When is a supplier a partner?
Many service providers like to think of themselves as partners with their clients but all too often they’re self-deluded. In the client’s eyes, they are still suppliers. Why? Because the right to call yourself a partner is not something that comes the moment you win…
Understanding your client’s business
A marketing director at a blue-chip company told me once that he wanted to feel that he was getting some of his agency’s ‘shower time’. In other words, even in the shower, they were still thinking about his business. Clients actually want more than that,…
Putting yourself in the client’s shoes
A few months ago I went to see a marketing director who was having trouble containing his fury with his ad agency. He was so angry, in fact, that his clenched fist was turning white. The reason? A junior team from his agency had just…