Page 44 - Journal of Strategic Marketing Magazine - April 2019
P. 44
CLIENT SERVICE CASE STUDY
'Is this still what the client actually accountability roles. It is optimally On the whole, each staff member is
needs?' 'Are we providing the best suited to a strong personality who is working with more clients, but doing a
solution for the client's business highly dependable and can mobilise smaller range of tasks for each of them,
objective?' 'Are our team and suppliers the team to get what needs to be done spending more time on what they
working effectively and achieving completed, on time and per the client's love and are good at, and less time on
excellence?' requirements. what they’re weakest at. And with the
This is a management and strategic The challenge comes when we implementation and administration
role that requires experience, foresight confuse a hierarchy of experience with happening more eficiently, senior staff
and an ability to step back from the personal skills and characteristics. It are freed up to do more connecting. Top
daily grind and see the larger picture. It won’t be a surprise to anyone if we management should never be too busy
can be played at the account director or point out that people who are fantastic to spend time with even the smallest
senior account manager level and tends in administration roles are often client, not only because they deserve
to suit A-types who, even if they’re less brilliant at connection, and that it, but also because it’s during those
not connectors themselves, need to enthusiastic connectors procrastinate to gatherings that we get the feedback
work closely with connectors. This role avoid administration tasks. This should that helps develop new products, keeps
requires excellent project management
skills and a strong sense of what is
required to drive and motivate teams to Our breakthrough came when we
deliver irrefutable return on investment
for clients. recognised we’d been confusing the jobs
In the implementer role, we are that needed to be done, with the people
delivering the work we promise:
producing quality content, arranging who needed to do them.
interviews, establishing relationships
with media and suppliers, creating
briefs, managing online campaigns,
monitoring the competitors and not be the reason an account manager strategies on course and works towards
analysing the overall success. This is is not promoted or encouraged to global best practice.
the role where we need high energy deliver excellence to their client base. The result? Truly multifunctional
and tight focus, typically carried out Our challenge is to drive a strengths- teams that consistently deliver the
at the account manager level, but very based methodology and remove the collective best we’re capable of offering,
often supported by an eager intern or shackles of old school layering with on every front, are serving our clients.
graduate who has shown a passion for limiting potential. We’re communicating better with each
certain elements of delivery. We’ve reorganised our teams to other despite our people being in three
This role is the cornerstone of redistribute these roles to the people different cities; the business is less
success and cannot be done without who are best suited to them and we’ve siloed; meeting times have halved and
the guidance and support of the arranged the work differently to better our work is bringing us more delight
accountability or connector role, match peoples' skills and personalities. than ever before.
and in most instances without the
administrative role either. Judith Middleton is the founder
and head of advisory services at
The administrator is the role in which DUO Marketing + Communications.
one holds the admin, reporting and After 20 years in the tech industry
project management tightly together, and a deep understanding of the
prepares WIPS and submits reports, importance of integrating PR and
marketing into any tech business’s
creates schedules, manages deadlines, strategy, Middleton now consults
checks Service-Level-Agreements and offers practical, insightful,
and makes sure all is accurate and up strategic business advice she has
to date. It takes patience and careful garnered from owning and growing
her own successful businesses,
attention to detail, which isn't always mentoring others and investing in a
the strength of the implementer or few too.
p42 - Strategic Marketing
'Is this still what the client actually accountability roles. It is optimally On the whole, each staff member is
needs?' 'Are we providing the best suited to a strong personality who is working with more clients, but doing a
solution for the client's business highly dependable and can mobilise smaller range of tasks for each of them,
objective?' 'Are our team and suppliers the team to get what needs to be done spending more time on what they
working effectively and achieving completed, on time and per the client's love and are good at, and less time on
excellence?' requirements. what they’re weakest at. And with the
This is a management and strategic The challenge comes when we implementation and administration
role that requires experience, foresight confuse a hierarchy of experience with happening more eficiently, senior staff
and an ability to step back from the personal skills and characteristics. It are freed up to do more connecting. Top
daily grind and see the larger picture. It won’t be a surprise to anyone if we management should never be too busy
can be played at the account director or point out that people who are fantastic to spend time with even the smallest
senior account manager level and tends in administration roles are often client, not only because they deserve
to suit A-types who, even if they’re less brilliant at connection, and that it, but also because it’s during those
not connectors themselves, need to enthusiastic connectors procrastinate to gatherings that we get the feedback
work closely with connectors. This role avoid administration tasks. This should that helps develop new products, keeps
requires excellent project management
skills and a strong sense of what is
required to drive and motivate teams to Our breakthrough came when we
deliver irrefutable return on investment
for clients. recognised we’d been confusing the jobs
In the implementer role, we are that needed to be done, with the people
delivering the work we promise:
producing quality content, arranging who needed to do them.
interviews, establishing relationships
with media and suppliers, creating
briefs, managing online campaigns,
monitoring the competitors and not be the reason an account manager strategies on course and works towards
analysing the overall success. This is is not promoted or encouraged to global best practice.
the role where we need high energy deliver excellence to their client base. The result? Truly multifunctional
and tight focus, typically carried out Our challenge is to drive a strengths- teams that consistently deliver the
at the account manager level, but very based methodology and remove the collective best we’re capable of offering,
often supported by an eager intern or shackles of old school layering with on every front, are serving our clients.
graduate who has shown a passion for limiting potential. We’re communicating better with each
certain elements of delivery. We’ve reorganised our teams to other despite our people being in three
This role is the cornerstone of redistribute these roles to the people different cities; the business is less
success and cannot be done without who are best suited to them and we’ve siloed; meeting times have halved and
the guidance and support of the arranged the work differently to better our work is bringing us more delight
accountability or connector role, match peoples' skills and personalities. than ever before.
and in most instances without the
administrative role either. Judith Middleton is the founder
and head of advisory services at
The administrator is the role in which DUO Marketing + Communications.
one holds the admin, reporting and After 20 years in the tech industry
project management tightly together, and a deep understanding of the
prepares WIPS and submits reports, importance of integrating PR and
marketing into any tech business’s
creates schedules, manages deadlines, strategy, Middleton now consults
checks Service-Level-Agreements and offers practical, insightful,
and makes sure all is accurate and up strategic business advice she has
to date. It takes patience and careful garnered from owning and growing
her own successful businesses,
attention to detail, which isn't always mentoring others and investing in a
the strength of the implementer or few too.
p42 - Strategic Marketing
