Over the years we’ve refined our approach in working with clients to help make sure the relationship is solid, successful, and mutually enjoyable. As we’ve honed that approach, we’ve come up with 11 items that explain how the relationship will work.
I hope this list helps you in two ways:
- It will give you a better idea of what it would be like to work with GreenMellen for your marketing.
- It may inspire you to create a similar list for your company.
The items in this list are similar to our contract, with pieces that protect our firm but also pieces to help protect our clients. I found this to be a great way to share some of the big items in conversational language to get everyone on the same page.
With no further adieu, let’s dig in.
1 – We work for your clients
Successful marketing means speaking to your potential clients in a way that positively affects them. Your desires for particular colors or content are not as important as your audience’s perspective, because you are not the end user of your marketing. They are. Final decisions are always yours (see #3), but we expect you to provide productive feedback that is aimed at our collective goals (see #9), not things that you “like to see”.
2 – We treat each other with respect
We’re excited to work with you! Our process is proven and works well, but there are still points where disagreements may come up. We welcome those opposing views but they must remain respectful. If disagreements come up, they must always focus on the issue and the goals, and never on the person. Mutual respect is required, and item #11 ensures it is.
3 – Final decisions are yours
Related to treating each other with respect (#2), all final decisions are yours. We will push for what we think is right, and we will provide solid reasons behind what we say, but this is a project that you own and all tie-breakers fall to you.
4 – We treat the internet with respect
We are stewards of the internet, and treat all internet users with respect. There are plenty of marketing techniques that are legal but amoral, and we will not engage in any of those. This includes things such as deceptive language and buying email lists to spam potential customers. If it’s an ethical gray area, we avoid it completely.
5 – No guarantees
There are never guarantees with marketing. We have vast amounts of experience and data to ensure we’re making wise moves, but no outcome is ever absolutely certain. We will measure outcomes to the extent possible and suggest changes in approach as necessary to keep moving toward your goals. You should be skeptical about any marketing agency that guarantees a specific outcome.
6 – We will be honest with you
We’ll never hide the truth to convince you to take a certain path of action. If a campaign is not going well, we will share those numbers and work on ideas to get things going in the right direction. Data doesn’t lie, which is one of the reasons we rely on it heavily for decision-making.
7 – No magic wands
We won’t hide any of our practices from you. Even for complex things such as search engine optimization (SEO), we’ll show you exactly what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and what we expect the outcome to be. There is no magic sauce with marketing, and you should run away from any firm that claims there is.
8 – We communicate consistently
Depending on your project, there may be a lot of required communication. You need to read what we send you and respond in an appropriate amount of time. Because you can expect us to do the same. Most of this communication will be via email, for the benefit documenting our conversations and for future clarity of what was said.
9 – You will provide productive feedback
Related to working for your clients (#1), these marketing efforts aren’t aimed toward making you happy, but are aimed at getting results. All feedback should be toward that goal. Do not ask us to “make it darker” or “make the logo bigger” unless you can also explain how that would create a better outcome for your end user. We will do the same for you. This isn’t about opinions; it’s about being effective.
10 – You will own everything
We work to make sure everything is in your control. Per our contracts, the final output we deliver to you is 100% owned by you once it is paid in full. If we build a website for you, it will be on WordPress so you have full ownership of it. This is compared to a platform like Squarespace or Wix where you are subject to the health and whims of that company forever. Your website will be hosted somewhere you control, and we encourage you to keep it in your control in the future. Any strategy or copywriting we do for you is yours to do with as you please. You paid for it, you keep it.
11 – You aren’t stuck with us and we aren’t stuck with you
We will never ask you to sign a long-term contract. Some projects may have a contracted length of up to approximately six months, but all ongoing work is month-to-month. If you feel that we aren’t meeting your expectations, you can leave at any time (also noting item #10). Conversely, if we feel you aren’t putting in the necessary work to move things forward, or if you treat any of our staff with disrespect, we can end the relationship at any time as well.
It was really pretty fun putting this list together! My attempt was to be incredibly straight and clear, and I hope that came across. I got this idea from a law firm that we work with who did an amazing job with a similar list, and perhaps this will inspire you to create something similar for your company.
If you have thoughts or disagreements about anything on the list, leave a comment and let me know.
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