Client management is often the most challenging part of agency work. Having worked with dozens of clients over the years, I’ve experienced my fair share of difficult characters and tricky situations. But when you’re armed with solutions and the right client management skills, even the toughest challenges become manageable.
In this article I’ll explore seven of the biggest challenges of client management – with practical solutions to help you overcome them. I’ll then go on to share five client management strategies to set you up for success.
But first …
What is client management?
Let’s start by looking at exactly what we mean by client management.
Client management is the process of building and maintaining strong agency-client relationships while making sure projects run smoothly and meet their goals. It involves clear communication, managing expectations, resolving issues, and keeping projects on track – all while balancing your team’s workload and maintaining profitability.
At its core, successful client management is all about trust. When clients trust that you’ll deliver great work on time and within budget, they’re more likely to respect your processes. Plus, they’ll value your expertise, and see your team as a long-term partner rather than just another service provider.
Sounds easy breezy, right? I know, it’s a lot to juggle.
Client management isn’t without its challenges. But every problem has a solution.
Let’s explore seven key challenges – and tips to overcome them.
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1. Scope creep
Scope creep is one of the most common – and frustrating – client management challenges. It happens when clients keep requesting additional work beyond what was agreed in the original scope.
It usually starts small: a quick extra task here, a slight adjustment there. Before you know it, your team is stretched thin, stressed, and delivering more work than you originally agreed on. And often without additional pay.
Your team’s unhappy. Your senior management team’s unhappy. And your client may well be happy now but your resentment will quickly become clear. Then they’ll be unhappy too.
Solution
To avoid this, set clear project boundaries from the start with a detailed scope of work. Outline exactly what’s included in the scope, from deliverables to timelines, and have the client sign it off.
If new requests come in, use a formal change request process to manage them. Explain how additional work affects deadlines and budgets, and get client approval before proceeding. This keeps client expectations clear, and it protects your team’s time and resources.
2. Overservicing
Another of the most common client management pitfalls is overservicing. Overservicing happens when you go above and beyond what was agreed in the contract – often without being asked, and almost always without any extra compensation.
It often stems from wanting to boost client satisfaction and improve your client relationships, which is understandable. But over time, it can lead to burnout for your team and impact your agency’s profitability.
Solution
Track your time carefully to understand how much effort is going into each project. Compare this to the agreed budget and identify areas where you’re consistently overspending time and resources.
Have open conversations with clients about the value of your work too. If overservicing has become a pattern, discuss revising the contract or adjusting future project scopes to reflect the actual time and effort involved.
By setting boundaries and communicating transparently, you’ll protect your team’s well-being – and your bottom line.
3. Slow feedback
Is there anything more frustrating than rushing to meet deadlines on your end, only to be waiting days,or even weeks, for the client’s response? Slow feedback can bring projects to a grinding halt. It creates delays, disrupts your project timeline, and can cause a whole load of unnecessary stress for your team.
But when client relationship management is a priority, it’s fair enough that you don’t want to chase and chase and chase.
Solution
Set clear deadlines for client feedback at the start of the project. Include these dates in your project timeline and share them with the client so that they know from the very beginning what’s expected of them.
You can also make your life infinitely easier with feedback and approval software like Filestage. Filestage sends automated reminders to nudge clients when deadlines are approaching – which means no more chasing or pestering from your side!
Regular check-ins can also help keep the project on track. Schedule weekly or biweekly progress calls where you can review project progress and gather real-time feedback if needed. This keeps client communication flowing and prevents long periods of radio silence on their end.
4. Conflicting feedback
Conflicting feedback is one of the trickiest client management challenges to navigate. It happens when different stakeholders within the client’s team provide feedback that’s completely contradictory.
One person might love a design, while another wants a complete overhaul. One person might ask for a specific copy edit, while another wants it changed to something completely different. The worst part is when they’re all blissfully unaware, and you’re the one having to piece it all together.
When everyone has a say but no one agrees, your team can end up stuck in a frustrating and confusing feedback loop, wasting valuable time and energy.
Solution
To avoid conflicting feedback, use a collaborative client proofing tool like Filestage. Collecting feedback in one centralized platform helps you streamline the entire review process by consolidating everything in one place. Stakeholders can see each other’s comments, and any contradictions or disagreements can be ironed out there and then – without any input needed from you.
This makes it a whole lot easier to align decisions, keep projects moving forward, and make sure all voices are heard.
Is poor communication losing you time (and accounts)?
See how top agencies cut feedback costs and roll out campaigns 30% faster with our client feedback tool.
5. Unrealistic deadlines
Another all-too-common client management challenge is unrealistic deadlines. Clients often underestimate how long creative work takes or assume that their project is your only priority.
Which, let’s face it, is rarely the case when you’re working in an agency. Chances are you’re being pulled in a hundred different directions, so you need to be able to work on various projects and deliverables simultaneously.
When clients expect work faster than your team can realistically deliver, the result is rushed work, lower-quality output, and even team burnout if not managed properly.
Solution
Good client management skills include the ability to recognize and push back on unrealistic deadlines. The most important thing is to manage client expectations.
Be proactive and set expectations early. During project kickoff meetings, explain what’s involved in delivering high-quality work and how long each stage typically takes. Use past project timelines as examples to show what’s realistic.
If a client sets an unrealistic deadline, push back professionally by explaining what’s achievable within the timeframe. Offer alternative timelines or phased project deliveries to balance expectations and quality. This shows that you’re solutions-focused while still protecting your team’s well-being.
It also pays to regularly update clients on progress so they can see how work is coming along. By being honest and transparent, you’ll enhance client relationships, build trust, and manage expectations every step of the way.
6. Last-minute changes
Last-minute changes can throw even the best-planned projects into chaos. It could be a sudden shift in direction, major revisions requested just before a project deadline, or new priorities out of nowhere. All this can disrupt workflows, cause delays, and lead to missed deadlines.
And while some level of flexibility is expected in agency work, frequent last-minute changes can tip your team over the edge and derail all your carefully planned schedules.
Solution
To keep client relationships positive, establish a clear change management process from the outset. Set out clear deadlines for revisions and share a timeline that outlines when major decisions need to be made and when changes will be more difficult or costly to implement.
A clear timeline encourages clients to provide feedback on time and reduces the chances of disruptive last-minute changes.
If a last-minute change is unavoidable, explain how it will affect the project’s timeline, deliverables, and cost. Offer solutions like reprioritizing tasks, extending deadlines, or splitting the project into phases to accommodate urgent needs while keeping the broader project on track.
By managing changes proactively and keeping communication open and transparent, you’ll reduce project disruptions, keep your team productive, and keep those client relationships strong and thriving.
7. Micromanagement
If there’s one word that gets everyone’s back up, it’s this: micromanagement. In the world of client management, this refers to clients trying to control every aspect of a project, leaving little room for creative freedom or independent decision-making.
Perhaps they request constant updates. Insist on approving minor tasks. Or question Every. Single. Creative. Choice.
While it generally stems from good intentions like wanting to make sure that the final outcome is a success, micromanagement can slow down progress. Plus, it can frustrate your team, and damage the working relationship.
Solution
A one-word answer to that one-word bugbear: boundaries. Set boundaries early by explaining your process and outlining when and how clients will be involved.
For example, let them know they’ll review work at specific project milestones rather than at every stage. This gives them clear expectations while giving your team the space they need to work efficiently.
Make sure your client understands the value of giving your team creative freedom too. After all, you’re the experts, and they’ve chosen you as their agency for a reason.
Trust is another big one here, and it doesn’t happen overnight. Work to build trust by sharing regular progress updates, so that your clients can rest assured that you’re working hard behind the scenes.
Use a client management system where clients can check the project’s status without constant check-ins – that way they’ll feel reassured while keeping interruptions to a minimum.
If they keep on micromanaging, have an honest conversation with them. Acknowledge their concerns, but explain how their involvement affects project timelines and suggest an alternative way to work together.
Position it as a way to improve results while having a smoother, less stressful working relationship for all parties.
Five client management strategies to set you up for success
Let’s explore five client management strategies to help you build an effective client management process, keep clients satisfied, and drive long-term success.
1. Use client management software
Invest in a robust project management or client management tool. These must-have software solutions help client managers track new and existing clients, manage projects, and streamline communication – all from one centralized hub. The right tool will make client management that much easier.
Check out our guide to the best client collaboration tools to boost retention.
2. Focus on client retention
While winning new clients is, of course, crucial, retaining existing clients is just as important. And it’s often more cost-effective too. A strong client retention strategy focused on clear communication and providing a personalized service helps maintain long-term partnerships.
Make it a priority to overcome those common challenges so that you’re providing the best service possible.
3. Set clear key performance indicators (KPIs)
KPIs are important for evaluating your client management process and understanding what’s working and what isn’t. Metrics like project completion rates, client satisfaction scores, and client retention rates show where things are going well, and where you can improve.
4. Personalize client communication
Remember that to build successful client relationships, you need to tailor your approach to each client. Every client will have different preferences in terms of communication styles and ways of working.
So take time to get to know the client, what makes them tick, and tailor your communication accordingly.
5. Stay proactive and transparent
Your clients want to see that you’re working hard on their projects, so be proactive and transparent at every step. Proactive communication builds trust and keeps clients engaged and confident in your partnership.
Final thoughts
I hope these challenges, solutions, and strategies have given you practical insights into client relationship management and left you ready to tackle those challenges head-on!
Many of the most common issues like slow feedback, conflicting input, and last-minute changes can be solved with a clear review and approval process. By streamlining how you manage feedback and approvals, you can keep clients satisfied while driving long-term success.
If you’d like to see for yourself how Filestage can simplify client review and approval, start a free trial today →
