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A
recent article by the Associated Press which ran in
major newspapers nationwide discussed the importance of
being honest with clients and risking the possibility of
disappointing the client – for the client’s benefit.
Trylon Communications president Lloyd Trufelman was
quoted in the article as asking, “Do you want the quick
buck or build it for the long term?” In other words,
sometimes you have to Just Say No.
This concept
relates closely to an
earlier newsletter article we wrote about addressing
client expectations. It is important to be objective
when dealing with client expectations, and while the
truth may not always be what a client wants to hear, in
the long run it will help the client to develop their
business.
Trufelman
was further quoted, saying “Sometimes you have a client
who doesn't necessarily want to hear that. But if you're
going to give really good client feedback, saying no is
very important.”
Every
company executive believes that his or her company’s new
idea or project is The Next Big Thing. That’s one of the
reasons they work there! But having an objective opinion
from an outside perspective, even if it’s negative, can
help a company tremendously.
In our
industry, it is easy to placate a client, promise press
coverage on a topic, and then explain the lack of
coverage with excuses. However, it is not in the
client’s best interest. If we believe that there will
not be sufficient interest to get press coverage we will
say so, and explain why.
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