Telling the truth is a life skill that is taught at a young age.

“Did you eat the entire box of cookies? Tell the truth…”

“Were you the one who spray painted the dog’s tail? Tell the truth…”

“Did you sneak out of the house last night? Tell the truth…”

In life, there is certainly an emotional conflict when deciding to tell the actual truth vs. bending the truth or flat out lying. But in client services, the fact of the matter is this: lies = loss.

When you lie to a client about how their creative ideas are good, even when you know they aren’t on-brand or on-message, you create a false sense of confidence. You’ve lost your ability to be the thought leader for the account or project.

Instead, be honest. Tell them you understand their thinking, but when taking a step back, it doesn’t necessarily speak to the brand or the audience. Their creative could be a good idea at some point, but just not right now. This shows your client you are dedicated to the success of the brand as well as showcasing your expertise in brand consistency.

When you choose to lie to a client about the success of their paid media campaign, it creates a fake sense of trust. The fact of the matter is that regardless of what you say, the strategy is still going to suck, they’re still not going to get results, they’re still losing money, and their trust in you is lost.

Instead, suck it up and tell them that your strategies aren’t hitting the mark. And then let them know what you’re going to do to fix it. That transparency—that vulnerability—is not only endearing, but also it lets the client know that they can always trust you.

When you try to make excuses for a late deliverable or blame other members of your team, you’ve lost the client’s respect. A marketing agency isn’t a group of singular people; a marketing agency is a collective team of subject matter experts – that’s why the client hired your agency. If you blame other people, you’re allowing the client to think that they are paying for a weak link.

Instead, be transparent. When you know there is going to be a delay, tell the client as soon as possible. Let them be frustrated, let them get angry, and then let them get over it. And in the meantime, find a solution.

There’s a reason Mascola Group’s ethos is “Marketing with Integrity.” We truly believe it.

Trust us. Trust Mascola Group.

To learn more about what we can do for your team, contact us, and discover the partnership you deserve at the agency that is Marketing with Integrity.