A client emailed Monday morning to say he wanted to "take the relationship in a new direction."
I asked what that meant.
He said he'd been talking to another agency.
I asked which one.
He named them.
I knew exactly who they were.
I told him what their average client tenure was.
I told him who they'd lost in the last eighteen months.
I told him about the rebrand that failed and the founder who'd remortgaged his house twice.
I told him their head of strategy had a reputation nobody talked about openly.
I told him I'd heard things about how they handled client data.
He was quiet for a long time.
He said "how do you know all that."
I told him it was my industry.
He said "maybe we should stay the course."
I told him I'd need to reprice the retainer given the disruption to our planning cycle.
He approved it the same day.
I made every single word of it up.
I know nothing about that agency beyond their homepage.
He had absolutely no idea.
He still doesn't.
Agency life is not for the faint of heart.
I asked what that meant.
He said he'd been talking to another agency.
I asked which one.
He named them.
I knew exactly who they were.
I told him what their average client tenure was.
I told him who they'd lost in the last eighteen months.
I told him about the rebrand that failed and the founder who'd remortgaged his house twice.
I told him their head of strategy had a reputation nobody talked about openly.
I told him I'd heard things about how they handled client data.
He was quiet for a long time.
He said "how do you know all that."
I told him it was my industry.
He said "maybe we should stay the course."
I told him I'd need to reprice the retainer given the disruption to our planning cycle.
He approved it the same day.
I made every single word of it up.
I know nothing about that agency beyond their homepage.
He had absolutely no idea.
He still doesn't.
Agency life is not for the faint of heart.
