PR Squared: The Tyranny of "What's Next??"

IStock_000001166218XSmall When it comes to “managing the agency relationship,” a PR firm’s client contacts tend to fall into one of two categories.

There are clients who treat the agency team as an extension of their own team. These clients share in the glory. They applaud PR victories regardless of where the “credit is due” (in fact, they don’t bring it up much). They know that PR can be a tough slog; they know that most every win is hard-won and they revel in the successes of today.

Then there are clients who applaud today’s successes, but can’t get off the phone without saying something to the effect of, “This was great, guys, but – what’s next?”

In my experience, the latter approach leads to fatigue and anxiety. The client who’s always asking “What’s Next?” is the least likely to ever be satisfied with their agency (regardless of the volume & positive tone of the coverage).

If you have picked a good PR firm and have grown to trust their work ethic; if you’ve all agreed on the long-term approach – you can bet that the account personnel are already worried about “what’s next.” They don’t need the reminder. But they always appreciate a simple pat on the back. That’s all the shove they need to move on to the next goalpost.