My first month as a relationship manager.

What makes a good relationship? Trust? Communication? Mutual respect? Bringing your other half the papers and brew in bed on a Sunday morning…?

Well, at theEword it’s my job to try and build – and of course maintain – relationships, whether that’s with a prospective new client who is interested in working with us, or with other specialist agencies in order to ultimately, offer our clients the best possible service we can.

I joined theEword in August and, as with that first date that kicks off any new relationship, the first day on the job is always nerve-racking. Will they like me? Will they laugh at my jokes? Will I accidentally call them by my ex’s name…?!

Thankfully, theEword made me feel like part of the team from day one. Like the charmer that turns up with a bunch of flowers, my ‘welcome box’ was a particularly nice touch – from really useful handover notes which gave me a great head-start, the everyday essentials (stationery & snacks!) and some personalised paraphernalia to brighten up my desk. We were off to a good start!

The first few days on the job were all about finding my feet – getting to know my team and getting to grips with the basics of IT…not least the important task of setting up a Fantasy Football team and joining theEword league. (Currently storming my way into 7th place, despite knowing very little about the beautiful game. Thanks Tim Howard, you lovely bearded man!)

 big-tim-howard

I decided to head back for the all important second date, and week two saw me spending a lot of one-to-one time with the specialist teams that make up the agency – from copywriting and creative, to account management, through to PPC and social. As a large part of my role is to build relationships with other agencies and potential clients, it’s essential that I know theEword, our services and our strengths inside out. Getting this insight straight from the departments themselves was particularly useful, and it was great to see people get so passionate about the jobs that they do and the success they have helped deliver for clients.

Over the next two weeks, I was able to focus on the core elements of my job, and I’ve particularly enjoyed attending initial meetings with prospective clients and making connections at other agencies. I love meeting people, hearing about their businesses and learning more about their challenges and successes (…and hopefully finding ways to help them have more of the latter and fewer of the former!) Being fairly new to the Manchester scene, networking is providing a valuable way to get out into the business community and expand my contacts.

All successful relationships should mix things up to keep your interest! Aside from the ‘day job’, one of my first projects is to run Caketober alongside our lovely Operations Manager, Aisha, and the great team at Forever Manchester. Forever Manchester is theEword’s charity of choice and Caketober is a fundraising cake-fest created by our founder, Al Mackin. Now in its fourth year, my job is to encourage businesses to agree to hold a bake sale and don their finest fancy dress during October to fundraise for this great cause. Aisha and I also took to the airwaves with a guest slot on Forever Manchester’s radio show on LDOK FM to discuss all things cake….a definite first!

 caketober

*SHAMELESS PLUG KLAXON* 

You can find out more about Caketober and sign up online at www.caketober.com

At theEword, we really believe in the value of sharing knowledge, and in my first month I’ve already played a part in organising some of the great events that the agency runs, from digital marketing training sessions to our Marketing Managers Meet, which provides an opportunity for marketing professionals to get together, share ideas and network with their counterparts in other sectors.

As with any new relationship, it’s easy to make comparisons to your ex. I joined the agency having spent a number of years working in-house, marketing a professional services firm, where I appointed and managed agencies as a client. It’s certainly interesting seeing the relationship from both sides of the fence and hopefully this experience will prove valuable going forward in my role.

So far, I’m utterly charmed by agency life – it’s a fast-paced, dynamic and highly-creative environment to be in. And the novelty of wearing trainers to work every once in a while has yet to wear off!

Hopefully sparks will continue to fly and they’ll be bringing me a metaphorical brew in bed for years to come. Right now, I’m feeling very glad I swiped right for theEword.

If you’d like to have a chat about how we might be able to work together, drop me an email samantha.bell@theeword.co.uk or give me a call on 0161 848 7450.

Speak soon!

Sam

Sam Bell

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