How we create account teams for our clients

Forthright team members Michael and Lauren work together on a laptop outside.

Written by KATIE TEST DAVIS

One of the most common questions I get when a potential client reaches out about a project is: who am I going to work with?

So today I’m pulling back the curtain on how we put together a team for a client account.

First, let’s get to know some Forthright terminology, and understand the typical account team structure:

Account Lead: At Forthright, the “account lead” will be the client's day-to-day point of contact. They will quickly become your go-to person, and they’ll be the teammate you’ll interact with most. They’ll send you regular project status updates, set meeting agendas and generally keep the trains running on time. I work closely with every account lead across the agency to make sure our clients are getting exactly what they need from us.
Support Teammates: At Forthright, we never send any client deliverable without at least two sets of eyeballs on a document. This not only ensures we provide high-quality work, it also allows us to uphold our first core value of People First, because it empowers teammates to work together on tasks. Personally, I love this about Forthright because it helps when one of us needs to be out unexpectedly (to rest when we’re sick) or on purpose (vacation!). This means that most accounts will have at least an Account Lead and one Support Teammate. Support teammates can also be creatives – so, for example, the graphic designers, web designers or videographers that are contributing to the client project.
Relationship Manager: Usually me, we designed the relationship manager role to keep a high-level perspective on the account and provide back-up support to the Account Lead. The relationship manager pops into your meetings from time to time, and you’ll likely see them when something feels tricky, or you’re making big decisions.

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Here’s what this structure looks like in a hierarchy model (though we promise the reality is much more collaborative and easy-going!):

So, how do we know who will fill each of these roles on specific client accounts? Well, that depends on a few factors.

First, we consider what the account topic is, and we match our teammates’ passion points with the potential project. Luckily, we are an agency focused exclusively on issues impacting children and families. That means if we’re going to accept a project, we almost certainly have some DEEP expertise and passion for the issue at hand.

But we do have certain teammates who have slightly more experience in early childhood than K12, and/or teammates who have worked with the foster care system, or advocated on Capitol Hill. So we’ll take expertise and passion into account first.

Second, we think about the deliverables for the project. We’ll assemble the necessary creative teammates for you, and make sure that the account lead has experience in leading a similar project. Our very first core value is People First, so we make sure that every person in every seat on your team has the time and mental capacity to ensure your project has their full brains. (Psst, that’s why we charge more for work we perform outside of business hours. You can read more about that here.)

Unlike some of the big-boy agencies out there, our teammates don’t have quotas to meet or targets they are measured on each week. This breathing room allows us to ensure that our teammates are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for your project.

Finally, we look for client-team chemistry. Some clients are no-nonsense, know exactly what they want and are ready to rock. An account lead who is a super star project manager and can fast-track projects will best serve this client. Other partners have a more ambiguous problem they want to solve, or need more thought partnership to find the right path forward. A counselor who embodies the “advising” part of Forthright Advising will best serve them. Typically clients are a hybrid of both, and we’ve got teammates who can do both effortlessly.

No matter what you need, we want to make sure that the teammates we staff on the account are a good personality fit so we are meeting you where you are. (And honestly, part of chemistry is having fun! In our most recent client survey, 100 percent of our clients strong agreed we are fun to work with. So expect to develop some inside jokes along the way…)

So as you can see, at Forthright, creating a client team is an art, not a science. Instead of letting a computer algorithm compile a random team of staff members who happen to have time right now, at Forthright, a ton of thoughtfulness and strategy goes into creating the perfect client team. (Afterall, happy teammates mean happy clients, so we have a serious stake in the game of getting each client team right.)

Ready to see what kind of account team we’d be able to create for you and your project? Reach out now for a free strategic consultation.

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