In an agency environment, it can be surprisingly difficult to tell the difference between a client lead who is delivering genuinely exceptional service and one who is simply keeping things moving.
The work gets delivered. Clients aren’t complaining. Meetings happen. Emails are answered.
But is that really enough?
The strongest client leads don’t just manage accounts they actively create value, challenge clients, anticipate problems and look for opportunities to make the relationship stronger. So, if you want to understand whether your client leads are delivering a best-in-class service or simply treading water, here are some questions worth asking.
1. When was the last time you proactively challenged your client?
A great client lead isn’t afraid to say, “I don’t think that’s the right approach.”
Ask your leads where they have recently challenged a client’s thinking, strategy or brief and what happened as a result. If the answer is always “the client asked us to do X, so we did X”, you may have an order-taking culture rather than a strategic partnership.
2. What have you done for the client that they didn’t ask for?
This is one of the simplest tests of proactive account management.
Best-in-class teams spot opportunities before the client does. That might mean identifying a new commercial opportunity, sharing useful market intelligence, introducing a new capability or suggesting a smarter way of working.
If everything your team does originates from a client request, ask yourself whether they are genuinely adding value.
3. What are the client’s biggest challenges right now?
Your client lead should be able to answer this without hesitation.
Not just the challenges relating to your agency’s work, but the broader commercial, operational and market pressures affecting the client. The deeper their understanding of the client’s world, the more effectively they can become a trusted adviser rather than simply a supplier.
4. What could go wrong in the next six months?
This question tests whether your team is looking ahead.
Ask your leads to identify potential risks in the relationship, upcoming changes within the client organisation, budget pressures, competitive threats or areas where expectations could become misaligned.
If they can’t identify any risks, that doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t any it may mean they’re not looking for them.
5. What would your client say you could do better?
This is where honest client feedback becomes invaluable.
Don’t settle for generic statements such as “they’re really happy with us.” Ask what evidence supports that view. When was feedback last gathered? What did the client say? What action did the team take as a result?
6. Why would the client choose to stay with us?
Perhaps the most revealing question of all.
Is it because of the quality of the thinking? The results? The relationship? Specialist expertise? Speed? Convenience? Value for Money?
Understanding the answer helps you identify whether you’re building genuine client loyalty or simply benefiting from inertia.
Ultimately, “no complaints” is not the same as “exceptional service.”
The best agency client leads are curious, commercially aware, proactive and willing to challenge. They don’t simply protect the status quo they continually ask how they can make the client’s business, and the relationship itself, better.
The question for agency leaders is therefore simple:
Are your client leads managing accounts or actively creating value?