Agency/Client Relations (4 of 5): We Are Done, Stop Calling.
There is a calm that comes over you once you make the decision. It is easily confused with apathy, but it's really a transcendental sense of truth. Things are what they are.
So, you fired your agency. Or maybe you fired your client? It happens more often than you think. Whichever way it worked out, you're both done and moving on. Much like a divorce, so begins the extrication process.
This is where character really shows. How you handle the break up will be remembered for a long time. It will be shared as a story among your peers and colleagues. The last months of your relationship will, whether you like it or not, define the emotional memory of you.
Act like an adult all the time, with everyone
This is harder than it sounds. Regardless of who initiated the termination, there are loose ends, hassle and, in some cases, legal repercussions. Let's park the legal issues for a bit because, honestly, you follow the letter of your contract. Trying to weasel out of that is a huge mistake that doesn't even deserves the words to explain how stupid it is.
This is more about the process, the demeanor and the expectations. One can make this process nearly pleasant. You're done, after all, there's no sense in assigning blame or trying to fix something. Just, move on as easily as you can while also showing the best character.
My advice, almost always, is to write down a narrative. Take out the emotion, and just stick to the facts. What is happening, what we are going to do about it and (this is important to me) how you want to be remembered. When in doubt, go back to this narrative. It informs your decision process and what you will and won't do.
Think of it like a divorce creative brief. You don't have to overthink it, but you DO need to commit to it. What does this look like? This...
We've done some great work with [client], but we are now parting ways. We're going to review how we got here, but first we are going to make [client] whole. When they speak of us, I want them to remember us kind, patient and helpful all the way to the very end.
That may SUCK to live at times. You may want to say something nasty, or be a little vindictive, or correct some misconception... You will want to.
Let it go. Move on.
Be better.
Create an Off-Boarding Plan
Sure, every agency has an on-boarding plan for a client to make them feel welcome, understand what you can do and familiarize them with procedure. But do you have a way to break up? Is it documented? Nobody plans to break up, but it will happen. Be better.
Roles and Responsibility. Be very clear about this. Not just the "we need 30 days notice" clear, but really clear. Which team is responsible for what and whom. Break it down to details like assets, materials, intellectual material. Be crystal clear about what you will do when you split up, to make it easier.
Copyrights. This is a bloody mess. It has gotten worse as time has gone by with who owns what part of a digital asset. Some MSAs map this out, and then you just follow the contract. If you don't have this, you might consider having an early discussion about rights, and what the client should expect. I can tell you, the client's expectations will vary wildly depending upon their history and experience level.
Assets. Ever go through someone else's junk drawer? To them, it's completely organized, and to you it looks like a rat's nest. So, even though you have previously agreed to pass over digital assets, I strongly doubt there was ever a discussion about how those assets are organized. Maybe map that out, too.
Fair and Customary Fees. Everyone is going to have some pain in this process. Migrating the account out of the agency may include some training and will certainly include some passing of assets. This could be time consuming and expensive. Pay the agency! Set out some guidance for how you want material and information, set a time frame and act like an adult. Pay the agency for this service. And agency... Map this out ahead of time as an expectation.
I have a common thread through almost all my writings: Expectations. When things go the way people expect them to go, its usually OK. When people are faced with surprise, they fall back into either defensive or aggressive positions, depending on their personality. You don't have to be either.
Be the Buda... Things are what they are, and we do not try to make things what they are not.
This is going to be your legacy, whether you like it or not. Humans forget the process, but they have an elephant's memory for starts and ends. The final article in this series will be posted shortly: Now that's a name I haven't heard in a while.