How to find your voice with clients early in your career

Mia Roginson is senior account executive at Method Communications. 

Every PR person has been there: you’re the new hire, the latest addition to a team, heck – you graduated college 6 months ago and have no idea what you’re doing! 

Then it happens. 

That first client call starts with awkward silence until your funny colleague cracks a joke about your client’s new Zoom background that puts everyone at ease. How do they do it? Is this client a childhood friend? Doubtful. More likely, your colleagues found that special spark within their own set of social skills that allows client conversations to feel almost, well, not like work. 

Here are four tips to help anyone, even in the earliest stages of their career, connect and make an impression.

Make yourself (and your client) at home: If you’re the first person to join the meeting and the client is there, seize the opportunity to build your connection before one of your more senior colleagues enters the chat. It doesn’t take much to start a conversation. Notice a new background, if they got a haircut, or if a dog is sitting on the bed. Most people love to talk about themselves and clients are no exception. Create a space where you’re the one asking the questions and showing an interest in things beyond the next action item. 

Laugh when they say something funny – it’s what you would do in person! And to the best of your ability, make eye contact. It might seem silly, but you notice when you’re speaking to a screen of squares and people’s eyes are darting back and forth, either multitasking or looking at their own appearance (guilty.) Close your Slack and email windows to give your clients the attention they deserve. You’ll also find your information recall is better and you have more ideas to contribute when you’re engaged and focused. 

Assert yourself: Before the call starts rolling, find things on the agenda to own. Did you see something interesting in your news scan that is relevant to the next big announcement? Did you draft the awards submission the client is reviewing but has a few final questions on? Plan out what you want to say and trust your instincts on the projects you’ve owned internally. 

The great outdoors: Now for something most of us are a little less familiar with – an in-person meet-up. Whether it’s for drinks with your VP when a client is in town or a kick-off meeting in the office with a new team, this style of connecting is one Gen Z might struggle to get a comfortable grasp on after the pandemic forced most of us to start our careers virtually. 

First, wear something comfortable. You’ll likely be sitting or standing for who knows how long and there is nothing worse than constantly thinking about how your feet hurt or how you wish you brought a sweater because the A/C is blasting.  

If meeting the client in the office, pop up from your desk and introduce yourself. Staying head down hoping someone else will handle introductions doesn’t signal anything impressive to your client, plus it leaves you feeling awkward. After introducing yourself, focus on making your client comfortable – offer them something to drink and a place to put their belongings and make sure to point out the bathroom. You’ll come across as a considerate, helpful person before you hit them with your brilliant ideas during the meeting.  

Your attitude and presentation to a client will end up being the reason you stay on – or leave – your teams while at an agency. Leaders look for rising stars, not shrinking violets, and putting yourself out there with clients builds the rapport you need to stand out. If that’s not enough, think of it from a cost perspective – your teams are billed per person, and your client doesn’t want to pay for teammates who don’t contribute. 

Building relationships with clients is a social practice that only gets easier with time, so go forth with confidence knowing that with every interaction and story shared, you’re adding a brick to the foundation of your client-relations superpower.