Strong client relationships don’t evolve by chance. They’re built, nurtured, and sustained through behaviours that consistently demonstrate value — the kind that make you indispensable.
Building strong relationships is about meeting each other’s needs, being valuable, and ultimately becoming indispensable.
But being indispensable isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing what truly matters.
It’s easy to fall into a reactive rhythm with clients. They call, you answer. They say, “Can you just…” and you say yes because saying no feels like closing a door. Yet every “yes” adds another task with no job number, no scope, and often, no strategic return.
The truth is, growth-building relationships aren’t created through reactivity. They’re built on value — on the kind of partnership that helps clients think, decide, and move forward with confidence.
The goal is to become the person your client calls when they need a sounding board, a strategic challenger, or a trusted ally to help them evaluate choices, handle risk, or navigate internal politics. That kind of indispensable partnership doesn’t just happen — it’s built intentionally and strategically.
And at the heart of it lies trust.
Trust grows when you consistently demonstrate the right partnership behaviours.
1. Be business-minded
Show that you understand business — their business, your business, and the business of doing business. Demonstrate that you recognise the weight of their world: the commercial pressures, the accountability, the career stakes.
Then use your expertise to solve real business challenges, not just creative ones. When clients see that you grasp both the logic and emotion of their commercial reality, they start to see you as someone who’s in it with them, not just working for them.
2. Speak the right language
Respect the time-short, outcomes-oriented environment your clients operate in. Lead with impact, not process. Talk about the difference your recommendations will make — not the steps involved in getting there.
Process belongs to project managers; outcomes belong to partners.
Be succinct, confident, and clear. Land your key point quickly — the “how” can come later. When you respect their time and decision-making context, you earn credibility.
3. Be proactive
Anticipate needs before they surface. Understand your clients’ world well enough to spot risks, opportunities, and misalignments before they do. Don’t wait for instruction — bring ideas, insights, and perspective. Share what you’re seeing in other sectors. Flag issues early.
Clients want agencies that lead, not those that merely deliver. Proactivity shows investment — it signals that you care about their success beyond the brief.
4. Be emotionally intelligent
Partnership is built on emotional awareness as much as strategic acumen. Understand and manage emotions — yours and theirs — to build trust and navigate challenges. Recognise how your tone, timing, and attitude shape their perception of you and your agency. Listen for what’s unsaid as much as what’s spoken.
It’s about tuning into how the client feels, not just what they say. When ambiguity arises, check it. Clarify it. Emotional intelligence turns friction into flow.
5. Be agile
Agility isn’t about saying yes to every change request. It’s about responding with curiosity and flexibility. Ask why. Reframe to test the purpose and desired outcome. Think inventively about how to deliver what’s needed in smarter, more effective ways.
Being agile means adapting fast — but always with intention, not reaction. The most trusted partners respond to change without losing clarity or direction.
Partnership isn’t about over-servicing; it’s about over-delivering on value. It’s about knowing when to say yes, when to question, and when to lead.
Because when clients experience that level of partnership — where you help them think, not just act — you don’t need to prove your indispensability. You already are.
Want to go deeper? In the masterclass below, designed for those in client-facing roles, we’ll explore these partnership behaviours in depth — and how to embed them into your daily practice so that your client relationships grow stronger, smarter, and more strategic.