Our recent blog post referenced a research study where marketing executives across the country stated what they need most from their outsourced marketing partner. We have to admit we were pretty excited when we saw the #1 attribute they look for is the ability to get work done quickly. That just happens to be something Rhycom has always been very good at.
The #1 most important quality in marketing providers was the ability to get work done quickly.
So, let’s dig into this a bit.
The prevailing ad agency mantra for many years was clients could pick any two out of three: fast, good, and affordable. You could get work that was fast and affordable, but not very good. Or you could get fast and good, but it would cost you an arm and a leg (think rush charges). You get the idea. But getting all three was out of the question. Something just had to give.
Our perspective given today’s business world is we need to work harder as true agency partners to deliver all three expectations in one form or another. Perhaps the descriptors need to change a bit to fit contemporary client expectations. At Rhycom, we like to think in terms of relevancy (good), urgency (fast), and fair (affordable). Whatever the nomenclature, we believe clients expect performance in all three areas resulting in true value from an ad agency.
We’re actually pretty excited about these research results because one of our advantages is we are able to get work done quickly. We still have specific processes and disciplines in place to make sure the work is on-target and effective, but we have made it our culture to not get bogged down by unnecessary activities. Working with a strong sense of urgency (that’s different than working with a sense of unreasonable, time-driven chaos), allows us to get our client’s work to market quickly. And speed to market, especially in a highly competitive business environment, can make or break our clients’ business.
We thought it might be helpful to share a few tips on things our clients do to help support a sense of urgency while still allowing for great work :
- Build mutual trust with honest deadlines.
The best client/agency relationships are able to develop a relationship built on trust and where everyone knows the real deadlines. Not every project is ASAP. Yet, some projects really are immediate. We will absolutely jump through hoops to get those done, but it goes so much further when we’ve developed that mutual trust and understanding with clients.
- Set specific deadlines.
It’s OK. We really do appreciate specific dates whenever possible. This helps eliminate any confusion and possible frustration. “When I said ASAP I really meant by end of day tomorrow, not the end of the week.” “Oh, shoot, we thought the end of the week was fast and totally ASAP.” See the potential confusion?
- Share business results.
As your agency partner, we are accountable for results and we love knowing specific business results. Hopefully, we are working towards set metrics from day one, but that’s not always the case. Knowing your goals and results to-date definitely helps create an ongoing sense of urgency with the agency team.
- Try to Avoid Nitpicking.
While there are certainly times (and projects) where detail and nitpicking are actually needed and appreciated (think website overhaul), many projects just don’t need to be nitpicked to death. Sure, every project is important, but try to keep the scope of the project in mind and weigh the pros and cons of delaying a project or getting to market now!
“A good idea for new business tends not to occur in isolation, and often the window of opportunity is very small. So speed is of the essence.”
Richard Branson
In conclusion, the pace of business today is supersonic. Either accept it and thrive. Or deny it and risk getting left behind. We choose acceptance! Let’s go.
