Key Ingredients for Lasting Client Relationships

On a daily basis, PR professionals spend their time cultivating relationships with media members to ensure their clients receive the best possible press for their products or services. Getting wrapped up in core PR activities can, at times, manage to get in the way of strengthening relationships with clients, relationships that go beyond the business. Providing exceptional results for your clients is what every PR professional hopes for, but how can you achieve this without knowing who your clients are outside of his/her email signature?

Sometimes, the smallest gestures can build a personal relationship with your client. These are a couple of ways to start connecting with your client:

1)      Conveying Your Excitement – Whether you are releasing a new product, or kicking off a new partnership with a client, it’s exciting! Some people can get mired in a “professional” mentality that can temper their enthusiasm. Avoid that at all costs! Your passion shows them that you are invested in their brand, and will demonstrate that you’re worthy of representing their brand to the media.

2)      Pick Up The Phone – Building relationships and getting to know someone takes time. Take a break from pecking at the keyboard, and get on the phone with your client to update them and share your latest developments. This is also a great opportunity to dig deeper into their businesses and ask them about their sales, web traffic, and new product ideas. You can also take this time to provide them with media feedback. This gives them a sense of media sentiment and often spurs ideas for improvements on existing products and new products. This will open up the line of communication, make future conversations more fluid, and your client won’t associate a phone call with bad news!

3)      Communication Sync – Another critical aspect is communicating with your client in their preferred way. Although most are accustomed to email and phone, some clients prefer to chat through text or Facebook. Once you’ve determined their preferred method of communication, you should take into consideration how they prefer to receive it. Some clients want concise reports of your progress, while others like to receive detailed accounts of all pertinent information. Everyone has a different communication style and finding which one works best for your client is key!

By taking the time to get to know your client, you and your colleagues can gain a better understanding of who your client is and the best possible way to represent their brand. Not only will you provide better service, but you will solidify your personal relationship, paving the way for a long and fruitful partnership.