The 5 Best Things I’ve Learned About Keeping Clients Happy

If you’ve ever had the chance to sit across from Jody Alexander, you know there’s something immediately captivating about her. Maybe it’s the warmth in her tone or the calm, thoughtful way she chooses her words. Her voice has a kind of gravity that makes you want to lean in—not because she’s commanding attention, but because she’s earned it.

That voice, rich and reassuring, belongs to someone who’s spent decades becoming the kind of person clients trust with their biggest goals and hardest problems. As Vice President of Client Satisfaction at LT, an advertising agency based in Phoenix, AZ, Jody Alexander is known for building client relationships that last. And it’s not because everything always goes perfectly. It’s because they know she sees them, hears them, and has their best interests in mind.

While her work centers on client relationships, the principles she follows apply far beyond agency life. Whether you're building trust with a guest, a customer, a colleague, or a long-time partner, her approach offers a grounded, human framework for connection.

1. Build Trust First, Results Second

“A satisfied client is one who knows that they can trust you. That you are truly looking out for their best interests. They're saying to themselves, ‘You hear me,’” Alexander explains.

Satisfaction, for her, isn’t a checklist of deliverables. It’s a feeling clients have when they know you’re in their corner. Sometimes that means things won’t be perfect, especially at first. What matters is showing up with honesty, effort, and the ability to follow through.

Trust, she explains, doesn’t come from always saying “yes.” It comes from saying, “Here’s what I think is best.” Clients want to feel like they have a partner, not just a vendor. Someone who will tell them the truth, even if it’s not what they expected. “In the end,” she says, “they’ll know you were forthright and worked hard to provide what they needed.” And that’s what keeps the relationship strong long after the first campaign wraps.

2. Listen Without Planning Your Response

It sounds simple. But true listening, without crafting your reply while the other person is still talking, is harder than it looks.

“Be honest with them. Be real. Those basic principles will get you through almost anything,” Alexander says. 

But here’s the catch—clients can tell when you’re just waiting to speak. They can feel when you’ve jumped five steps ahead. That’s why slowing down and giving someone the space to fully explain their goals, frustrations, or fears is so powerful.

It’s not about solving the problem in real time. It’s about letting someone feel seen, even in the messy middle. “Sometimes, people don’t want you to fix it right away,” Alexander says. “They want to feel heard first. Then, they’ll trust your solution.”

3. Speak to People the Way They Need to Hear It

This one might be Alexander’s superpower.

“There are as many different ways to craft a sentence as there are people in the world,” she says. And it’s true, what makes one client feel heard might bounce right off another.

That’s why empathy and emotional intelligence are non-negotiable. “You have to have a good sense of human nature and who that person is and care about that,” she adds. “So you can deliver things the way they want them delivered. You can hear them the way they want to be heard.”

Alexander believes that in client service, your EQ needs to be just as strong, if not stronger, than your IQ. You can have all the strategy and data in the world, but if you can’t read a room or recognize when someone’s feeling unheard, it won’t matter. “Always work with their goals in mind,” she says, “but meet them as a person first.”

4. Have the Hard Conversation Sooner, Not Later

Even seasoned pros hit speed bumps. The difference is how they respond.

“Being afraid or reticent to address something is what is going to end up with an even greater problem,” Alexander says. “The best way to deal with challenges or hard conversations is a timely, candid conversation.”

It’s easy to get caught up in trying to get everything right before looping the client in. But waiting virtually always makes things worse. Having the courage to speak up early, even if you don’t have all the answers yet, can preserve confidence and keep projects on track.

5. When in Doubt, Take a Breath and Ask: What’s the First Next Step?

Client challenges can pile up fast. Big problems, small miscommunications, shifting priorities—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, especially when emotions start running high and expectations start shifting in real time.

Alexander’s way of staying grounded? It starts with breathing.

“Take about three to five deep breaths, slow down, and ask yourself ‘What’s the first next step?’” she says.

That mindset shift, from spiraling about everything to doing one small thing, has helped her stay calm and effective no matter what the day throws her way. It’s a practice that’s kept her steady through tough calls, sensitive conversations, and last-minute changes.

One Final Lesson: Stop Being Intimidated

Looking back, there’s one piece of advice Alexander wishes she could give her younger self:

“I wish so much I had not wasted time being intimidated by or afraid to approach people I felt were smarter or more experienced than me,” she says. “And instead took the gift that they could give me without being shy or embarrassed to be there and listen.”

It’s a reminder that even in the most professional of settings, growth often starts with humility and openness, not always having all the answers.

In the end, keeping clients happy isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being present, being human, and building genuine relationships.