As a project manager at an ad agency, I recognize the significance of mastering the art of client-agency collaboration, which inspires and challenges me every day. How can we build a healthy, strong relationship with our clients? How can we position ourselves as the go-to agency for their most critical projects and daunting challenges?

After leaving my last agency and joining EFM a little over a year ago, I was reminded that every agency has its own approach to collaboration, and it’s often based on the agency culture. What makes each agency unique is not just expertise and creative skills.

So how does EFM do it? What’s happening behind the scenes? I’ll give you a little sneak peek from an insider’s perspective on EFM’s approach to client-agency collaboration.

Let’s team up!

We believe in the power of teamwork. From designers to copywriters, from strategists to project managers, each member brings their unique superpowers to the table. We do a lot of brainstorming sessions and workshops, sometimes involving our clients in crafting ideas together.

I recall a funny story that one of our copywriters told us. While working from home, he had a (somewhat) intense internal meeting with the team. After he hung up, his wife asked, “Were you guys arguing?” he said, “What are you talking about? That was a normal regroup that actually led to a really productive discussion.” What is important here is that we foster a psychologically safe space where everyone feels comfortable sharing their wildest and most awesome ideas.

Being proactive is our nature

We take the initiative to anticipate and address our clients’ needs and concerns before being asked to do so. This proactive approach is possible because we invest time in identifying and understanding their brand, goals and challenges.

Being proactive doesn’t mean always agreeing with the clients’ suggestions. If we believe there is a better way, we don’t hesitate to speak up. After all, our mutual goal is to create the best outcome together.

Work-life balance promotes creativity

We love what we do — but we are also human. Creativity doesn’t come from a burned-out team. We bring our A-game to the table when we are happy and fulfilled outside of work. Does that mean we ignore the deadline and go home because we couldn’t wrap up by 6pm? Absolutely not. We sometimes need to work late to get things done — but we might log off early on Friday. It’s all about finding the balance. By keeping things balanced, we ensure that our team stays motivated, inspired, and ready to create some serious magic for your brand.

We love our clients’ commitment

This might sound obvious, but we need both parties to be all in to unlock the full potential of our collaboration. We want our clients to bring us into the heart of their businesses, sharing their brand stories, values, objectives, and any data or insights that can uncover growth opportunities with a real impact. Involving us early in the process is always beneficial too — it allows us to fully understand the needs and challenges from the very beginning.

Alignment is the key

We want to be on the same wavelength. We always appreciate it when our clients are mindful of the process, respecting the established workflow and timelines. Have you ever wondered why timely feedback is so vital even when project deadlines are flexible? That’s because we plan and allocate creative resources in advance based on timelines of all active projects so we can meet the deadlines. We understand things do happen — internal meetings might get rescheduled on the client’s side or they just didn’t have time to review because there are a million other things to take care of. We are also agile — we can adjust as long as it’s communicated clearly and openly.

Honesty, honesty, honesty!

We want our clients to feel comfortable enough to flag any concerns, big or small, as soon as possible. The sooner we know, the sooner we can address them head-on and find solutions together.

We love getting collective feedback that explains the reasoning behind certain preferences. Tell us why the color throws you off or why the headline isn’t working. Understanding the perspective helps us identify the most effective path toward achieving the goals.

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EFM is full of people that love what they do. We’re a tight knit crew who inspires and motivates each other every day, and this vibrant culture is at the core of our approach to client-agency collaboration.