Of Client Dealing and Other Stories

Running an agency is a high-pressure job - my elevated blood pressure and cholesterol levels attest to that. My career as a digital marketer did not really prepare me for this side of running a business. Here is a summary of my learnings so far, in the hopes it can aid any budding entrepreneur on their perilous yet rewarding journey in the marketing world.

Learning Number 1: Never assume that you and your client are on the same page when it comes to terminology

In my very initial marketing pitches, I faced issues with the term organic. To me, organic followers mean those who come without any paid effort - more a result of your brand awareness, to the client it meant leads coming from ad campaigns. So when the client asked us for 5000 organic followers in the very first month, I refused to commit to that which resulted in us losing that pitch. I also have faced issues with the term digital marketing which I have learned that in Pakistan, most people equate with Social Media Marketing. I actually got into a long-winded debate with a WhatsApp lead wherein she asked for our digital marketing rates (we don't do packages, by the way, our proposals are highly customized based on client needs) I asked her what she required within the realm of digital marketing and she replied by saying just send me the rates and then told me I just lost a customer because I asked too many questions!

Learning Number 2: Never commit to performance-based retainers

There are just too many factors to consider. Even if you have thoroughly weighed in all factors such as historical data or associated budget, there are still too many external and internal hindrances that can arise. One of the mistakes we made initially was to promise KPIs to one of our clients based on industry benchmarks only, as there was no historical data. We were still able to meet the KPI but the amount of stress was not worth it. Also, the client later amended the KPI to make it even more unachievable which is when we said goodbye.

Learning Number 3: Run the other way if there are two decision-makers that cannot agree

We locked a renowned brand quite early on. But that brand was a franchise. The franchise owners and the lead brand manager could never agree on the direction. We spent hours and hours on creating and sending creatives to them which if one liked, the other did not. One month down the road, they "broke up" with us because the franchise owners felt we were listening to the brand manager more than them. This is a red flag that we have identified and marked for all future dealings.

Learning Number 4: Never take on a project that does not cover its cost

We took on two projects which resulted in a loss to us because they were women-led - one of the projects we were able to complete at a loss, for the other one - we reimbursed the money back because we felt we were unable to deliver. They were paying below-par, yet required the highest quality of services - we could not assign our best resources to them because their time was engaged on other better-paying projects - hence you see the conundrum. We tried to deliver but there were too many decision makers involved and we were unable to achieve consensus after consuming many many resource hours. This resulted in frustration on both ends, hence we amicably said goodbye after reimbursing their money.

Learning Number 5: Never take on friends and family as clients

I cannot emphasize this point enough. We have had several experiences with this and none of them ended well. The expectations are high and so is the sensitivity. Just DON'T!

Learning Number 6: Set boundaries upfront

Dealing with clients, if you do not lay down your boundaries upfront, can take over your entire life. Yes, earning is important, but so is your family, mental health, and peace of mind. Hence it is extremely essential to lay down boundaries early on in terms of your availability, frequency, and amount of touchpoints, deadlines, and deliverables.

Learning Number 7: Know when to walk away

Last but not the least, know when to walk away. No amount of money is worth your self-respect - know when to say no to projects that might sound lucrative but have clear red flags, know when to disconnect from a toxic client, know how to establish boundaries - in short-

GO ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR THOSE CLIENTS THAT RECOGNIZE YOUR EFFORTS BUT AT THE SAME TIME KNOW YOUR OWN SELF-WORTH!