Why your client can handle the truth
There’s no reason to withhold bad news from clients, or to avoid talking about the hard realities of the PR industry. Consider these tips about these tough conversations.
Are you afraid of your clients?
Most people’s knee-jerk answer to that question would likely be “no.” However, if you were to reframe the question, the answer might be different. Are you afraid of telling your clients the truth? Or, more specifically, are you afraid of telling your clients hard truths?
There would probably be fewer PR pros saying no to each of those questions—and for good reason. Agencies are not in the business of trying to make their clients feel stupid or unhappy. Therefore, massaging the truth—or simply leaving some of the harsher truths out—seems reasonable.
What many agencies don’t realize, however, is that this fear erodes trust and, slowly but inevitably, leads clients to look for other agencies.
Client-agency relationships are getting worse on average. Many of the problems in a relationship with a client can be boiled down to a lack of trust and transparency. It’s time for agencies to stop being afraid of their clients and to start opening up—even when the message might seem harsh.
Be direct
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