What a difference a few months makes. I wrote about agency search momentum and optimism in January. One month into Q2, uncertainty is the theme.

But a tumultuous environment doesn’t mean agency searches come to a halt or that agencies can’t take steps to keep their partnerships healthy. It simply means client priorities change.

Here’s what our clients are looking for in an agency right now:

Proof that you solve business problems. Whether you’re including case studies in a pitch or presenting new work to current clients, innovative creative ideas and execution are not enough. Clients are looking for evidence—specific examples of how your solutions drive business and solve problems. Prove your value at every turn.

A focus on accountability. Earnings calls are tough. Cutbacks are a reality. So, unsurprisingly, media transparency and metrics are back in the spotlight. Clients want to see where and how dollars are spent and how media decisions will deliver results. Provide strategic rationale for every recommendation—whether it’s to spend or not.

Expertise in house and through partnerships. If you’re a creative agency and wondering if you’ll need to build or invest in an in-house media capability to compete, rest assured that clients don’t expect every agency to have media in house. Likewise, PR isn’t always a capability that lives under an agency’s umbrella. If a lead strategic agency comes to the table, confidently and honestly, about what they do well and where they support their expertise through partnership, that is a win for a client.

New people, new perspective. It’s time to normalize talent rotation on client accounts. Bringing on new people provides growth opportunities for your agency team, reduces burnout and offers new perspectives for your client. Think strategically and ask— Where should we keep institutional knowledge? Where could we bring in new skillsets if a client’s scope has changed? In many of the longstanding client-agency relationships we see, rotating talent has contributed to the health and longevity of partnerships.

If you’d like more information on how we help new and existing client-agency partnerships, please get in touch.