Having been on both sides of the table, I've witnessed (and been a part of) healthy client-agency relationships and ones that were less so.

Not surprisingly, the necessary elements of a positive agency relationship are the same elements necessary for any relationship: Communication, Trust & Respect, and Appreciation.  So whether you need help with your love life or want to make the most of your agency, read on!

1. Communication: Share critical information with your agency.  Don't make them assume or guess at the parameters, needs, constraints, etc. that surround the relationship.  They are not mind readers (neither is your spouse, by the way). The more they know, the better they will do at meeting your objectives. Stop holding back from fear of divulging too much.  After all, you have an NDA, right? Also, encourage your agency partners to communicate openly and honestly with you.
2. Trust & Respect: You're excellent at what you do.  Go on, don't be needlessly humble.  Presumably, so is your agency.  Trust that they are putting their considerable talents at your disposal. Respect their ideas and their work. If you receive creative or copy that isn't quite on the mark, by all means say so.  Just don't art direct or wordsmith. Instead, explain what the take-away should be or the objective of the communication and trust them to do the job for which you pay them.
3. Appreciation: Yes, you pay them.  Perhaps even a considerable amount. You would be surprised, however, at what a "Thank You" will buy.  It builds goodwill, creates a positive work environment, and signals that you value the relationship. Be sincere with your appreciation and make sure to spread the love.

Happy Valentine's Day!

What do the U.S. Olympics Women's Gymnastics and Swim Teams and The Avengers have in common? They have well-assembled teams that get the job done.  Do you have a team that is poised for greatness?  Building or leading a successfully sustainable business is no easy feat, but having the right team in place can get you there.  For the purpose of this post and in keeping with our area of expertise, let's focus on your marketing team.

1) Take a critical look at your current capabilities.
Do you even have a marketing team and if so, is that bench both deep and wide?  If you're a sole proprietor, you should stop fooling yourself into thinking you'll find the time to tackle your marketing needs someday.  Someday means way down the road when growth opportunities have passed you by. If you have a marketing team, what do they cover?  Marketing is more than selling or direct response or advertising.  Do you have the right people ensuring
- the product set is optimal?
- there is a pipeline for new products or services?
- consumer insights are being mined?
- messaging is on target?
- the pricing structure is sound?
- sales tactics make sense?
- product/service delivery meets customer expectations?
- brand delivery is consistent?
Surely, this is beyond marketing, you say.  Actually this is just the tip of the iceberg for stellar marketing teams.

2) Be discerning about who gets on the team.
Time trials and psychological profiles would be overboard, but shouldn't you make sure you have the best people in the right roles? Just because someone has ten years of direct response experience, it doesn't mean that she is your best bet for handling social media.  Similarly, that graphic design agency that also purports to be brand experts may not actually fit the bill. Because marketing is such a wide and compartmentalized discipline, it is critical that you look for specific expertise and skills in the area that needs addressing. In the same way combat strategy fell to Captain America or Allison Schmitt is responsible for the freestyle leg, every team member should have a clear role based on a true area of expertise.  Don't be put off by so-called one-trick ponies.  Sometimes, you need McKayla Maroney to come to London just to do the vault.

3) Set clear expectations and then let them do their thing.
Make sure your team clearly understands the mandate.  Specifically spell out objectives, KPIs, deliverables, parameters, etc.  Give your team your full support and then get out the way.  If you've done a great job in assembling the marketing team, you can rest assured they'll bring you the gold.

Photos courtesy of London2012.com, washingtonpost.com and IFC.com.