Don’t Fire Your Agency for Performance (Before Reading This)
I probably shouldn’t write this post.
After all, when a proven buyer of PR services fires their agency, SHIFT Communications certainly aims to be in the mix when the new RFP is offered up. That’s how we pay the bills.
But times are tough and it’s not all about me. So let me say this to Clients Everywhere:
It’s a shame that your current agency disappointed you. You are well within your rights to consider swapping out PR agencies.
However, if you trust the senior management at your current firm; if your problems are related to the performance/creativity of your team but not to the agency’s training and capabilities, consider asking for a brand new team, instead of firing your agency outright.
Sometimes a team burns out; sometimes a team is being mismanaged by its VP; sometimes the chemistry is not there: we’re talking about people after all, who may be well-intentioned but are fallible. Sometimes the same team can have both raving fans and disgruntled detractors simultaneously. Different metrics, personalities, etc., work differently for different clients.
Meanwhile, though, if you still trust the firm’s senior management, your ears should perk up when they suggest that they can offer a new team that might do a better job. If you believe that your current agency provides good training and reporting practices, your willingness to try out a new squad means that you are effectively “getting a new agency” without going through the rigamarole of the Agency Review process.
If it’s still not working out with the new team, though — well, obviously, you should just call me!
Posted on: February 2, 2009 at 12:36 pm By Todd Defren
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Sorry, but I agree with George Snell. It’s not that easy to switch out to a new team, and there will be baggage remaining internally in the agency. Since you will have to retrain anyway, do it with a whole new place, a complete fresh start, rather than trying to keep the existing place on life support.
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interesting discussion on InsidePR about @TDefren blog post Don’t Fire Your Agency for Performance [link to post]
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I think it’s always good to try something new, and yes, if you’re happy otherwise, a new team might make sense. People tend to avoid conflict, which is why (I think) most times a new agency is brought in rather than trying a new team. One perk of trying a new team is that the agency already has all your information – they know you – you don’t have to spend all that time getting another team up to speed.
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Good post and debate at Todd Defren’s PRSquared about whether you should fire a PR agency or just the PR team: [link to post]
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Looks like 3 FOR, and 3 AGAINST?
All make good points. Will there be a tie breaker?
Hi Todd:
As a veteran of PR agencies, I’ve witnessed “the switch out the team” approach — and it rarely works. First of all, it causes all kinds of internal problems among teams. It’s disruptive and hurts agency morale. The only ones who are happy are senior leaders, who are shielded from the pain because they don’t do much client work.
Second, if one team isn’t working at an agency why would a second team be better? Doesn’t the agency have best practices implemented? Don’t they all get the same training and approach PR the same way? If there is that much inconsistency among teams then clearly there are problems at an agency and a client should ask why did I get the B team to begin with? And if a team is burning out — how many other clients are they working on?
From a client perspective, best to just start over. Because, trust me, the agency has been talking about you and what they are saying isn’t pretty. The new team will come in thinking of you – the client – as a jerk or worse (after all you just fired their friends and co-workers and there are repercussions for that).
Best to just start over — without any baggage.
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Don’t Fire Your Agency for Performance (Before Reading This) [link to post]
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RT @dmullen: Interesting take – “Don’t Fire Your Agency for [Poor] Performance Before Reading This,” from @tdefren: [link to post]
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Interesting take – “Don’t Fire Your Agency for [Poor] Performance Before Reading This,” from @tdefren: [link to post]
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Having been on the client side for quite some time, I would find it disturbing to have to “re-train” a complete new team. In the past, I have requested that certain individuals be moved around but I would view a wholesale change as distracting to the business.
At that point, why not just solicit a new agency since you are starting from Ground Zero.
Twitter: srp_sf
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Don’t Fire Your Agency for Performance (Before Reading This), by PR Squared – [link to post]
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Great Article from PR Squared on why you shouldn’t fire your Agency for Performance : [link to post]
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I like the thinking, but we all know the reality isn’t that simple. So hopefully your top level management is also smart enough to see that things aren’t working and suggest the team change before the client makes the suggestion, or you may be too late.
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Nice post @tdefren – why clients should think twice about firing their agencies for performance [link to post] (RT @mediaphyter)
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Nice article from @tdefren on why clients should think twice about firing their agencies for performance [link to post]
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I like this approach because it’s about relationships, which is great. But I can also imagine that someone might be so fed up that they just want a fresh start; that’s how people work nowadays. I like Kevin’s comment that they automatically switch people out too – neat idea.
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RT @TDefren: New post: “Don’t Fire Your Agency for Performance (Before Reading This)” [link to post]
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Just read: Don’t Fire Your Agency for Performance (Before Reading This) [link to post] by @TDefren Wicked smart guy that Todd.
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RT @TDefren New post:”Don’t Fire Your Agency for Performance (Before Reading This)” [link to post] – great words for any industry
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What a refreshing view instead of the usual berating of people who, much of the time, are working their butts off for tight retainers.
I guess though that I would recommend the alternative starting point, switching out the senior people on the account. Ideally accounts are led from the front, well, I hope?
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RT @briansolis Reading “Don’t Fire Your Agency for Performance (Before Reading This)” [link to post] by @tdefren
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RT @TDefren: New post: “Don’t Fire Your Agency for Performance (Before Reading This)” [link to post] Very good advice to clients.
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Reading “Don’t Fire Your Agency for Performance (Before Reading This)” [link to post] by @tdefren
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You’re right on-track, Todd. I believe in switching new blood into a team every 6 months or so regardless of performance. A new staffer or two can bring in new perspectives and a fresh effort.
When a PR campaign goes stale, a client is well within their right to ask for a new team or – at the very least – to ask for certain team members to be rotated out.