Why being a trusted advisor is now more important than ever

It is hard to believe we have been “locked down” for about two months and for some of us in the world of agency life and client service, it feels much longer. We are built to connect, to collaborate, to communicate and most importantly to make our clients’ lives easier.

Now more than ever, our role as agency partners is to do these things and in fact, do them better than we have ever done them before.

A few things I have learned to be true as we partner with our clients is to help guide them through what is most certainly the most exceptional time of our lives – personally and professionally…

Relationships first:

At Harbinger, we are incredibly lucky to call our clients our friends and our partners. With some of our relationships spanning years and some decades, we have developed deep and meaningful relationships. This human connection is more important to us than ever. We know that everyone is coping in unique ways and has different pressures, good days, bad days and more. For us, business is important but the impact we have on each other’s lives is the most meaningful.

Connect more and be agile:

Ironically, for many of our clients and partners we have connected more than before -whether it is video calls, collaboration platforms or old-school phone chats. The need to be nimble and agile sound obvious in our industry and with business changing daily, we have had the need and opportunity to connect often, early and easily to make this agility a reality.

Do what is right, not what is easy:

The strength of any relationship is often tested when times are challenging and now more than ever, we are emboldened to have clients who ask us to test them, to push them and to be better. We have seen the last eight weeks be a true testament to the idea of stress-testing business plans and marketing efforts; giving back to our communities and helping our clients truly offer value in the hearts and minds of who matters – which is all Canadians.

Be open, be honest:

Times like these open up an opportunity to be truly transparent and open. To have real conversations about things that matter to ourselves as individuals and as professionals. We have had the chance to work with our clients to uncover this openness and honesty and in turn are helping them see the benefits of sharing – which can mean uncovering blind-spots or opening up a totally new way of tackling a challenge or opportunity.

Harbinger is a Toronto-based North American marketing agency with expertise in product launches. We help brands get noticed and purchased.