Why December Separates Good Client Services Teams from Great Ones

For most industries, December is the wind-down. For agencies and brand-side client services teams, it’s the opposite. It’s the month where everything happens at once, final campaigns, last-minute briefs, pitch season heating up, and 2025 planning all running in parallel.

And that’s exactly why December is the month that separates good client services teams from truly great ones.

1. December exposes operational cracks, and rewards operational excellence

A good account team can deliver when timelines are normal.
A great team can deliver when timelines compress to half their usual size and stakeholders still expect excellence.

December exposes:

  • How organised a team truly is
  • Whether process can bend without breaking
    How strong internal and external communication really is

Great client services teams anticipate the December squeeze. They don’t rely on heroics, they rely on preparation, structure and clarity.

2. Great teams manage client expectation before the chaos hits

The smartest account managers start shaping timelines, deliverables and stakeholder expectations in November, not mid-December when it’s already too late.

Great teams:

  • Communicate earlier
  • Push for realistic timelines
  • Flag risks before they become issues
  • Guide clients toward priority thinking

Good teams respond quickly.
Great teams proactively steer the workflow.

3. December tests team bandwidth, and exposes resource gaps

Every year, we see the same pattern:
Cyber Monday ends → BAU spikes → pitches ignite → staff holidays overlap → cracks appear.

The brands and agencies who manage December best are the ones who understand that resourcing is not static. They build elasticity into their team, often using trusted freelancers to absorb pressure, cover gaps or take on project overflow.

This is why December is one of the busiest times of year at The CoCo Group.
Great client services directors know that top-tier freelance support is not a “nice to have”, it’s a strategic safety net.

4. Great teams stay calm, even when the work isn’t

December pressure creates emotional pressure, and that’s where true client service talent shines.

Great client services pros:

  • Handle escalation without panic
  • Translate ambiguity into action
  • Keep clients feeling supported, even when internally things are hectic
  • Maintain quality while racing the clock

Emotional intelligence becomes as important as process.

5. December lays the groundwork for Q1 success

Good teams focus on surviving December.
Great teams use December to set up January and Q1 to fly.

Because the secret is this:
Clients remember how you handled the hardest months.
If you deliver well in December, trust deepens.
And that trust turns into bigger briefs, better relationships and more strategic influence in the new year.

The bottom line?

December doesn’t reward speed, it rewards control, clarity and composure.
 Great client services teams don’t just deliver work.
They deliver confidence.

If your team needs extra client services support to get through the December crunch, or to start Q1 ahead of the curve, The CoCo Group is already placing experienced freelance and permanent talent.

hello@thecocogroup.co.uk
 020 3597 3461