Lots of client work thus far in 2013.
It has me thinking that many PR pros (including me) are slightly deluded. This is because as a profession, at an aggregate level, we have a weak grasp of business fundamentals, and are beholden to silly metrics re the impact of our labours.
In short, collectively, we talk a lot of shit. Our clients know what they want. Often, however, there’s a disconnect between their wishes, and what we want them to want.
Here are 6 things your clients probably want from you:
- To be told what to say. They already kinda know, but they want a second opinion and to learn how to spit it clearly.
- To get media coverage. Some in our biz are “so beyond media relations” but really, face it, most firms still pay the rent via generating media coverage.
- To know what you are up to. Our little agency has spent more time sharing process details with clients this year. The result has been FAR smoother operations.
- To deal with fallout if it happens. When the shit hits, you need to guide the client through the cleanup and mea culpa. They may not listen, but you better know how to do it.
- To increase their bottom line. Maybe they want FB followers, retweets and shares, however mostly they want cash. More cash back than they are paying for your brain. Much more.
- Coherent statements re impact. This one’s where most of us go wrong. We aren’t cheap though, so….
What do you think?