ReMix Tuesday with Lil Mogul October 2009

Great Expectations with Lil Mogul
by Lil Mogul

December is the month of reflection and today I wanted to revisit a topic I discussed on Tuesday, October 20th of this year. Every now and again we need to retrace our steps. According to the Google dictionary, we've been having expectations since around 1530, give or take a few years. The noun, ex•pec•ta•tion [ek-spek-tey-shuhn], has a number of meanings -- but I'm most partial to the following, especially when used in reference to the start of a new customer/client relationship: Often, expectation, a prospect of future good or profit: to have great expectations.

Being responsible for new business development, I can spend several months courting a prospective client. During that time, I'll have to prove to presidents and/or owners that my company (MEGA Management) is capable of representing Brand X, that we truly get their message, value proposition, and can manage an impactful PR campaigns that produce great outcomes -- not just "outputs" -- on ever-shrinking budgets. We'll have to jump through countless hoops and hold conference calls until the contract is signed, and then we're expected to be off and pitching posthaste!

Except there's one important thing missing from the above. An outline of expectations… Not from the client, but from us. I've actually given it a name: "The State of Expectations" It sounds rather arrogant at first, but it's become absolutely necessary when taking on new clients or even old ones in our age of "great expectations."

Why? Clients expect a great many things from our us -- PR, management, creative, sales we're all in the same boat -- but in many cases they can't or don't communicate precisely what their expectations and needs are. And left to chance, in an economic climate that's so highly strung, the smallest mistake or misunderstanding can become the impetus for losing a client.

So, S P E L L (IT) O U T for your clients beforehand. If we did that more often, perhaps we'd have more fulfilling customer/client relationships -- more clients for longer, as well as staff who felt more respected and appreciated, and overall, a stronger brand. Sounds pretty good to me.

So next time you're about to jump into bed with a new client, ask yourself if you're ready to wake up next to them every day. On second thought, don't. But you should be asking some things like this:

1. How quickly do you expect to appear in The New York Times or Essence Magazine? (Hint: this is a great indicator of realistic expectations… If the answer is 1 week, good luck!)

2. What are the five most important elements or tools needed to get the job done?

3. Do you see our relationship as a strict client/vendor transaction, or do you see this as a partnership?

4. How many PR, Marketing, Management firms (or fill in your industry) have you worked with before? Average length of engagement. (Hint: if the answer is five in two years, I'd politely decline.)

5. What are your benchmarks and milestones for effective services?

6. How much time are you (your team, certain staff etc.) willing to spend in being actively involved in our planning initiatives. (Hint: less than 1 hour a week and you're screwed.)

7. Press releases or meaningful coverage: Which is more important?

8. How comfortable are you talking with the press? Do you feel that "no comment" is an appropriate response? (Hint: part one should be Yes; part two should be No. If not, oh oh)

9. Do you have a basic concept of "PR 101", “Management 101”, “Promotion 101” and "Media 101"?

10. How important is communication to your company's operations? Rate from 1 to 10, 10 being most important.

Of course, these are just a few examples. Our actual statement reads quite a bit longer. Our ability to deliver a great product lies in our understanding of what clients' needs and expectations are, which in turn comes from their ability to communicate these accordingly. Simply going through the motions and assuming isn't enough.

Left unchecked, great expectations can lead to great disappointment. But it doesn't need to be that way if you're upfront and clear about the way your agency operates and what you expect from your clients. In fact, your clients must just love you a lot more for it.