For starters, David Kelly is an outlier. He spent over 40 years in advertising!
This just doesn’t happen.
You either get fired before you are ready to leave. Or your liver gives out on you.
Few make it as far as David.
For 15-ish years I worked with him. And I now wish I had some of that time back.
Because I sure did walk away with some great insights and perspectives from him.
Here are the five things I took away from our sit-down with David when he joined us at Over A Pint.
Take Away #1: Build Trust With Every Client
Trust is a big and powerful force. If you have it…you can do great things with a client.
You can hold on to business during downtimes. And you can get a lot of extra business when times are good.
But building trust is a long, hard road. And with just one slip-up it could all be washed away.
So, how do you go about building and maintaining trust?
Start with this: It takes time so set expectations. This won’t happen overnight.
Next, keep your promises. Deliver when you say you are going to deliver.
And finally, stand up and take accountability when you made a mistake.
Simple. But not always easy.
Take Away #2: Know Your Client’s Job — Understand Their World
David made a point about this one. If you are going to build trust it’s important to understand your client’s job.
What challenges do they have?
How is their organization structured?
Who do they have to report to?
How are they being evaluated?
What’s important to them?
It comes down to this: If you are in it for the long haul, then give a damn about your clients.
Take Away #3: The Pace Of Business Has Increased And Its Never Going To Slow Down
This is a reoccurring theme on our show: the speed of business is increasing. Clients demand more in shorter periods of time.
What used to take 8 weeks. Now needs to be done in 4. And 2 would be even better.
Can’t keep up? You won’t hold on to the business very long.
Does this increase in speed come at a price? It sure does. But it’s not going to change.
This is the new game. Accept it and build it into your organization.
Take Away #4: It’s All About The Art of Give And Take
David had a lot of great lines throughout the episode. One of my favorites was: “clients don’t like to fight with their agency.”
Agencies need to understand this idea. Because at the end of the day…the client is the one cutting the checks.
Sure they may be wrong. They might have selected the wrong campaign. Gone with the safe creative…oh well.
Trying to bulldoze ideas through can work…but not for long before the client gets fed up and pulls the account.
I’ve seen it happen firsthand.
Instead, look for opportunities to test out new ideas where it makes sense. Give a little and take a little. It may not be ideal…but it is an approach that will help retain clients.
Take Away #5: At The End Of The Day It’s About The Relationships You Forge
Over the years I’ve heard my share of agency stories from David. But when he looks back on an outstanding career — it’s not the war stories that count it’s the relationship with others.
That for sure got me thinking.
We spend so much time at our jobs. And all too often the relationships that seem strong and deep go out the door once a person leaves.
Keeping the connection going is a lot of work. But it sure seems worth the effort.
Thanks again, David for your time and your insights.
To find out more about Ascedia, go here.
To connect with me email: pmcgovern@ascedia.com
