After our fearless leader — Norman, that is — published a novel, Stealing Time, he worked with a book publicist because book PR is not something we have any current experience handling. He wrote about that experience for CommPro: “From Agency Pro to First-Time Client Learning the Harsh Truth About Marketing Partnerships,” and about the steps we’ve implemented to improve the client experience.

In cleaning his office (for extra copies of Stealing Time to hand out to client?), he came across an old notebook that contained insights into the agency business, and one struck a chord. Entitled “Common Agency Sins” by John Budd, a vice-chairman of Carl Byoir & Associates,  the article is old enough that it doesn’t seem to exist online. But there were several key points that resonate still. If the article appeared online, we would provide a link; since it’s not, here are some thoughts borrowed by Mr. Budd on what he called “The Thirteen Sins of Omission.”

Don’t worry: we won’t list all 13.

1.  Lack of sensitivity to client priorities. He said that agencies want to do what they do best and don’t necessarily focus on what the client actually needs. Kind of the old problem of to a hammer, every problem is a nail. We try to recognize the client’s needs and develop a plan that addresses those needs but we’re probably guilty of this with some clients. That said, to be fair to us (and other agencies), there are times when clients are focusing on the wrong problem. For example, we had a medical device client who said they had an awareness problem but when we checked with the organizers at their most important conference, the organizers said they had a training problem: the device was somewhat complicated and the feedback from people attending their demos complained that the device was hard to navigate. So awareness wasn’t the problem, and if we had focused on raising awareness, the client would have wasted their money if they didn’t update their training.
2. Lack of knowledge and understanding of their business. This is a significant issue, and there’s no excuse for not trying to learn and understand the client’s business. Another point from Mr. Budd: “materials supplied by the client are not read, or not read and retained.” Agencies must review client material and not be afraid to ask questions to make sure they understand what can be very technical, complex information.
3.   Account teams are often too nearsighted. Mr. Budd said staff members don’t read broadly or in-depth enough, lack creativity, strategy and like to rely on what worked for another client. Some of that seems like he was talking about junior staffers but the message is clear: account teams need to show they can bring in broad perspectives of information, trends, thought leadership, etc. while also trying to be creative and strategic. We know that’s not easy. In fact, some clients want tried-and-true and don’t want to experiment or push the envelope. One of our best experiences was with a client we worked with for more than a decade; the CEO was very willing to try new and innovative approaches — and was able to sell his company at a premium in part because, as he told us, the work we did for him.

Mr. Budd also identified what he called the “Ten Sins of Commission,” and here are some still relevant.

1. Account teams that are hard to reach or slow to respond. That may have changed over the ensuing decades but account teams should respond quickly — but also set boundaries. If there’s a crisis, that’s different. But clear boundaries means that weekends and vacations shouldn’t be bridged for something that can wait until Monday.
2. Account teams can be passive. He actually cites two distinct kinds of passivity but we’ll combine them in one. He urged “Agencies should say ‘no’ occasionally just to keep their hands in.” We think he means that saying yes all the time can get you into trouble; for example (in another point he makes), agencies “over-promise, particularly heavyweight coverage when there’s no justification for such coverage.”  He also says, agencies “fail to initiate, and wait for the client to call” and “fail to follow up with reports on projects, phone calls and memos, or fail to do i promptly.” We think it’s vital to understand what worked and what didn’t — not as a blame game but to improve results for the next time.

Mr. Budd concludes:

Solutions to client problems will not come by sudden inspiration but by perspiration. The agency must immerse itself in the problem, analyze it, set aside conventional wisdom, and systematically try out alternatives until inevitably the right solution becomes visible.

He doesn’t talk much about technology, and even though tech is integrated into our era in a way he could not have anticipated, we think the human element still remains critical. Artificial Intelligence can speed some things but account teams are the ones managing the client and doing the work. Inspiration is great — it’s how so many TV detectives figure out the murderer (from an otherwise random statement the sidekick says) — but putting the time in makes the difference.

What’s important and necessary is being committed to clients, their needs and expectations — that’s how you can avoid Mr. Budd’s sins of omission and commission.