Conversations amongst PPC professionals often gravitate toward nightmare clients. The ones who called at all hours of the day, dictated what should be done in the account & when, or were never satisfied, even by exemplary results. As I think about these situations, I have considered that nobody is happy. The manager feels belittled or berated. The client wants better results and is frustrated. A no-win situation. So I’m going to paint a picture of the perfect PPC client.
Know Your Goals
This is going to be one of the first questions I ask you during a sales call. What is your CPA? What is your conversion rate? What is lifetime value? As a client you should already know these metrics. They are the foundation of success in PPC because you can use them to back into your CPC bids and you have a standard to judge performance against. Without them, you’ll struggle to know what’s profitable and what isn’t. To be the perfect client, know these numbers beforehand. If you don’t, and you want your PPC manager to help you figure that out, then you need to build that into your expectations, which is our second point.
Know Your Expectations
This may seem obvious, but it’s the core of a successful relationship. I’ve talked to many prospective clients and straight up asked what their expectations were. When I get answers like “Make a lot of money” I know that they haven’t thought through what they expect. Even after digging it seems like they just want to reduce their workload or they fired the last guy and need someone fast.
When you know your expectations, you can accurately determine the fit between the manager and yourself. For example, if you expect weekly reports & calls and the manager only does monthly reports & calls you know right away that even if they agree to your terms, it’s not habit for them. They’ll be going out of their way to accommodate you, so if you’re picking them because they’re the low-cost bid, there is the potential to create resentment. On the flip side, if you expect only a monthly report and quarterly meeting, then you’ll have better alignment with the company providing the monthly report & call. Same offer from the manager, but the experience will be different based on expectations.
Know How You Communicate
Note that this implies good communication. That is a must, but you also need to know how you communicate best. If you prefer a well-written email, look for a manager that writes good emails in the sales process. If you prefer a quick call, look for a manager that is well-spoken & organized on the phone, even when the call is impromptu. Personally, I’m better in emails than on the phone and I’ve noticed that my longest tenured clients tend to be less the phone type. Finding a good match on communication style will help ensure that communication is effective and that goes a long way toward a happy client/manager relationship.
Conclusion
By becoming a perfect PPC client you’ll get better results and you’ll feel less stress. Now that’s a win-win situation!
