FAA Level 3 Award, Regulated Qualifications Framework

More

Pitching to the Media
with the Media

Get more of your stories published

More

Time Management for Remote Working
in the Office

Manage your workload from home

More

Time Management
in the Office

Manage your workload and get tasks completed on time

More

Writing compelling content for the media
with the Media

Make your writing effective, engaging and shareable

More

Writing effective news releases
with the Media

Get more stories published

More