Only Work with Clients You Like

Just like in life, there are some people who you just simply get along with and others you don’t. And that’s okay. But it is crucial in client relationships to actually like and believe in the people and the companies you are representing. Finding common ground and having a genuine interest and respect for each other.

This doesn’t mean you need to take vacations together or even see each other in social situations, what it does mean is that in order to do your best work (which every client deserves from you) you need to truly care about what you are doing. And you can’t truly care if you fundamentally dislike or even feel indifference for them. If you are feeling ‘meh’ about a client or project, you are not doing right by them. You will never reach the state of emotional investment that is required to produce your greatest work.

Emotional investment in your work is key to achieve what positive psychology terms a state of ‘flow.’ Flow is achieved when a person is actively immersed — feeling energized, focused and enjoying the work. This level of emotional investment comes only when you like what you are doing, and like who you are doing it for.

Our agency “likes” clients who are passionate about their business and excited about what digital marketing can do for them, and who also have a willingness to share their success and concerns with us openly and honestly. We don’t expect clients to be technical, we’ve got that part covered. What we do expect is an openness to explore how our combined subject matter expertises can work together to produce great results.

After all, the best, most rewarding (and profitable) relationships occur when there is mutual appreciation and trust between the agency and the client partner. If either party is not ‘feeling the love’ then it is best for you both to part ways professionally and find someone else.

Read more about Ike’s Rules of Client Service.