communications

Manage expectations or lose control

Consultants are the butt of jokes all the time. Public Relations consultants especially. And part of the problem really lies with us - we just don’t take enough time explaining what we do in a way that shows value and manages people’s expectations. That includes client expectations - something that can make or break an agency, practitioner or even in house member of a communications team regardless of what your area of expertise may be. Public relations, branding, marketing or even advertising - we have to remember that what we think we’re doing is sometimes not what the other side expects. And that’s when problems start.

Now more than ever, it’s critical that clients understand what you’re doing for them - and what you’re not.

Especially in the area of public relations (”PR”) there exist a whole slew of myths and misrepresentations of what the industry does - are you the same, are you different, are you even close?

Helping your clients understand and appreciate your scope of work and the results that are being used to measure success is important to (a) keeping the business and (b) keeping your sanity!

So what can we do? Here’s a few quick suggestions:

Ask Questions.

Simple as that sounds, this helps to guide the conversation and identify what their areas of concern and need are. Not what you think they are, but what THEY think they are. Once you have that sorted out, building a campaign that addresses their specific needs and a way to measure the results helps ensure that you’re doing work that they’re going to appreciate and want to pay for.

Be Clear In Measurement

The return on investment from public relations is without a doubt amongst the highest available. But how you measure it, maintain it, refine it and extend it matters. More importantly, you need to make sure that your clients understand this as well. Be realistic about what success will look like for the campaign and be sure that there is consensus before you start. It helps avoid bitter arguments at the end of the campaign when expectations are unmet because they’ve been unmanaged.

Tell A Story

It’s not about facts and figures. It’s what you do with them. After all, which sounds better - “Let me describe my product … ” OR “Let me tell you a story about this great solution to problem X …” Remember the good old days when storytellers used to be welcome everywhere. It still holds true today.

What Media Do They Like?

We sometimes assume that the best media for the client would be the one that gives them the most relevance to their business; helps drive sales; is appropriate; and has the highest circulation. There are other factors but you get the picture.

That is our job - right? Wrong.

I’ve made this mistake myself as sometimes clients don’t want what’s best for them. They want what they want. It could be coverage in some obscure publication that just happens to be their managing director’s favourite read. It could be coverage in a newspaper that no one besides their biggest customer reads. If could be a cover story in a magazine that is totally not relevant - to anyone except them that is.

Fact is - you could give them a hundred other pieces and if these were missing you would have failed to meet their expectations.

Sometimes, they also expect to be featured in publications or sections that they just aren’t ready for. A start-up that expects to be on the cover of Time. A company that expects The Edge to give them three pages - when they haven’t made a profit in 4 quarters. The list goes on but it comes back to unrealistic expectations that need to be managed.

If you can’t do something for them, tell them upfront. Put it in writing even. It makes measurements and refinements that much easier. Most importantly help them understand what you need to help them look good and create great stories.

You Know Best

True. It’s your bread and butter after all. But you also need to help your clients understand why you choose the media you choose for them. Draw up a campaign plan that showcases their challenges, their objectives, the solution you’re proposing and the media selection. When it comes to the media selection - educate them about the media. Help them understand what they do, why you’ve selected these outlets and why they make sense for the client. Also help them understand how smart PR like this can do more than just generate publicity - it can help drive sales!

You Don’t Own The Media

Help clients understand this. Thanks to the prevalence of advertising based thinking - and advertising that links editorial pieces to paid advertising buys - some clients don’t understand the difference between PR / branding / marketing and the paid discipline of advertising. Clients must be brought to the understanding that PR is a long term process of building relationships and establishing credibility. The pay off is that they benefit from strong, trusted editorials down the line - provided that you take the time to be seen as a thought leader.

Go Wide

Timing is critical to a lot of the coverage you do. I deal with several television channels and their programming deadlines sometimes leave us with just days to mount and launch a media blitz. So stay in touch with the media and ensure that your client’s know you’re doing this. Keep them informed about what is going on and where they can add value and extend their own brands. It’s about consistency.

How are you managing expectations? What examples of hits and misses can you share?

© 2009 Journeys Through The Line.