We’ve never been a client, only ever been agency-side. Launching an agency lets you be the client for a bit. Whether to the fabulous team doing your website and branding (thanks Jake and co), to your lawyers and trade markers or to the more mundane insurance and accounting software bit. It was nice to be the client but more importantly, it was a welcome reminder of how to see things from someone else’s perspective AND it helped confirm our company values.

Here are the eight things we found:

1. Appreciate someone might not have the right words even if they know what they want. There was a moment when we were working on the brand identity where I (G) didn’t have the formal design language but I knew what I wanted. Luckily Jake helped interpret it. Our takeaway: Give people space to explain what they want in their own words. 
2. Listen to mandatories. We had some specifics and we really, really meant them. They were based on past experience, not just us being difficult. It would have annoyed us every day if they’d been overlooked. Our takeaway: Listen to the mandatories: explore, understand and support them
3. Use initiative, carefully – Great thinking that hasn’t been asked for is a brilliant bonus. Changing things unexpectedly because you thought it was a good idea can sometimes be annoying. Our takeaway: Try to make sure we’re always doing the former
4. Pre empt and bring new news. Think of things that might happen before they do. Have a solution. Clients have lots of other things on their plates. Our takeaway: Be a pessimist and always ask what if….
5. Don’t waste time telling people what they already know. Clients are working with agencies or experts because they need their expertise or extra help. Our takeaway: Surprise and inspire, as well as support
6. Be honest – often plain speaking is the best way to understand what someone thinks or means Our takeaway: “Be honest” is a great phrase to save time and frustration for everyone
7. What’s true in the textbook might not be right in real life. We wanted certain things that probably weren’t “the received wisdom” way of doing it but to be honest that’s part of our point of view as an agency – received wisdom isn’t necessarily right. Our takeaway: Doing things differently is fine
8. Be generous – Unexpected extra bits of work and ideas are worth a lot more than you’d have charged for them. We were so appreciative of the wonderful people who went the extra mile without being asked. Our takeaway: Showing you care has a big effect

Some of these learnings helped confirm our company values – open, honest, restless, fun, generous – the way we will behave and treat our work and each other. But most importantly, they’ve helped us (hopefully) know how to be better client partners.

What do you think?
Please do give us a shout hello@welcometoshook.com

Thoughtpiece by Gemma Moroney and Damon Statt, Co-founders