Unfortunately some of us carry the master-slave paradigm we learned during childhood into the workplace. Instead of encouraging staff and suppliers to be self-governing, responsible individuals, they revert to master-slave roles to get what they want.
How to get in one.
Nine times out of ten, client service become slaves by poorly framing a Client's expectation. The Agency is so focused on getting the business, they neglect to negotiate the Agency's requirements, and project an unbalanced picture of the working relationship.
They say 'yes' to everything - just to secure the sale. They fail to mention the effort they require the Client into a project, the potential situations for variation fees and realistic turnaround times for changes to production.
Client service will know they have become slaves, when the Client emails a request then calls five minutes later to make sure it is being executed. The Client has been conditioned to micro-manage.
How to get out of one.
The problem is no number of Client lunches and boozing can guarantee the situation can be turned around. The most painless way to fix the issue, is to end the relationship. When you hear of an Agency walking away from a Client's business, this is usually what has taken place.
The good news is most Clients don't want a master-slave relationship. They recognise the relationship is unprofitable for both parties. Playing the master role saps them of precious time and energy, and forces them to micro-manage. All an Agency need do, is prove to a new client, that they can perform without having to be whipped.
You will know you are not in a master-slave relationship, when client service is able to negotiate with confidence at different stages of the relationship. Rather than feeling under the thumb, they have room to manoeuvre when making a request or presenting costs.
Example pitch.
“Hi Bill. You have just seen a presentation of our creative work. You can see we are good. However we believe our creative is a given. If you are an Agency and can't get the creative part right, there's no point being in this game.
Although we are small, we compete with firms many times our size. Clients work with our Agency because they are not willing to pay the high fees demanded of a large agency, but still value client service. They want accountability, accuracy in workmanship, and to never have to chase the Agency to find out the status on their job.
In fact, you can expect us to chase you.
You have a corporate background, and I know service will be important to you. Let's face it, most small agencies are in survival mode, and struggle just to output the product.
Unless this you place a dollar value on your time, there is no point working with us, as you will never feel like you are getting value for money.”
In this delivery, the value proposition is clear - you are dealing with professionals, and this is a scarce commodity which comes at a price. It is said in a very business manner, with a practiced delivery that wastes not a single word.
Cleverly, the last paragraph implies the Client is pitching to the Agency, as much as the Agency is pitching to them. This plants a win-win mentality which will give the Agency an edge in negotiate.
This kind of setup is key to breaking down the master-slave paradigm. The Client is confident they can let go of power, without risking a drop in performance. This freedom places both parties on an even keel, and in good stead for a healthy relationship.
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