Tuesday 11 and Thursday 13 November, 3-4:30pm GMT

Client relationships are at the heart of working in design – but they are rarely straightforward. Clients and agencies often have different priorities. Balancing creative ambition with commercial pressure, long-term goals with immediate demands, takes clarity, confidence, and strong communication.

How do you strike the right balance and build partnerships that support great work and lasting results? This two-part online masterclass will strengthen your ability to build trust, align objectives, and create relationships where both sides thrive. You’ll learn how to lead conversations that deepen and grow your client relationships with clarity and renewed confidence. In the first session, we’ll explore how to uncover specific expectations and build trust. In session two, we’ll move from insight to action – exploring how to create a clear, strategic plan that aligns your client’s ambitions with your agency’s goals. You’ll sharpen your ability to translate the capability of your business into specific and measurable value for your clients, steer work in the right direction, and strengthen your relationships at every stage.

This online workshop covers

  • Client expectations

    Decoding what they say and what they mean.

  • Aligning

    Flexing your strengths to their objectives and adding value.

  • Proactivity

    Influencing stakeholders and managing projects.

  • Planning

    Developing actionable agency and client growth plans.

  • Process and organisation

    Establishing a practical process and framework for your client relationships.

  • Tracking

    Using tools to monitor client growth and project progress.

You will gain

  • The confidence to lead client conversations that build trust and deliver value.

  • Practical tools and templates designed to simplify planning and track progress.

  • A clear framework to align your agency’s goals with your clients’ priorities.

  • Fresh skills to proactively manage projects and grow long-term partnerships.

Meet your trainer

Joanna Anthony

Joanna specialises in helping agencies activate business strategies, focusing on the layer that transforms strategic ambition into operational reality and business outcomes. With a career built inside agencies, leading client growth and navigating the friction between vision and execution, she now works with agency leaders and Client Service teams to activate the strategies that deliver the business goals. Through proprietary diagnostics, consulting, training, mentoring, toolkits and outcomes monitoring, Joanna helps teams identify where strategy or people are stuck and create the framework and actions to unlock growth. Joanna also frequently speaks at industry events on all topics affecting the client service function, as well as running Lunch & Learns within agencies. She is also the author of a trilogy of planners designed to help people set and achieve their personal goals and objectives.

Pricing options

DBA members receive a discount off the standard price. To talk to us about joining the DBA, email [email protected]. Prices include VAT. If you're buying from outside the UK please email [email protected].

Feedback for DBA Online Learning

The DBA provide access to people who've lived and learned their trade! 

Business Director, ISO

Another great DBA training session - informative, engaging and relevant to my day to day role.

Client & Commercial Director, The Collaborators