One habit can transform your client relationships

In the marcom world, strategy, creativity, and execution often take center stage. But behind every high-performing client-agency relationship is a less talked about, yet deeply powerful trait: curiosity.

Curiosity is more than a soft skill or a personality trait—it’s a mindset. It’s what transforms a transactional relationship into a true partnership. And in a world where client needs evolve quickly and competition is fierce, a curious agency is often the one that stands out.

What does curiosity look like in practice?

Curiosity in a client-agency relationship isn’t about asking questions for the sake of it. It’s about being genuinely interested in understanding the client’s business, market, pain points, ambitions, and even their personal perspective. A curious agency doesn’t wait to be briefed—they explore, challenge, and co-create.

Curiosity shows up as:

• Asking “why” more often than “how fast?”

• Digging deeper than the brief to uncover root challenges

• Exploring the client’s industry, competitors, and internal dynamics

• Challenging assumptions—both the client’s and their own

• Proactively suggesting ideas beyond the original scope

  
  

Why curiosity matters

1. It builds trust

Clients want partners who get them—not just their business, but their goals and pressures. When an agency shows genuine interest, clients feel heard and understood. That empathy builds trust, which is the bedrock of any long-term relationship.

2. It leads to better work

Curiosity leads to insight, and insight fuels creativity and strategic thinking. By asking better questions, agencies can deliver work that’s not just on-brief, but on-point. Work that resonates because it’s rooted in a deeper understanding.

3. It sparks innovation

Curious teams connect dots others might miss. They draw from unexpected sources, question the status quo, and uncover new opportunities. In a fast-moving industry, innovation is often the byproduct of asking, "What if?"

4. It future-proofs the relationship

Markets shift. Budgets change. New stakeholders come and go. Agencies that stay curious remain adaptable. They don’t just react to change—they anticipate it. This makes them more resilient and better positioned as long-term strategic partners.

How to cultivate curiosity in your agency team

• Make space for learning: Encourage teams to explore the client’s business, read industry news, and ask “out-of-brief” questions.

• Celebrate great questions: Create a culture where curiosity is valued as much as execution.

• Build discovery into your process: Don’t treat briefing as a hand-off—treat it as a conversation.

• Model it from the top: When leaders show curiosity, it gives everyone permission to dig deeper.

  
  

Curiosity isn’t intrusive—it’s invested

Some worry that asking too many questions may seem like second-guessing the client. But when done with humility and respect, curiosity doesn’t feel like an interrogation—it feels like investment. It shows you care enough to go beyond the surface.

What client-facing teams can start doing today

Curiosity doesn’t have to be revolutionary to be powerful. Here are small habits client leaders can build into their routines right away:

• Start every client call with one open-ended question about their business, not the task at hand. For example, ask something like, “What’s the biggest shift you’ve seen in your market this quarter?” or “What’s a business challenge your team is currently grappling with that we might not be aware of?”

• Read one news article a day related to the client’s industry—and share it with your team.

• Keep a curiosity journal: After each meeting, jot down one thing you didn’t know and want to explore further.

• Ask the client “what’s keeping you up at night?” regularly to stay in tune with their broader concerns.

• Debrief internally after meetings, not just about next steps, but about what you learned and what you’re curious to explore.

  
  

Final thought

In an age where everyone’s trying to be faster, smarter, and more efficient, curiosity is the quiet superpower that can set you apart. It’s the difference between delivering work and delivering value. And it’s one of the best ways to turn a client into a partner.