ROBERT SOLOMON is the world's leading authority on how to improve creative work by forging and sustaining trust-based relationships with clients.

Robert runs Solomon Strategic, a firm he founded in 1999 to provide marketing counsel to advertising agencies, client companies, and individual marketing professionals. Trained as a direct marketer who embraced Digital early on, Robert is known for his expertise as a brand strategist and new business developer. He is an expert speaker and workshop leader who also is certified as an organizational and executive coach, particularly skilled in job search.

Robert has handled a wide range of consulting assignments, in both offline and online media, for more than a score of clients, including Ammirati Puris Lintas, Blitz, BoomBox, Brandmuscle, Chase Insurance, Cognitive Arts, Condé Nast, Digitas Health Lifebrands, Deep Focus, Draft Worldwide, Ferrara & Company, Initiative Media North America, PALAZZO Investment Bankers, PCR, Procurian, R/GA, Saatchi & Saatchi X, Sotheby's, and Womenkind.

Robert previously was President of Direct and Interactive Marketing at Ammirati Puris Lintas, General Manager of FCB Direct West, and Senior Vice President of Bronner Slosberg Humphrey (now Digitas).

Robert lives in Napa, California with his wife Roberta, and with the world's best dogs, Alvin and Molly.

Dedication

Foreword

Introduction

1. What Makes Great Client Service?

PART ONE: HOW TO BE GREAT WITH CLIENTS

2. Account Management's Role

3. Achieving The Next Level

4. Transforming A Career Into A Calling

PART TWO: WINNING NEW BUSINESS FOR YOUR AGENCY

5. New Business: What It Is, Why It Is Important, And Why You Should Give A Damn

6. How To Contribute Before, During, And After Pitch Day

7. Getting To Yes

PART THREE: BEGINNINNG A CLIENT RELATIONSHIP

8. In A High-Tech World, Be Low-Tech

9. What Success Looks Like

10. Always Manage Client Expectations From The Outset

11. Be Multilingual

12. Live The Client's Brand

13. Ask, "What Do My Colleagues Need To Create Great Advertising?" Then Deliver It

PART FOUR: HOW TO...

14. Run A Meeting

15. Brief A Colleague

16. Write A Conference Report

17. Perfect The Perfect Scope Of Work

18. Craft That Schedule You Need To Create

19. Build A Better Budget

20. Draft A Letter Of Proposal

21. Create A Powerpoint Presentation

PART FIVE: FORMULATNG THE BRIEF THAT DRIVES GREAT CREATIVE

22. Take The Word Brief Seriously

23. What Makes A Brilliant Brief?

24. In Writing The Brief, Provide The Client's Perspective

25. Know When To Look It Up; Know When To Make It Up

PART SIX:ESTABLISHING TRUST WITH CLIENTS

26. Great Work Wins Business; A Great Relationship Keeps It.

27. Client Presentations Are As Important As New Business Presentations

28. Always Ask, "Does This Advertising Pass The 'So What' Test?"

29. Don't Fall In Love With Good Work; Don't Fall For Bad Work

30. Choice Is Good

31. Fight About The Work With Colleagues; Fight For It With Clients

32. Do Not Sell

33. Bring Your Clients Into The Process Early And Often

34. Respect What It Takes To Do Great Creative

35. Credit Is For Creative Directors

36. We Are Smarter Together Than We Are Alone

37. Judgment Overrides Any Rule

38. Ideas Are The Currency We Trade In

PART SEVEN: BUILDING LONG-TERM CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS

39. Make No Commitment Without Consultation

40. Take On The Coloration Of Your Clients; Do Not Compromise Your Character

41. Never Forget It's A Business

42. Once A Client, Always A Client

43. Going Rogue

PART EIGHT: HOW TO DEAL WITH UNHAPPY CLIENTS

44. Always Think Endgame

45. No Surprises About Money Or Time

46. Deal With Problems Head- On

47. If Things Go Wrong, Take The Blame

48. What Happens When I Screw Up?

49. Getting Fired

PART NINE: REGAINING CLIENT TRUST

50. How Happy Clients Help You Gain New Ones

51. Five Client Challenges To Agencies

52. Five Client Service Principles To Believe In

Acknowledgments: Remember To Say "Thank You"

POSTSCRIPT

About The Author

A Bunch Of Books To Make You Better At What You D