A couple weeks ago, two giant sized posters on easel-like stands showed up in our St. Louis office. I was really busy at the time and didn’t have the brain capacity to decipher what was on them, what they meant to me, and if I really needed to even care in the first place. Hell, they could have said the building was on fire and I wouldn’t have noticed. I wouldn’t say I’m any less busy today, however since there is one literally beside the desk next to me, I figured maybe I should slow my roll a bit and take a look.
The poster closest to my desk showcases some of the industry awards our company has won for outstanding paid search marketing and organic search optimization. To toot our little horn, here’s a quick rundown of a few- OMMA’s 2008 Agency of the Year, Yahoo Search Light, DMA Echo Award and Creative Media Award, OMMA’s Best Search Copy, two MIXX awards from IAB, Sears Partners in Progress and SES’s Best Integration award. Breathe…whew. Not too shabby, huh?
The other poster situated in the middle of our office space is a short list of our clients. We average about 670 clients globally, so when I say short, I mean short. Looking at these names listed, I’m in awe of just how many I deal with in my own personal life; Sprint, AT&T, Paramount, PayPal, Xerox, Citi, IKEA, Chevron, and so on.
Client Relationships are Priceless
In the business of paid and organic search engine marketing, I think we all tend to get caught up in the day-to-day details. We go from meeting to meeting, dig in to try and get that full inbox answered and cleared out, and jump on calls without ever taking a moment to stop and look around at what we’re doing. And who we’re doing it for.
When I think about the awards we’ve won, the clients we have, and the clients I’ve touched personally, I’m seeing them as something more. Sure, we’ve all had the client who made us tear our hair out and scream obscenities. Who hasn’t? But when you consider the time and effort you’ve put into helping their business grow, the small word “client” just doesn’t seem substantial enough. Those clients have been a large part of our lives…kind of like partners…kind of like friends. You have your courting phases, your disagreements, the fun nights out, your discussions about feelings. You learn and you grow personally and professionally. Somewhere along the line we all become more to each other. So when I sit at my desk now and look around at all the amazing people I’ve had the chance to know, the name tags that still hang of the ones who have moved on, the posters visually showing what we’ve all accomplished together and for whom, I can’t help but fight back that grateful tear.
This agency business of search engine marketing isn’t just about putting up text ads, getting your client’s site to show in the organic listings and meeting unreasonable deadlines. It’s also about those relationships you’ve cultivated. I know someone who says “It’s just search, no one dies.” The next time you’re having one of those days when you think you truly might, stop. Slow yourself down and reflect on how many good things this ride has brought into your life as well as the lives you’ve been able to touch.
