Sept. 2, 2024

The Client Conversations You Need to Have Now

The Client Conversations You Need to Have Now
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The Client Conversations You Need to Have Now
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In this Episode

In this episode of "That Solo Life," co-hosts Karen Swim, APR and Michelle Kane dive into the importance of year-end client conversations for PR professionals and marketers. As the final quarter of the year approaches, the hosts emphasize the significance of checking in with clients to ensure alignment, satisfaction, and strategic planning for the upcoming year.

The hosts discuss the necessity of conducting a health check with clients, focusing on both the health of the client's business and the effectiveness of the PR program. They stress the value of open and honest conversations, allowing for feedback and addressing any missed opportunities or areas for improvement.

Karen and Michelle highlight the importance of building strong relationships with clients beyond transactional interactions. They emphasize the role of PR professionals in supporting client growth, career development, and overall success.

As the conversation progresses, the hosts delve into the process of presenting year-end recaps and program recommendations to clients. They suggest incorporating a SWOT analysis to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, providing a comprehensive overview of the client's PR program.

Additionally, Michelle and Karen encourage PR professionals to confidently discuss budget increases with clients, emphasizing the need to align rates with the evolving costs of doing business. They stress the importance of demonstrating value, communicating achievements, and proactively addressing client needs to strengthen trust and foster long-term partnerships.

In conclusion, the hosts remind listeners to prioritize effective communication, strategic planning, and ongoing client engagement as they navigate year-end conversations and prepare for the new year ahead. They invite listeners to share feedback, engage with the Solo PR Pro community, and continue learning and growing in their solo PR and marketing endeavors.

Episode Timeline

00:00:00 - Introduction and Setting the Stage

00:05:30 - Importance of Health Check Conversations with Clients
00:12:01 - Recommendations and Budget Conversations
00:13:35 - SWOT Analysis and Strategic Counsel
00:16:33 - Communicating Value and Recap to Clients

00:17:48 - Conclusion and Call to Action

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That Solo Life, Episode 264: The Client Conversations You Need to Have Now

Michelle Kane (00:03):
Thank you for joining us for this episode of That Solo Life, the podcast for PR pros and marketers who work for themselves, people like me, Michelle Kane, with Voice Matters, and my wonderful co-host, Karen Swim of Solo PR Pro. Hi, Karen. Here we are again. It's a beautiful day for podcasting. How are you?

Karen Swim, APR (00:22):
Hey, Michelle. It is a beautiful day for podcasting. We're recording this episode on a Friday, which is finally here,

Michelle Kane (00:33):
So you may hear that in our voices, huh?

Karen Swim, APR (00:37):
Yeah, at the end of Tuesday, I legitimately felt like I had already worked four days, and I was so put out to wake up on Wednesday and have people really continually remind me that it was not yet Friday. So the days are finally here, and it's always good to end it with you, Michelle, so this is a happy day.

Michelle Kane (01:05):
So true, yes, these weeks have felt really long, but it's okay. But as this podcast debuts, it'll most likely be sometime in September, which is the final quarter of the year, which brings all things Q4 to mind and things like checking in with your clients and having those conversations about the coming year, whether that means a rate increase or a check-in a reset, just checking in on goals and reevaluating everything. We're going to talk about all those good things in today's episode to get us all psyched up to finish the year strong, to do what we need to do to keep our businesses rocking and rolling.

Karen Swim, APR (01:54):
Yes, this is exciting. So at the end of the year, I feel like, or towards the end of the year, there are some conversations that we really should be having with clients, and I think one of the conversations that we need to have is a health check. You should try to do those very regularly, but towards the time of the year, as you're looking ahead to programming for the coming year, do a health check, check in on how the client is feeling about PR, how the client is feeling about your PR program. Are there areas that you kind of had misses in this year? What could you do to improve the client satisfaction and the way that the account works?

Michelle Kane (02:46):
Yeah, and especially as internal changes are always going on with our clients big and small. So they may have been having shifts in their business, whether it's the way they do business, whether it's just changing their goals, and it doesn't have to be big shifts, but they do impact the work you're doing, and you want to make sure that you're consistently checking in and doing your best to avoid going on autopilot. So easy to do, right, month in, month out. Okay, let me update the content calendar. Here we go, full steam ahead. But you have to be cognizant of, hey, so I know you've had some personnel changes here. How is that impacting things? How's your hiring? How's the workload? How can we help you? What are your growth goals? Do you want to just stay consistent and be a thought leader? Are you looking to grow by a certain percentage? What's the latest? And not only is that the smart thing to do, not only is that the necessary thing to do to be able to do your job well, but it also shows to them that you're not just there to collect a check, you're invested in their success.

Karen Swim, APR (04:07):
I agree. And it's good that you, because health applies to the health of their business in addition to the health of the program. So it's the same issue, but you really need to address it in two ways. And I think that you really have to allow for really open and honest conversations. So when you're talking about the health of the business and the health of the account, I find that in those conversations, you need to be really honest. You need to set aside specific time for that. And maybe that's not a full team meeting, maybe it's not. If you have a team, I think that that's the primary, the lead on the account and the primary contact from that other side so that you really can have an open conversation and you give them the opportunity to share things that they may not be comfortable sharing with an entire group.

(04:58):
And I think that you set the meeting up and say, Hey, I want to talk about the business and have a conversation, just the two of us just to check in and to make sure that we're doing everything possible to support your needs. I think those conversations are also a good time to check in on their position. What are they personally looking to achieve in 2025? Where do they see their career going? We sometimes are afraid to ask those questions, but part of our job is to ensure that we're supporting career growth and professional development and that we're doing things that make our contacts look good and be able to continue to excel in their roles. And so don't be afraid to ask those questions, but ask them in a way that creates a more intimate setting that allows for people to really share and to be open and honest with you.

Michelle Kane (05:54):
Yeah, that's so true. And again, that just further deepens the relationship. So we know that our points of contact don't always stay with the clients, and certainly that may impact the business there, but they move on to other places and they'll remember you, which is always a good thing.

Karen Swim, APR (06:14):
That's a great thing because I'm sure that many of us, many solos in particular, enjoy strong relationships with people. We really focus on human beings, and as you said, those human beings sometimes change companies. And when there's opportunity, when you maintain those relationships and when you have poured into not just the business but into the person, they will remember that and will often tap you at another company. So I agree there's a benefit to it, but it also, it just makes our work more satisfying. It's good when you work with people that you have good working relationships with. You don't want them to always be just strictly transactional. We can have those relationships and there's nothing wrong with it, but it does feel good when there is some comradery between you and your clients, the people on your client accounts.

Michelle Kane (07:15):
Yeah, that is so true. I mean, I think most of us in our line of work, that's almost a necessity. And like you say, not with every client, of course that would be asking a bit too much, but it certainly helps drive you. I think we get excited when our clients do well and it's not just because, yay, look what we did, but because you're developing those relationships, I mean, I always go back to the key to good business is building a good relationship. How can I help you at the end of it? I mean, yeah, we like the money that's involved. Of course that's a necessary thing, but I think it's just in our nature as PR pros to be helpful to make good change in the world and doing that step by step. But yeah, it is a great time of year and I think for ourselves too, to recalibrate for ourselves and the work that we've been doing . Hey, before I bring this to them, how do I think these things have been working? And to be prepared to bring recommendations to the table to say, yeah, we've been doing this for a while, but I think we could be more effective if X happens. What do you think of that? Does that align with your new goals? I think that again, that further demonstrates to them how you are really thinking about their best interests and that will strengthen their trust

Karen Swim, APR (08:54):
I am a huge fan of a recap of the year of the highlights, the things that went well, the activities that were undertaken and a program recommendation for the coming year. This is the perfect time of year to do that. Now, here's a little tip that we share with our members, and we've covered this a lot in the past, is when you do your recap, and that can be in the form of a presentation. It could be a sizzle reel if you are good at video and want to do it that way, or it can really be a document, an overview document. I love adding some visual interest to that though and making it a big deal. You do your recap and then you do your program recommendations. This is also a great time if you need to do a budget increase to price your recommendations for next year and notice the difference.

(09:55):
No one likes to just get an increase unless you've been with a client and it's time for a cost of living increase, go for it, ask for that if you need it. But I love being able to give them something tangible. So when we make program recommendations for the next year, like, Hey, here's what we did. Well, here's the areas that we can lean into a little bit more, or let's amplify this and do more of this activity because it yielded these results. And then attaching budget numbers to that is a great way to have budget conversations without having budget conversations. That has worked beautifully and people are so open to that and don't be afraid to present in that way and don't be afraid to ask for more money. I think sometimes we feel like we can only raise our rates with brand new clients, and of course that's always easier because now you're going out with a new rate and they have no idea about the old rates with clients.

(11:02):
Again, we get locked into thinking that they're only going to pay what they're paying, but I think you have to be open and honest, especially in this day when all of us are receiving price increases because the cost of things has gone up well, those costs extend to things like the tools that we utilize. We're paying a lot more for things and things can really eat away at your budget. There's a lot more things behind the paywall, for example. So you may be paying for subscriptions to get client articles, and that really starts to add up. Database subscriptions have gone up, things have just gone up and not to mention your cost of doing business has gone up. Utilities have risen. Everything that goes into your home office and the running of a business has increased in price. So don't be afraid to do that, and this is a great time of year to begin to address that and have those conversations.

Michelle Kane (12:01):
Yeah, absolutely. And what better way than to really focus it on how could I be more helpful to you? Yes. That way they're not just getting the letter that we often all receive from a utility or something of if your new rate in 2025 will be X, see you. You're like, oh, great, thanks. I think it's much better received in, I don't want to say guys, because that means that's a wrong word choice on a Friday, but it's just better received if you're doing it in the way of being helpful and helping their business thrive or grow, whatever their goal is. And I think they would value that as opposed to, and it's unfortunate. I'm hearing some horror stories recently of just people dropping balls all over the place. So we solos do have a lot of opportunity of just by following through, which could seem like the bare minimum,

(13:01):
But that makes a difference and it's appreciated because face it, as business owners, we have so much going on in our heads of, oh, do I have to remember this? I have to remember that. Oh, I have to check in on that. Has my business insurance? What's going on? All the things of running the business. Many of your clients have the same issues, so if you're able to take a little weight off of their to-do list, I think that's a massive thing and it's a massive help point and it can only help your position as you move into these conversations.

Karen Swim, APR (13:35):
I agree. I think it's also important to make sure that you include a SWOT analysis with your recommendations. Let's talk about what the strengths are, what the strengths of the program are, what the strengths of the company, the weaknesses, talk about the weaknesses of the program. Were there lost opportunities or missed opportunities because the company did not have a budget for something? So for example, is there something that could have really been paired with a paid activity and the company didn't want to do it? Or are they weak on social because they didn't have anyone to do it, or is there something that their competitors are doing better? Sometimes we lose earned media opportunities because the company can't respond fast enough

(14:23):
Or they don't have the resources to do thought leadership bylines, so you want to talk about weaknesses within their industry against their competitors. Maybe their competitors are killing it on thought leadership and they're lagging behind even though the program results achieve what they wanted. So you want to be able to point those things out as well. And then you also want to present opportunities, and this is really where you shine. And then the threats. Clients really will appreciate you looking and taking a broad lens to the industry, comparing to their competitors and bringing those things to light from your perspective. They're hiring you to be their strategic counselor, not just to go get earned media, and so don't forget that role. Take that seriously and show them that because you want to show them the way forward with a program for next year.

(15:22):
I think the big overarching theme of this time of year is this is our time to show value and to ensure that what we know we're doing that is valuable is being perceived as valuable by the client. And that means digging deeper beneath the surface, looking at is there anything that they want to change that you're doing? Now? Maybe they don't like the way that meetings are held. Maybe they want to make some tweaks to the report. Maybe there are metrics that you are not capturing that are really important to them. Now, they may not have been important before, so it's why we should be having these conversations ongoing, but particularly as we're entering into a new calendar year, this is a great time to talk about it. And you want to talk about it before because they're already having budget conversations, so you want to talk about it now so that you get on the radar, but also before we get lost in the

Michelle Kane (16:24):
Holidays,

Karen Swim, APR (16:25):
The holidays and the race to the finish, because we all know that it gets so busy at this time of year and you're going to lose people's attention.

Michelle Kane (16:32):
Yeah, that's so true. And you bring up just the most salient point is, yes, we provide our clients with recaps. Here's what we've done, but how often do we do this? How often do we tell the story of Here's what we've done for you, how good are we at communicating that? Because I think sometimes we think, well, the work shows for itself, but I think it's so important to summarize that, to make sure that they know, Hey, this is really what you're getting from me and without me. I mean, you certainly don't put it in that way, but you can think it,

Karen Swim, APR (17:13):
Yeah,

Michelle Kane (17:15):
I make you look good. Here's how I am helping you grow your business. Here's how. And it's all things, the big and the small. It all adds up, and it's just such a good way to demonstrate how you are a valuable member of their team and should continue to be so. Well, hey, we hope that you've gotten something out of our episode today. If you have, please share it with your colleagues. Click Share on social. We would love that As we post our episodes every week, please visit solo pr pro.com. If you haven't yet joined, check it out because I mean, it's a wonderful community if I do say so myself, but it really is. It's a gorgeous safe space to do these gut checks and pop into the group and just say, Hey, I'm dealing with this. Anyone ever dealt with it? And I guarantee you will get answers. And also let us know what you think about these episodes and we would love, what do you want us to talk about? Hit us up at so low pr pro.com for all of those good things. And until next time, thanks for listening to that Solo Life.