The Key To Succeeding in the Communications Business Is..... Communication!

The key to succeeding in the communications business is communication. Your initial response to this is probably.. duh! But it's surprising just how many people who work in the communications field don't communicate with one another. It's a recipe for disaster and it happens all the time.

It's not enough for everyone on your PR or marketing team to know about the projects they are working on individually. Everyone should be briefed on all clients. It doesn't have to take hours. Emails can be shared and quick conversations can relay info. Try it until you become a well-oiled communicating machine.

Say for example a client calls looking for the “lead” person on their account. The lead person happens to be out sick and no one else on the team knows how to help the person on the phone. What happens now?

If you simply tell the client you can't help them, it leaves them feeling left out in the cold. And remember, your client is your customer. Your client just had a bad experience and that experience could leave a bad taste in their mouth — especially if it happens more than once to them. While it probably won't mean a loss of business in the immediate future, don't think for a second that when the next fiscal year or budget comes around that past experiences like the above example don't weigh in on their decisions.

Now take that same situation again. Only this time, everyone on your team has been briefed about the client's latest developments and any possible issues that may arise. The client calls, gets the needed answers and remains happy as a clam.

It doesn't seem like much, but just a few minutes each morning to brief everyone on what's happening is a huge step in making all your clients feel as if each is the most important client you have. Because, in reality, they all should be.