Tips From a Leading Cincinnati Marketing Agency
By Jane Meyer, Senior Account Executive
& Project Manager
Last week, my husband greeted me with unwelcome news: “Your computer’s internet speed is in the single digits. Call our provider ASAP.”
You know the drill when you contact your ISP – endless voice prompts, troubleshooting with someone reading from a script, and eventually scheduling a technician visit.
Over the course of one week, our provider came out three times. I got a new router. I bought a mesh extender. I adjusted settings on my computer. Sadly, the new router and my computer didn’t like each other, and I ended up with Wi-Fi that was as dependable as a diva – performing flawlessly when it felt like it, then refusing to show up when I had deadlines.
Each visit meant explaining the problem from scratch to a different technician, repeating the troubleshooting steps I had already tried, and hoping this would be the time someone actually fixed it.
By the third visit, my patience had just about left the building. But when the third technician arrived, he said something that completely shifted my perspective: “I’ve been working on your issue all afternoon.”
I was not prepared for that. “What?? Tell me more!!”
He had read my service notes, called the previous technician to understand what had already been tried, and consulted with a colleague who had encountered a similar problem. He came prepared – with a theory and a plan.
That one sentence changed everything. I went from feeling frustrated and unheard to feeling valued and understood.
Do Marketing Clients Know What We Do Behind the Scenes?
When we’re managing marketing communications accounts, there’s so much work that happens outside of client calls and deliverables: research into their industry (from healthcare to hospitality), having strategic discussions with our team, learning the nuances of their stakeholder relationships and collaborating with partners on everything from video to public relations.
Clients see the final communication plan presentation, the creative deliverable, the marketing or branding campaign launch. They don’t see the hours spent preparing, the conversations with colleagues to pressure-test ideas, or the additional research we do because we’re genuinely invested in their success.
When Advocacy Feels Like Pushback
Sometimes, our behind-the-scenes work shows up as a recommendation against an idea. To a marketing client, that can feel like resistance or inflexibility. In reality, it’s rooted in research, deep experience in marketing and communications, and a desire to get the best possible outcome.
The challenge is making sure the difference between resistance and advocacy is clear.
4 Ways to Make the Invisible Visible
My internet technician taught me an important lesson: sometimes, you need to make your investment visible.
He didn’t just show up and start troubleshooting. He told me what he had already done. That simple act of communication transformed my perception.
Here’s how we make our thinking more visible to our marketing clients:
- Share the research and experience that informed a recommendation
- Mention the professionals you consulted or the data you analyzed
- Explain why you’re advocating for a particular approach
- Make your investment in their success explicit, not assumed
Clients aren’t mind readers.
If we want them to understand our commitment to their success, sometimes we need to say: “I’ve been working on your issue all afternoon.”
Because when clients understand the depth of our investment, even difficult conversations feel different. Pushback becomes partnership. Strategic guidance becomes collaboration.
And that changes everything.
Ready to learn more about how Rasor helps their marketing clients achieve measurable success? Contact us at info@gorasor.com or 513-793-1234.