Trust is something that is difficult to earn. For a creative agency, client relations is top priority. There will be times when the agency people and the clients will not be on the same wavelength. It happens, but if the two parties trust each other, things can be resolved. Still it is the client’s prerogative to evaluate an agency’s creative work. It was a difficult thing to do in the past, because the evaluation could be subjective rather than objective. Now, the process can be done based on a standard and more effective way of monitoring and measuring results via a project management software.
There are several vendors of project management software. WorkflowMax, for example ensures that your creative agency is on track with all your projects so that all client deliverables are on time and on point, to keep clients happy and satisfied. It takes care of your time billing and other admin processes, leaving you with more time to produce more stunning creative output. Here are more ideas on how to stay productive.
Know how to prioritise
A creative agency could be working on several accounts, all with tight deadlines. It could be daunting and you might have the tendency to do tasks for each client each day. This is not a productive approach though as you’ll only be spreading yourself thinly, which can affect your creativity. The systematic method for this is to prioritise, looking at projects with approaching deadlines and those that are of high value. Finish them first before you work on the next one, based on priorities.
Do not be a slave to emails
Teach yourself and your team to avoid checking their inboxes often. That “quick check” that could take only a minute could extend far longer than expected, robbing you of precious time to devote to your tasks. Set a time to check emails, preferably when you reach the office in the morning, before or after lunch and before you leave the office at the end of your work day. A business mail sees to it that you and your staff are receiving business-related emails only.
Leave your desk for lunch
It is very common for agency people to work through lunch. Having your lunch at your desk while working does not make you productive. It is better to have your lunch outside the office as a change of scenery can recharge you. Remember that your brain is not meant to focus for long hours at any given time. An hour off work will do wonders and you’ll notice that your productivity improves. Your eyes will thank you, too.
Establish teamwork
Each employee of a creative agency has a role to play in the production of creative materials for different clients. There will be graphic artists, copy writers, producers and account service representatives. If you have good teamwork, there will be no overlapping of tasks and collaboration will be more effective, as each department will be focused on client deliverables.
Listen to music
Music is a great stress-reliever, and if you know someone who works in a creative agency, they’ll tell you how stressful it can be. Listening to music can inspire and enhance your creativity, resulting in better output.
Collaboration is key to staying on top of things in a creative agency. Understanding what client wants and what they think about your company give you valuable insight into what should be done to improve your creative output and make your brand stronger. Being mindful of deliverables, response time, deadlines, billing accuracy and market knowledge, as well as anticipation of client’s needs will make you a great agency that’s fully in control of all the creative and work processes.