By Judith Hector

So what keeps a client coming back? A cool office helps, sure. Great creative is a given. Shelves full of industry awards help, of course. Lots of golf? Maybe. But the real reason a client sticks around year and after?

It's the strong personal relationship that matters most.

Account executives are the traditional liaison between clients and the agency. They push creatives, pull the client, take the flack, and massage jobs to keep the work flowing. They are the first line of defense in keeping clients and a key element to your agency's success.

With the uncertain economy, there are fewer advertising dollars to go around -- and lots of hungry agencies fighting for the same accounts. So who wins it? Surprisingly, it isn't the lowest estimate, the flashiest design, or the cleverest presentation. Now more than ever, accounts are won -- and kept -- because of outstanding client service.

But don't jump on your AEs and start demanding better client retention and new jobs right away. First, give them the momentum of an agency-wide strategic plan that brands your agency as customer-centric. Think exceptional service. Think long-term relationships. With a new, stronger agency position -- and the synergy of a singular focus behind them -- AEs can safeguard their current accounts and bring in new Biz.

Thank you, come again!

A recent survey shows that client-agency relationships are shortening from an average of 13 years to 7.6 years. Two main reasons clients called for reviews are that they are dissatisfied with the incumbent, or they felt they outgrew the agency's abilities.

Here's another painful statistic. When the incumbent is invited to compete for the work, clients choose it only 20% of the time.

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