The Art of Client Service: The Classic Guide, Updated for Today's Marketers and Advertisers

by Robert Solomon, Ian Schafer (Foreword)

A practical guide for providing exceptional client service Most advertising and marketing people would claim great client service is an elusive, ephemeral pursuit, not easily characterized by a precise skill set or inventory of responsibilities; this book and its author argue otherwise, claiming there are definable, actionable methods to the role, and provide guidance designed to achieve more effective work.

Written by one of the industry's most knowledgeable client services executives, the book begins with a definition, then follows a path from an initial new business win to beginning, building, losing, then regaining trust with clients.

It is a powerful source of counsel for those new to the business, for industry veterans who want to refresh or validate what they know, and for anyone in the middle of the journey to get better at what they do.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Professional Development

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 17, 2016

Reviews

[Rambling Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look. Useful primer for early career, with one ENORMOUS caveat:

I would never, ever encourage the boundary-less approach with clients to anyone coming up below me.

No client is going to be calling me on my weekend and getting a response. Sorry. It's not happening. My family comes first.

That does not reflect a lack of interest in client matters. Or that I'm bad at my job.

I have simply experienced burnout and life without boundaries and it's 1000% not worth it.

You CAN be good at your job with boundaries, people.

[Carolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Art of Client Service" não é um livro especialmente direcionado a profissionais que, assim como eu, tentam transformar a experiência de compra online ou o negócio B2C (business to consumer) em algo mais humano. "The Art of Client Service" é um livro que nos revela alguns truques no âmbito dos negócios B2B (business to business) e que aborda a gestão de projetos e a relação com o cliente empresarial. 

Robert Solomon partilha décadas de experiência e apresenta "52 coisas que todas as pessoas que trabalham em marketing e publicidade devem saber". Robert utiliza exemplos concretos, expõe casos de sucesso (e casos menos felizes) de empresas reais e dá sugestões práticas sobre aquilo que, na sua opinião, devemos ou não fazer quando estamos a tentar ganhar um negócio, a liderar uma equipa (de designers, programadores, assistentes de marketing...) e a trabalhar com outras empresas.

"The Art of Client Service" enriqueceu-me numa área que estou longe de dominar. Nesse sentido, acredito que este livro possa ser um bom parceiro para profissionais de diferentes áreas e não só gestores de projetos. Os clientes são fundamentais para o sucesso de uma empresa e este livro refere alguns truques que certamente nos levarão mais longe na arte de perceber aquilo que eles procuram e como podemos apresentar-lhes as nossas propostas.

[Anastasiya Lysyuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming from the domain of visual communication, it was pretty interested in adding to the knowledge from day-to-day communication some pro-tips from the specific literature. And this is how this book landed in my hands.

What I must admit is that a lot of account-failure cases, described in a book, happened during my projects, thus it was nice to remind myself one more time what NOT to do. I am truly dedicated to a thought that when you choose your path as a designer, you have to know a little bit of everything because you create an environment, which forms a perception.

That is why I think a designer is an account manager in a way too, and no matter who is a client - a customer, or a project manager, there is always a reason to keep the communication process clean and efficient.

I really liked this book because of the structured information it gave on how to hold such type of communication.

An extra shout out goes for the list of literature at the end of a book - it formed my reading list for the next six months.

[Georgina Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this man is a bumbling fool

The advice was irrelevant or blindingly obvious. The only good bits are where he quotes other agencies work and shows you actual e.g. creative briefs, I really wish I'd read their book instead.

Also many typos, I empathise with the proof reader, it's hard to read this book cover to cover because it's just so dull.

[Sam Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. Pretty industry specific towards marketing/advertising but I think the general idea applies to any profession where client service is important. Deals with everything from how to structure a meeting to how to keep clients through ups and downs of business.

“Great work doesn’t lead to a great relationship. It’s the other way around. A great relationship leads to great work.”

[Chani Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well written, easy to follow book with real life examples that help you apply it to your own world. I’d definitely recommend this to others in the client service realm, and look forward to reading more of the suggested books within this one too!

[amélie lafleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un essentiel pour travailler dans le domaine de la pub et du marketing... Ou juste pour devenir un bon gestionnaire, un bon collègue. Un livre à garder sur son bureau pour référence fréquente héhé ☺️.

[Taylor Maryanski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as suggested by my work. It should have been a quick read but took me a while to get through it. The points in here are helpful overall for those whose career includes client service, but the advice feels outdated, especially since it was published in 2016.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wasn’t impressed by this book. If I was in advertising maybe it would fit my needs better. I was trying to read a chapter a night which was an easy goal since the chapters are VERY short. UnFortunately, I was just not interested in continuing.

[Karine Volant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is a great book to read early in your career, like I did. The parts I found most relevant were those about client relationships, starting around chapter 6. There are some great reminders and useful vocabulary that will help me put words to how I sometimes feel at work.

[Jenna Garcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very self important, and also encourages your job to be the only thing you do in life 🙃

I suppose there’s some good tidbits, in here, but I agree with other reviews, that it’s much more suited for someone earlier in their career.

[Katherine Coble · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is required reading for all account staff at Borshoff. Easy to read and very helpful in outlining the basics of good client services.

[Clint Heitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relatively quick read with lots of tips applicable beyond advertising and marketing. Conversational and easy to read, but a bit lacking on practical application for some of the tips.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

again common sense for account managers

[Angelica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing new good for junior staff to read.

[James Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Word of advice: don’t put a hyperlink in your book

[Carole Skees · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great tips for both seasoned and sophomore agency folks.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a big fan of Robert Solomon and the Art of Client Service for a few years. He's one of the best most relatable business writers in the agency industry. If you're new to account service, own your own business or rely on a sales team then I suggest you pick up this latest edition. His advice will help you forge lasting relationships with your clients in a manner rarely seen. To get a flavor for the topics and Roberts writing style visit his blog http://bit.ly/2i0jHFJ.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice overview of client servicing roles in advertising.