The Secret Sauce for Great Client Relationships

Whether you are a Sriracha, Tabasco or Cholula type of person— the secret sauce of great client relationships is guaranteed to be less spicy and less controversial. So what is the secret sauce? And who is the keeper of this said sauce? Mindset. Little Bird Marketing CEO Priscilla McKinney is joined by the President of Fieldwork Seattle, Adrien Whittemore, as they discuss the importance of client relationships and how the right perspective can change a client into a friend. Trust goes a long way, and the trick behind building trust is showing clients they are more than just another piece of a project. Good client relationships are centered around building friendships and partnerships with clients rather than just treating the relationship as a transaction. After all, there is a common goal that both sides are working towards. It’s a team effort. *Cues We're All in This Together* Adrien stresses the value of going the extra mile, having an attitude of helpfulness, and anticipating clients’ needs. This can mean going out of the way to make things easy for clients, whether that is setting up Zoom calls or providing necessary information upfront. As Adrien states so perfectly, “Well-managed expectations avoid disappointment, and my recommendation would be to have a high bar to start with, but promise what you're able to deliver, and then always aim to exceed expectations.” It may be a little sweet and sour to hear. Great client relationships don’t come easy, but Fieldwork is known for creating an end-to-end experience that sets one research project apart from another. Adrien Whittemore has been with Fieldwork since 2000, where she started as a recruiter at Fieldwork Seattle and was quickly promoted to database manager. In 2003, Adrien moved to NYC and worked as the Recruiting Supervisor at Fieldwork New York-Westchester. She returned to her West Coast roots to manage the day-to-day operations, anchoring Fieldwork Seattle’s downtown location. Most recently, in Nov 2021, she became President of Fieldwork Seattle. Born in Northern California and raised in the greater Seattle area, Adrien has a firm handle on the Northwest market though she also loves traveling and exploring new cityscapes and their offerings. Outside of work, she can be found hanging out with her gang of Chihuahuas; Lola & Roman, shopping for shoes and trying to learn how to pack in a carry-on before her next flight takes off. Shoutout to this episode’s sponsor: Searching for a research partner to handle the details of your next qualitative project? When we say Fieldwork can handle it all, we mean it. From world-class facilities to low-incidents recruitment, their team of experts handles the details so you can stay focused on the research. Say goodbye to traditional focus group rooms and recruitment tactics. As market research has grown from the standard focus group to incorporate other innovative methodologies and technologies, Fieldwork has expanded along with it with facilities nationwide and sophisticated global recruitment services. Their detail-oriented staff partners with you to achieve great insights. Focus on the research Fieldwork will do the rest.