From Silos to Synergy: How Client Services and Strategy Can Finally Work as One

Inside many agencies, there’s an invisible line dividing two crucial teams, Client Services and Strategy.

One side is close to the client, managing relationships and keeping projects on track.

The other shapes the thinking and ensures the work ladders up to something meaningful.

Both are essential.

But too often, they operate in silos and that’s where the cracks begin.

If you’re noticing any of this…you’re not alone.

Across agencies of every size, the same symptoms appear again and again:

• Strategists are pulled into every client call because no one else can confidently articulate the thinking.

• Client Services are seen as ‘doers’ rather than strategic partners.

• Great strategy loses its shape once it moves into delivery.

• Clients skip over their Account Managers to talk directly to specialists or Strategists.

• Roles and responsibilities are fuzzy, leaving gaps, overlaps, and frustration.

• Everyone’s busy, but no one feels fully accountable for driving the relationship forward.

  
  

It’s not a capability issue. It’s a clarity and trust issue.

Why It Happens

• Lack of clarity on roles: No one’s sure where Strategy ends and Client Services begins.

• Limited early collaboration: CS are often looped in too late to influence the direction or fully understand the ‘why.’

• Strategy handover gaps: Great thinking is presented once, then fades in delivery without clear ownership.

• Confidence gaps: CS hesitate to lead strategic conversations; Strategists hesitate to step back.

• No shared rhythm: Without regular alignment touchpoints, both teams end up firefighting.

As one agency leader put it to me:

“We’ve hired great people, they just don’t know how to work together yet.”

What Great Looks Like

When Client Services and Strategy operate as one team, everything changes.

• CS are involved early, joining discovery sessions to understand client challenges and context.

• Strategy leads the thinking but stays close during delivery, checking that the intent carries through.

• Briefing, sign-off, and presentation are led by CS with support of Strategy to ensure alignment and consistency.

• One voice to the client (CS) - confident, credible, and consistent.

• Mutual respect for each other’s craft and contribution.

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The result? Better work.  Stronger relationships. Happier teams. Faster growth.

How to Get There

This isn’t about adding process for the sake of it, it’s about creating clarity, trust, and rhythm.

Here’s what high-performing agencies put in place:

1. Clear Roles & Responsibilities

• Everyone knows where they add value, where they overlap, and how to hand off effectively.

A simple RACI or “Ways of Working” map solves half the friction.

2. SOPs for Strategy

• A consistent process for how strategy is created, shared, and maintained.

No more one-off decks or disappearing thinking.

3. Client Services Standards

• Define what ‘great’ looks like at every stage of the client lifecycle, from onboarding to QBRs to offboarding.

This builds confidence and consistency for the team and the client.

4. Shared Briefing Process

• CS own the client brief; Strategy defines the approach; both review and sign off together.

This ensures everyone starts from the same understanding.

5. Regular Alignment Rituals

• Short, structured syncs before key client moments.

• 30-day reviews once work is live.

• Quarterly business reviews to zoom out, reflect, and evolve the strategy.

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6. Cross-Training & Collaboration

• CS trained on the agency’s services, so they can speak with authority.

• Strategy trained in client realities, so they stay grounded.

• Shared sessions, learning lunches, and retros build mutual respect.

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7. Shared Success Measures

• Move away from siloed KPIs.

Measure both teams on client retention, growth, and relationship health.

The Culture Shift That Makes It Stick

Process alone isn’t enough.

What keeps this working is culture:

• Curiosity – CS ask why more; Strategy stays curious about the client’s world.

• Accountability – Both teams own outcomes, not just outputs.

• Respect – Each side values what the other brings.

• Communication – Consistent, honest, two-way feedback.

• Leadership alignment – CSDs and Strategy Heads modelling the partnership they want others to follow.

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 “It’s not about who leads — it’s about leading together.”

From a Client Services Perspective

Our job isn’t to own the strategy, it’s to bring it to life.

When we understand the thinking behind the work, we can lead conversations with confidence, make better decisions, and strengthen the client relationship.

Because great strategy is only as powerful as the team that carries it forward.

Want to Bring This to Life in Your Agency?

We’re running a CS × Strategy Alignment Workshop - a practical, 2-hour session to help your team:

• Define clear roles and responsibilities.

• Design your collaboration process from brief to review.

• Create a “Ways of Working” framework to keep Strategy and CS aligned day-to-day.

Outcome: better collaboration, more strategic impact, and a happier, more connected team.

If you’re ready to bridge the gap between thinking and doing, this workshop is the place to start.

Drop me a message to discuss your challenges and define the right solution for your agency – Jo@clientsuccessmatters.co.uk