For movie buffs, this was the famous line from the 1996 film Jerry Maguire, delivered by the title character, played by Tom Cruise, to Dorothy, played by Renee Zellweger. It’s the line that melted the heart of every woman in the audience.
At the same time, it had them secretly asking, why can’t my significant other be more like Tom Cruise? Sorry, honey, that’s Mission Impossible.
For those of us on the client side of healthcare, you complete me also relates to how we think of agency relationships that bring specialized expertise, capabilities and resources to some of our most critical projects.
Building Effective Agency / Client Relationships
It seems so simple. Select an agency that has the expertise you’re looking for and a good track record and set them loose on your project. If it were only that easy.
Like any relationship, it’s complicated. Stuff happens, and a variety of dynamics get in the way of establishing the partnership you had hoped for.
I’ve personally had great agency partners that have knocked projects out of the park, and others I wish I could forget – and never will.
So, what makes one engagement with an agency work so well and others fail miserably?
Well, we’re going to dive into this topic with an expert panel discussion at our spring conference, A Deep Dive into Digital on April 25th at Como Zoo.
We’re assembling a panel of both agency and client representatives to talk about their experiences and uncover the keys to establishing and maintaining successful engagements. They’ll also discuss how to get a relationship and project back on track after a setback.
Our panel will be moderated by Angela Churchill, former MHSCN president and principal at Red Sea Glass Consulting.
Panel members include:
- Carrie Young, Padilla
- Katie Johnson, Lake Region Healthcare
- Dan Altenbernd, H2M
- Ryan Davenport, Daven PR
This group will have you at hello, and definitely show you the money in establishing and maintaining a great agency/client relationship.
As always, thanks for your interest and support of MHSCN, and I hope to see you at the conference.
Paul Fiore
2019 MHSCN Board President
