When Clients Quietly Break Up with You: ‘Quiet Firing’ The Silent Kill
Over the past couple of years, as I have been growing 828.Media and meeting mid-size agencies, I have seen a shady trend: clients moving their media business quietly away from their existing agency without so much as a word of complaint, discussion, or warning.
The client conversations during these changes always seem polite and friendly — often framed as “pausing” campaigns, testing new approaches, or a CEO request to look at X, Y or Z. The truth is, their quiet plan is well thought through — the discussions are never candid, are disingenuous, and more often than not, the agency is caught flat-footed with their sub-par media offering and the inability to catch up to the client need.
By the time 828.Media is pulled in to deliver a comprehensive, fractionalized, and modern media solution that now fits the client need, this sort of damage has generally happened at least once. There are warning signs leading up to a quiet firing, and you need to spot these clues early.
While the reasons range from fair to unfair, quiet firing is becoming a silent but lethal danger for the agency-client relationships in our ever-changing marketing landscape. As subtle as ‘quiet quitting’ was, it is important for agencies to remain watchful and take preventive measures.
What is Quiet Firing?
Quiet firing is slowly moving agency duties, sometimes sold as diversifying strategies, testing new partners, or trialing new technologies. This is not an outright termination, but a development that occurs over time, in the shadows — easy to ignore until there is real hit to the statement of work, reduction in fees, or an outright loss of the client relationship.
Here’s what to look out for:
Shifting Remits and Reducing Scope: One of the first signs of quiet firing is when your remit starts to change, and your scope of work gets reduced. You may notice clients adding new partners or assigning projects that were previously yours to someone else. While this may be framed as “testing new partners or technologies,” it could be the first step in transitioning away from your services.
Introduction of New Partners and Strategies: Be cautious if clients begin diversifying their partnerships. While it’s normal to explore new strategies, a sudden increase in external partners is a red flag, especially if it affects your core offerings.
Uncertain or Extended Contract Terms: Another indicator is being asked to work under extended contract terms or handshake agreements. If a client is hesitant to formalize a long-term agreement, it could signal that they are keeping their options open while planning a shift to a new partner.
Clients Still Relying on Your Services: Often, clients will continue to use your services until they’ve fully transitioned to their new partners. This phase may feel confusing and inconsistent, but it’s a crucial time to be alert and proactive in securing your position.
Being Too Nice: A mistake you can make during a quiet firing is trying too hard to accommodate without pushing back or advocating for your value. Being overly agreeable and hesitant to “rock the boat” might seem like the safest route, but it could lead to your agency losing a client entirely. Our account leaders are trained to be client service friendly and accommodating, but it is the nicest of CEO’s that we have seen being taken most advantage of.
Why This Happens:
While especially vulnerable to quiet firing, mid-sized agencies often have far nimbler clients — with much less oversight than larger organizations. These clients can make agile decisions without fanfare or weeks providing feedback, leaving agencies little time or space in which to respond.
How to Stay Ahead:
Recognize the Signs Early:
Pay attention to changes in scope, the introduction of new partners, or ambiguous contract language.
Reaffirm Your Value:
Regularly showcase your agency’s contributions, highlighting the unique value your agency brings to the partnership.
Foster Honest Communication:
Have candid conversations with clients about your role, your contributions, and their expectations for the future. Don’t be afraid of direct, honest, and straightforward conversations – what's the worst that can happen anyway?
Strengthen Client Relationships:
Build trust and alignment with your client’s goals, ensuring your agency is seen as an indispensable and ‘sticky’ partner.
Final Thoughts
Quiet firing is an increasingly common challenge for agencies, but it doesn’t have to catch you by surprise. By always remaining proactive, recognizing the warning signs, and advocating for your value, you can preserve and expand client relationships in what has always been a competitive and complex media environment.
At 828.Media we specialize in helping agencies navigate these challenges – we provide fractionalized, highly efficient but robust media models that provide a competitive advantage within designated geographic areas. Our agency clients win bigger and more frequent contracts with us by their side.
Be aware, be smart and never go quietly.
