Recently we were informed by a client, with whom we had been working for several months, that they were moving their account to a design shop, located in a very large city on the east coast. It wasn’t ugly or contentious, there were no angry words, or overt slights – it was all quite civilized. But that didn’t temper the sting of rejection. This particular relationship was, by our standards, extremely short-lived. Of course, we’ve had client relationships die slow deaths of attrition. It’s a fundamental law that in this profession, client/agency relationships will come and go… and oftentimes come back again. But this experience was something all together different. The terminus of a less than ideal working relationship typically brings about a mixed bag of emotions, often manifesting itself as disappointment co-mingled with something approaching relief.

In episode 10 of the AMC drama “Mad Men,” agency head Roger Sterling of the Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency has been informed that their agency has lost the Dr. Scholl’s account. His first reaction was to say,

“The day you sign a client is the day you start losing them.”

This is a down-right depressing thought and, I might add, not one that we at Kristian Andersen + Associates share. But it does underscore the tenuous nature of creative partnerships. Industry statistics indicate that the average length of a client/agency relationship is 5.3 years. This is less than the average length of marriage in US before divorce (8 years). But significantly longer than the average tenor of a Chief Marketing Officer (18 months). What all of these statistics reflect however, is that all relationships are subject to entropy.

So does this mean that we should resign ourselves to the fact that all client/agency relationships are doomed to die slow (or sometimes fast) degenerative deaths? I don’t think so. Although the average length of a marriage in the US before divorce is 8 years, I can assure you that I have no intention of succumbing to this statistic in my own marriage. I think averages… are averages. Nothing more, nothing less – and they should certainly not be used as the metrics by which we judge our own successes or failures.

I think the best way to manage your own batting average is to choose your partners and clients wisely. Just as in marriage, it’s important to look for shared values and goals early on in a relationship. Developing a sense of one’s own strengths and weaknesses essential. It is that understanding that helps you identify who to partner with and, more importantly, who not to partner with. Additionally, it is critical that one be able to quickly identify what client cultures your firm will synchronize with most effectively. In the case of the aforementioned client, we did a dismal job on most of these counts. Our optimism about the nature of the project and the value that we believed we could bring to bear on the engagement overshadowed some very prescient signals early on – signals that could should have been acknowledged and factored into our assessment of the opportunity.

The events leading up to the aborted relationship, were classic harbingers of doom.

An ill defined creative mandate, internal disagreement on strategy, a new CMO (who we never had the opportunity to meet), protracted periods of silence, lack of transparency into decision making processes, and lots of cooks in the kitchen, all coalesced to bring about the perfect storm.

So let’s assume that, for whatever reason, you end up in a client relationship that headed for an early demise. It’s important to keep things in perspective. When you’re issued your walking papers, it doesn’t mean that you’re not good (or even great), but rather that somebody thinks you’re not good (or great). This is an important distinction to keep in mind. It can be down right demoralizing to think that your work doesn’t cut the mustard. But let’s be frank, sometimes it’s just not the right fit. It would have been ideal to discover this prior to signing the contract and beginning the work, but sometimes it’s unavoidable.

It’s important to resist the urge to comprise your work. Let’s be clear – keeping clients satisfied is critical to success.

But ultimately, history remembers you for the work you create and the results it generates.

If a firm is too focused on short-term measures of success (e.g. cashing checks), they run the risk of building a middling, undifferentiated body of work and that type of work attracts that type of client.

If your firm does find itself being “downsized,” the best advice I can offer is to refrain from casting blame, making excuses, or being petty – do not, under any circumstances, burn bridges. It’s short sighted and pointless to do so. You never know who was fighting for you and your work inside the organization – the messenger is rarely the enemy. Learn from your mistakes and get better at evaluating potential opportunities.