Belsky - The great client partner: how soft skills are the true currency in client relationships

The trajectory of my company and career hit an inflection point on an unseasonably cool day in September 2008the same September that Lehman Brothers collapsed, and the world edged closer toward a Depression greater than anyone had seen since the 1930s. I sat at my desk that afternoon with my thoughts swarming around my fledgling entrepreneurial company, our few hundred employees, and our consumer - spending - dependent clients in retail, travel, and financial services. Was everything we put our money, sweat, and tears into about to go down the toilet as the credit markets froze up, with our clients literally paralyzed by fear?

So I was more than a bit skeptical when Anthony Martinelli, a bigger - than - life character in charge of business development and one of our founders, burst into my office and confidently declared that Jared Belsky was the solution to the hole in the leadership team running our mission critical Atlanta office. Id met Jared a couple of times sociallyhis wife had been a previous 360i employee, so hed attended a few agency events in the past. I knew he had started his career in the agency business, got his MBA, worked at Coca - Cola as a brand manager, and was now in some sort of sales and marketing executive position at a fertilizer company.

I looked up from the spreadsheet showing depressing cash flow scenarios and barked, You want me to hire a shit salesman to run Atlanta? Are you kidding me?

Jared was in New York City visiting family that week, so I begrudgingly offered the only time I had availablemy hour - long commute home on the Long Island Railroad, which was near where Jared grew up. As we sat on a crowded train, I said, Jared, I only have one question for you. The economy is collapsing, our clients think the sky is falling, and the country is clearly in for a rough economic ride. Why in the world should I hire you right now? He paused for what seemed like an eternity. What followed was a persuasive argument that he was the right guy at a pivotal time in the companys history. Jared was not yet qualified perfectly on paper for the job, but it was clear that he had big ambitions, big ideas, and big curiosity. Jared argued passionately that we needed to expand into new verticals like Consumer Packaged Goods, that we needed to graduate from just search to being full - service media, that we needed to up - level and professionalize our workforce, and that it was time to go after even bigger clients with tougher challenges. The part of his response that got him the job was he convinced me he was going to be both a learning and teaching machine, and because of that he was uniquely qualified to play a leading role in scaling this company in what was sure to be a chaotic time.

Im sure Jared would wholeheartedly agree that over the last ten years, I may have been harder on him than I have been on anyone who ever worked for me. I knew that nurturing his unique combination of talent, introspection, humility, and inspiration would deliver outsized returns for the company and his career. Fortunately for me and everyone else at 360i, this was a great bet.

Marketing used to be a lot easier. You paid close attention to the 4 Psproduct, price, place, and promotionand if you executed well, you could increase sales even for mediocre products. Those days have changed dramatically along with the shifts in consumer behavior that everyone in marketing is acutely aware of. As a direct result, the role of marketing service firms has changed and been disrupted like never before. Firms need to deliver highly differentiated specialized services to help their clients navigate a highly disruptive business climate while simultaneously figuring out how to grow both their clients and their own bottom line. Whose job is it to figure out how to keep all these disparate things in alignment? The client partner. A job that has always been tough now requires an array of leadership skills that can seem pretty daunting.

Leadership is a tricky thing. Many people confuse managing a lot of people or having a fancy title with being a leader. This couldnt be further from the truth. In todays marketplace where collaboration is essential, influencenot authorityis the currency of leadership. The simple definition of a leader is one who has willing followers, whether theyre your direct reports, coworkers, clients, or partners.

This book is a practical guide to becoming a better leader and navigating a minefield of challenges, from managing cross - functional teams to having difficult conversations with clients, all delivered in easy - to - digest , relatable stories. I recommend you read the book with a notepad (physical or virtual) next to you to consider how you can apply the lessons in real time to your own universe. And then keep the book near your desk and pull it out when youre facing a challenging situation with a client or an employee. Its a good living reminder of the struggles we all deal with as managers and in managing client relationships. Dont worry about getting all thirty - one lessons perfect all the time. God knows, I havent, and Jared shares many of the lessons born out of mistakes learned at 360i. Just remember, being a great leader is a never - ending , lifelong pursuit.

I have learned so much from Jared over the years, and Im grateful he has taken the time to provide a framework for sharing lessons learned from a career on the marketing frontlines in the most disruptive period in history. The student has become the teacher with insights that can help us all in our professional and personal lives.