To consistently get great work from your ad agency you need to understand how to be a great client. It's not about giving in to your agency--rather it's about giving them the direction, feedback and opportunities to become one of your hotels most valued partners.

In my agency I'm fortunate to work with two people--Janet Eason my EVP and Chief Strategy Officer and Bob Minihan, my Executive Creative Director--both of whom have had long and distinguished careers in the advertising industry. We often sit down and discuss the client-agency dynamic and we've assembled a brief list of our collective wisdom to help you maximize your agency relationship and get more out of it than you ever imagined.

Start at the beginning. The most important ingredient for having a great relationship with your agency is to be certain that you've chosen the right agency to begin with. Their experience, style, knowledge, values, approach, skills, staff, commitment to your business and more should all be well suited to meeting your exact needs and fulfilling your expectations. All agencies are not created equal. Even if you follow the advice we prescribe and proclaim yourself to be a great client, there's no guarantee that you'll get ...