Agency turnover.

It hurts the most. Seems so simple.

Not the big people.  The day to day people.

It’s a big factor.

Managing a client’s business can be more difficult that winning that client’s business.

No so you say. Running the business after winning it is easy.

Not so. The win is the glory. The challenge is the day to day management of an account.

New Business is like the pursuit of a new lover.  Running an account is like being married.

I had lunch today with a great client at a great company.

I had done an agency review for him in the past.

He has worked on the agency and client side.

He chose a great shop to work with that I know.  I connected them.

I asked him how things were going with the agency.

His forehead furrowed and his back got more erect and he didn’t say much verbally but the air and energy changed like the wind.

He shared how much he liked the Principal of the agency and then we talked about what pisses him off.

Turnover among the day to day people.

They are never in the New Business pitches but they are the plumbing of the agency.

They may wave to you on an agency tour.

The hot shots win the business but the grinders keep the business.

Unless you lose them.

Agencies can rationalize that Millennials move around a lot.

I know many and some do and some don’t.

Do they leave for money?  You bet. A number of changes on how agency financials work today makes the money lean for agencies.Clients created that but if very hard to tell them.  So they can’t be lavish on the salary side.  Foosball and beer is what we got.

Then there is the elixir about reading about other young folks making a killing out there with the newest internet startup of the day or their friends working for themselves.

I can do that their brain says.

So what is the answer?

Measure the temperature of you agency once a year.

You create Analytics for your clients.

Why not create Analytics about the attitude of your employees.

If they are happy your clients will be happy.

If they are unhappy clients will feel that before the management of the agency.

You can’t measure it yourself.

You need an outside firm that knows you but won’t hype you.

Nobody would believe you if you do it yourself.

Truth not company hype is how you keep your employees and clients today.