Forming Successful Client Partnerships in B2B Marketing with Claire Lambell

Claire Lambell is the Managing Director at Southpaw, a strategic creative agency that works with challenger brands (that is, brands that have a mindset of doing things differently). Her background is in sociology and social psychology, which she leverages to understand client motivations.

This week, we’re chatting with Claire all about client relationships and agency growth. We're discussing how to align agency values with client needs, the strategy behind successful pitches, and the importance of early engagement with procurement teams to secure a strong relationship. We’ll hear personal experiences and insights on maintaining a challenger mindset, along with clear budget communication to cultivate long-lasting client partnerships.

Topics covered during this episode include:

• How shared values and understanding client motivations are essential in winning pitches.

• Why strategy and creativity must work together for insightful, effective campaigns.

• How diverse backgrounds such as Claire’s contribute to the marketing industry.

• Why early engagement with procurement teams leads to better negotiation outcomes.

• How clear budget communication is crucial for realistic marketing strategy planning.

• Why maintaining a challenger mindset helps agencies stay ahead and deliver on objectives.

• Why passion and proactive management are vital in managing day-to-day agency operations.

• Why overcomplicating pitches with too much information can lead to losing a client.

• How demonstrating value sometimes faces off with competitive pricing in the industry.

• Why simplicity and storytelling are effective in creating engaging sales presentations.

• How managing risk with procurement can set an agency apart during the pitch process.

• Why agencies should qualify opportunities based on fit, fame, firepower, and fortune.

• Why discussing targets and budgets with clients leads to more successful campaign outcomes.

Claire Lambell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-lambell-a934382a/