Beyond the “Dog and Pony Show”: What Clients Should Pay Attention To in the First Agency Meeting

April 9, 2009 4:12 PM

an Interview with Tim Brenton by Denise Goodwin Pace, CCO/Co-Founder, The Halo Group

Choosing a new marketing communications agency partner is one of the most important decisions a CMO can make. It can be a career-maker, if the agency delivers the goods. It can be a career-breaker, if the fit is wrong or if the agency ultimately does not perform. Tim Brenton, CEO of The Brenton Group, says that even in the first presentation, there are key indicators by which to gauge if the agency in the room with you has earned the next meeting.

What the agency should demonstrate

Agency presentations are usually fun and often dramatic. But during that process, Brenton says the decision makers should look past the agency “show” to make certain the potential agency partner demonstrates:

Case histories that dignify and value the client contribution. A good agency presents its success as a result of collaboration with its valued client. A bad agency presents the work as the agency’s alone.
Their process. The agency process must promote the client contribution to the work – collaboration between the agency and client is key.
Hard metrics on ROI. Brenton advises clients to look at hard metrics, such as profit generated from increased sales, rather than soft metrics alone, such as increased awareness.
Positive interaction between the agency team members. The agency people must treat one another respectfully in the presentation. Brenton says that too many times, presentations reveal an agency of individuals, not a team, all fighting for the microphone. A good agency’s people obviously value each other, actively listen to one another, and refrain from interrupting one another.
Its own unique differentiation. A client that wants unique positioning to separate itself from the competition in a meaningful way should see the same thing at work in an agency presentation. Brenton claims that, all too often, agencies say the same thing, with the only differentiator being the production values of its leave-behind. “An agency should be able to clearly articulate its core competency. A simple but telling question the client should ask the agency is, ‘If there is one thing I should take away from this meeting with you, tell me what it is in one sentence.’”

Brenton claims the tenor that will underlie the future client-agency relationship can be obvious from the outset. Pay attention at the beginning to make certain that what you’re choosing is what you want.

As EVP at Arnold Advertising, Tim Brenton led his company in providing world-class advertising and marketing programs to his clients. Tim founded the Brenton Group to help CEOs and senior sales management make quantum leaps in the performance of managers and sales representatives. Tim delivers custom sales programs to corporate clients, as well as frequent sales and management workshops. He brings over 25 years of advertising, marketing, sales management and recruiting expertise to his clients.

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