Collaboration is necessary for great results in any agency, but sometimes getting to know the people you want to work with is difficult. However, working together with creative minds can be a worthwhile partnership for your business, especially if the collaboration encourages flexibility and a little bit of fun. If you want to create an excellent client-agency working relationship, including ones that promote creativity – keep reading. These tips will help you take your agency collaboration to the next level.
Know Your Team Roles and Define Them
Developing a brand idea takes a lot of work, with many people collaborating and thinking together. Clay, one leading UX design agency, suggests that everyone needs to be placed in their best roles. For example, someone should take the helm as the creative director, but someone else should take their place should they be stuck. To get the ship moving, you need to keep it on course – so the crew needs to be organized. If someone is at the helm giving input, authorizing decisions, and implementing results – your team will be in good shape.
Build Trust and Understanding
Knowing your business is essential, but it’s more necessary to know yourself. Both practices are important. Do extensive research on your clients, including interviewing them, clients’ customers, and conducting industry analysts. An effective way to know each other is by scheduling a conference call where you can see their facial expressions, body language, and form of speech.
These crucial parts of someone’s personality can tell you a lot about why they’re doing business in that industry, to begin with. Some of the best web design agencies get to know their clients first before promoting them. Otherwise, how do you know your marketing plan will entice them to buy or opt into your service?
Have you heard of the term ‘Rapid Prototyping?’ It’s a system used often in Silicon Valley as a means to speed up the process of building and testing business models and hypotheses. Rapid prototyping is tied to effective collaboration because it starts as a messy creative act, and ends up becoming a solid idea that’s sellable. Impromptu ideas can give your team a visual direction for a project – which can help when your client is expecting a project done quickly. Meet with your design agency team at least once a week to hear ideas and brainstorm, so you can each know what is under development.
Listen, Communicate, Be Supportive
Not every project requires the entire group to be present; sometimes, it’s good enough to have a team that can finish your sentences. Good collaboration works from the ground up. From day one, you need to start communicating clearly, listening carefully, and be supportive of each other to get the most out of your collaboration. Focus on your teams’ strengths, as some jobs are best handled by executives, while others are great for specialized individuals. It doesn’t matter what you need at the time – you will always benefit from a great understanding of your company mission, and having confidence in your group.
Encourage Your Team and Celebrate Successes
Being positive and setting a good example can make the difference between your team having a good or bad day. At a minimum, it makes work more enjoyable and we can all benefit from that! Both the client and agency need equal effort to keep morale high, which means sending regular emails to your team, congratulating them on their successes. However, not every project is a win – just try not to be too negative. When we fail, the last thing we want is to feel belittled. Coach your team for further success in your collaboration! Share praise and encouragement often, and it will reflect positively on your customers. For the most significant wins, take your entire team out for lunch or dinner, or even an afternoon drink. Maybe tell them to take the afternoon off – just show them you care.
designers shaking hands with client -DepositPhotos
