In the Council of Public Relations Firms’ new weekly publication, The Firm Voice, Chairman of New York City-based Makovsky & Company, Ken Makovsky, is interviewed about the importance of client retention. To build these long-term relationships Makovsky says “it is understanding and adapting to the client's culture” that is most important. Ken Makovsky goes on to list the top three reasons clients leave an agency and how a firm can prepare for such an issue:
"The top three reasons clients leave an agency are: 1) budget cuts or other issues 2) an agency not keeping promises 3) agency staff turnover.
A number of years ago I took a survey of clients on why they leave agencies. The number one thing they look for is agencies who keep promises. They cite firms meeting editorial quotas and changing attitudes, to meeting deadlines and returning phone calls on time.
With regard to the first reason, you can't do anything about it. But we do try to anticipate non-budget issues. When we get a new client and have our internal Quality Commitment meeting, we raise the question: What are anticipated problems that could occur with this client? And, we prepare for them. Another solution is to have a good internal tracking system to ensure promises are kept. The third reason, on the agency side, is you need to have personnel policies that ensure that people want to stay. If you have a change in personnel on the client side, you should be in the client's office presenting to the new staff member right away. This presentation must include a total history of the agency-client relationship. Even clients put this off. You have to push hard to get such a meeting and it should be looked upon as an opportunity for the agency to sell itself again."
Information taken from:
Makovsky, Ken. "Client Retention Magic: How to Create Long-Term Relationships." The Firm Voice. 21 May 2008. Council of Public Relations Firms.
See: http://www.firmvoice.com
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