We often write about the nitty-gritty lead qualification process, but curation is a different approach than merely running down the checklist. It implies deeper consideration of the benefits that you may accrue through working with a particular client, or not working with another. We have sometimes referred to this effect as “gilt by association”—there is reflected glory in working for certain clients or brands, beyond the opportunity to do good work and make a fair profit.
Curation means building your “A” list, the clients you really want to work with, while keeping an eye on the balance among prestige, creative opportunities, and the potential for profit. It would indeed be wonderful if doing great work were all the reward needed from a client relationship. But you have bills to pay, salaries to meet, and don’t you need to upgrade your computers this year? Profitability matters.
Further, while acquiring a new and much-coveted client is exciting, don’t let the euphoria carry you off into cloud cuckoo land. Curation does not stop when you win a new client. You must regularly reassess the client’s profitability and weigh the benefits of continuing to work with them over time. Make it a practice to recheck each client against your qualification criteria at least yearly—every six months might be better, given the speed at which change happens in the modern economy. The better you are at curating, the more quickly you can counteract downward trends in profits and stir up new business efforts to replace clients who no longer shine so brightly.
By keeping a curatorial eye on all clients, not just prospects, you ensure that your agency will continue to gain strong benefits from each successful client relationship. Now, let’s bring that carefully selected new client with the massive profitability potential on board and get to work…
