Promoting a company can be fun... if you love what they do. I said in an earlier post that I knew public relations was the right career path for me because making noise about the things I care about most comes naturally to me. PR agencies, for those who don't know, assign clients to their employees based on experience as well as monthly billability. Overall, agency practitioners don't have a choice when it comes to the companies they are tasked with promoting, but they can choose how they approach the situation.

I currently rep five companies (six if you count the social media efforts I do for my agency). I respect all of my clients, but love only two of them. For obvious reasons, I won't disclose who they are, but if you Direct Message me on Twitter or Facebook me, I'll disclose my full client list which will make it pretty obvious who my favorites are. This doesn't mean I won't or can't produce great results for the other three. But what it does mean is that coming up with creative programs for the first two is easier and more fun for me. (I’m sure this is true for any PR people who have been in my position…)



On the flip side, clients notice. I was speaking to one of my mentors who had an issue with his PR firm. He felt that his account team was not enthusiastic or motivated enough about their products. It is unrealistic to expect that you'll love all of your clients, but there is no excuse for making your client feel like a second-class citizen. Now, being the type-A person that I am, I came up with a few ideas for how he could motivate them (which will also work for PR people looking to change their attitude):


1. Go on a field trip: I've done PR for a wide array of companies, including Digg, Flock, Equinix, and TwitVid, and this is the easiest way to learn about a company's business. PR people should meet team members from different departments (even if they aren't involved in the PR program), AND physically go to the headquarters for a tour.


2. Use their product: If it is a consumer product, PR people must use it on a regular basis. If it is a B2B product, sit in on a customer meeting, read case studies, or tour the production or testing facility.


3.Success stories: One component to virtually any PR program is the case study. The case study is an unbiased validation of a company’s product or service. PR people should read these. If a company is new and without a case study, they should take the initiative to speak to customers, and create one.


4.Get a sandwich: A good working relationship is difficult if you don't spend any time with the people you work with. A member of my client's marketing team recently asked me to lunch to chat. We had been e-mailing for months but had never met in person. From the time we sat down to the time the food arrived, we chatted and got to know one another. From the time I started eating my panini, to the time I paid the check, we brainstormed and came up with some great ideas to promote his company. If you find that you're having trouble relating to your client (or vice versa) ask them to lunch and get to know them.

I sent a tweet to the universe asking how (or if) others learn to love their clients. Brent Diggins (@BDiggins), a PR pro for Mindspace had a great answer, "Not every PR client is lovable, lol, but getting to know their industry helps you love how they fit in and what they contribute. " Anyone else have suggestions?