
The Power of Client Intimacy
Hi! I am Kristi, a former client turned Think Shifter and new contributor to this blog.
Several years ago, I was at a company looking for an agency. I had a vague idea of what we were looking for, but it wasn’t until I met the team from Think Shift that I realized what we truly needed. The team asked thoughtful questions, they wondered about our company goals, marketing goals and our teams’ individual goals. They were curious about what made our organization unique and expressed a genuine interest in getting to know us as people.
I am not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. I felt a deep connection vs. an arms-length, sterile business relationship. At this moment, I realized that we needed a true partner, one interested in building our brand based on getting to know our culture, our people, our values. We needed a relationship that went beyond the transaction to one built on relating to one another.
What I was feeling, I now realize, was a core tenet of Think Shift's culture: Client Intimacy. As part of the team, I'm gaining a deeper understanding of what this means and why it's foundational to Think Shift’s operating practices.
WHAT IS CLIENT INTIMACY?
Client intimacy is about shifting the focal point of a relationship from transactional to relational. This means discussing a project's expectations openly and holding each other accountable. It means showing up authentically and being transparent in order to build trust. It means paying attention to the details and noticing what clients care about. With this level of closeness, we deeply understand our clients' needs and challenge them to achieve more than they thought possible.
The word "intimate" may give you pause. It definitely made me think. It's not something commonly seen in the professional space. In fact, it feels quite personal. But the word is intentional, and I feel confident leaning into it because I know what it feels like to be the beneficiary. It’s the reason, that after a brief career break, I am now part of the Think Shift team. Relationships matter.
"Intimate" encourages our people get to know our clients as fellow human beings. This helps us understand what drives us and how we can achieve success together. This level of closeness not only helps us better serve our clients but also makes our work more fulfilling and impactful. While we’ve adapted it to suit our needs and culture, the concept originally comes from Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema's book, The Discipline of Market Leaders," where the authors encourage deep knowledge of a customer's business process, and a solution-based, team approach to work.
CLIENT INTIMACY IN PRACTICE
As an agency, Think Shift brings a strong strategic approach to all projects, requiring intimate knowledge of the client's goals and strong alignment. This allows us to shift clients' thinking from what has been done to what’s possible, challenging brands to be more than they imagined. It requires connecting with people and developing rapport.
There are three key areas where client intimacy deeply impacted me as a client:
1.) Billing - talking about finances can feel tricky. As a client, one of the things I appreciated is that the agency bills to estimate, not hourly or by retainer. They scoped projects and provided clear cost breakdowns. This made costs transparent and easy to discuss. I felt comfortable messaging the team, asking questions and scheduling meetings without feeling that I was having to pay for each interaction. Transparency + Intimacy = Success.
2.) Creative Concepting - giving feedback on creative ideas can be touchy. People-first relationships allow feedback on concepts without it feeling personal. This clarity builds trust between agency and client and allows us to create campaigns that hit the mark. Clarity + Alignment = Trust
3.) Ongoing Support – once you are humming along with branding, concepts and campaigns, the work can begin to feel routine, and it can be easy for both parties to default into maintenance mode. The risk is stagnation and a drifting relationship. Ongoing support means that the account team regularly checks in with the client, continues to ensure that campaigns align with core strategic goals and reevaluates the plan regularly to keep concepts fresh. This ongoing engagement allows the agency to stay close to the client’s evolving needs & goals. Consistency + Expertise = Relevance
At its core, client intimacy is about putting people first. It's an approach rooted in the belief that when we build authentic, trusting relationships, we create opportunities for magic to happen - to realize the unexpected. Intimacy enables us to discover new possibilities together, and it ultimately shifts the client-agency relationship from transactional to relational to transformational.
When you're choosing an agency, think about the value of true collaboration and partnership. From my own experience as a former client turned Think Shifter, I've seen how powerful it is when an agency takes the time to really understand your business, works closely with your team, and pushes you to think differently. It's not just about delivering results — it's about building a relationship that drives lasting change.
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