If you’re like me, you want to feel a connection, a hint of shared interests, an ability to clearly communicate, a confidence and a spark. The same can be said for how to identify a client who will align with you and your team’s process.
Chemistry and energy are everything in relationships. In a normal world, you are not going to be attracted to every personality. The same applies to working relationships.
As a business owner, I think you have to remain very objective and know that it is not a problem if you do not feel matched with every single client. Understanding yourself well enough to know what kind of interpersonal relationships work for you is a learned skill.
There are certain types of personalities and energies that I work well with: strong, hands-on communicators who realize PR is not done in a vacuum.
To help you identify the personalities you work best with, consider these five tips for setting the foundation for strong client-agent relationships.
1. Phone chemistry. As in dating, chemistry is very important. If we didn’t meet at a networking event or in person, I usually get introduced or learn about a potential client via email, then hop on the phone.
I can often decide from that first phone conversation whether I want to move forward. By factoring in things like the energy they convey, the ease of our communication and the questions about their business they can answer.
2. Client’s understanding of their business. If a prospective client tells me they have already used five other agencies and still aren’t seeing results, my eye is drawn to the common denominator there. Some agencies aren’t as strategic and may not be able to uncover the compelling stories.
We’ve saved executives by coming through with an unexpected angle that appeals to top-tier media outlets and showing them just how good PR can be. Yet if those executives don’t first have a tight grip on where their business is going, what their objectives are and why they’re hiring a PR team, they’re not prepared to be a strong client.
3. Consideration of budget. It’s important to discover ahead of time whether they have internally addressed what a budget should (or could) look like for marketing, in general. If a client doesn’t believe they have the money for marketing, I say, “Then you are definitely not ready for PR.”
We fit into this world that forms a magical tricycle of marketing. Nowadays, PR is leading the messaging and the voice of the brand. On the left, you have social media working as an organic outlet to reach your audience and, on the right, you have digital marketing (website, newsletter, etc.).
All these wheels must work together to drive that marketing forward. We can pedal as hard as possible to get them all the publicity in the world, but if the client doesn’t have a great website on which to place it or social media to share it, they won’t get the true value of what we can give them. A lot of the time, I will give them that advice and tell them to come back once those wheels are spinning.
RELATED: Bring PR enlightenment to your team and become a hero.
4. Attitude. Attitude is key, plain and simple. If you are a positive person who seems pleasant to work with, I get excited. If you are someone who is just going to send over a list of requests and expect us to jump to it, I get wary.
A great client looks at what we do as a partnership, not as a contracted servitude to get them coverage. It really doesn’t work that way. In order to get the best out of any situation, we have to get our heads together and agree to talk (at least once a week) to stay focused and on track.
5. Willingness to be coached. Some clients tell you, “Well, I could do it myself. I’ve been doing it myself. But now, I’m so busy, I’m just going to push this off to you guys.” Because they have an inkling of what they think PR should be, they believe you’re only necessary to save them time, not elevate their brand.
In those cases, I tell them: “If you think you can do it yourself, then you should continue doing it that way.” Any person (in any industry) needs to be open to taking counsel and identifying what they don’t already know. That’s why there are specialists in every field, right? You may know how to unclog a toilet, but would you consider yourself a plumber?
In the same vein, you may be able to send an email to a journalist, but do you really know how to sit down and strategically come up with story angles that are appealing to multiple members of the media? Do you even know how to find those members of the media? And do you really want to be doing that, anyway?
The types of executives who think they have all the answers don’t want to take advice, and frankly they aren’t much fun to work with. They tend to live in a bubble of perfection, laser-focused on telling you what to do, rather than talking through the strategy together. A great client is someone who is willing to receive feedback and learn where to improve his/her areas of opportunity.
If these five aligning factors are present at the beginning, the client and I will have a successful working relationship. When these factors are practiced—and that foundation of communication, consideration and a shared vision is already in place—it becomes much easier to deal with any hiccups and find solutions.
Nicole Rodrigues is the CEO and founder of NRPR Group.
(Image via)
from PR Daily News Feed http://ift.tt/2afnyvR
No comments:
Post a Comment