“You cannot need a client more than they need you”. Rich Litvin. This is a powerful quote, that I came across from a leadership coach.
I would like to add to that thought and link it to the world of Public Relations.
“You need to believe in your client for them to need you” Nikhil Dey.
This is the yin and yang of finding joy in the work you do. Let me explain what I mean.
Getting a client is not what drives the business. Getting a client that gets you and what you have to offer is super important. In every business, there are targets to be met. Having a goal post is a great way to focus. This is the true value of targets. Therefore, I think a nice way to look at targets is to find a need to fill that fulfils me. That is the target to meet. Change the prism of what a target looks like. Think of what it would feel like to serve a client and enjoy doing the work because it’s a perfect fit. The client needs what you are offering and you are super good at doing what they want you to do. Finding this alignment is the target that will unlock value.
This is where domain experience comes into play. This is why a practice-led approach in a PR firm makes sense. For instance, the social impact team loves the sector they serve, they want to make an impact. They want to make the world a better place. They believe in the power of good and want to do good work. Finding that special area that is your calling and then building a specialist offering is the key to success. Clients will find you when you have that edge.
There is another set of people who are petrol heads or maybe I should now call the EV heads. Their wheels start turning when there is a car, a motorcycle, or a plane in sight. They are the people who fuel the mobility practice. They know their engine capacity and what makes them tick. They know the auto media as not just media but as fellow auto enthusiasts. Their energy comes from driving behaviour change and building the renewables category. They are influencers in their own right because they ride and drive for joy or because they believe in the possibility of a clean green world. The passion for what they do drives them and that is powerful.
This is my learning for the week gone by. Deliver work with passion and have the ability to look at what needs to be done dispassionately. The head and heart need to be involved but not entangled. This is the need of the hour. Finding the right Client, Agency fit is so crucial to creating magical work that matters. We need each other to be our best selves. This is the spirit of a true partnership. Two equals, who make each other better. Who needs who? We need each other.
The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
A trusted coaching and communications professional, Nikhil Dey is a certified life and leadership coach (International Coach Federation - ICF). Nurturing talent and helping clients achieve their goals is what makes him happy. He loves learning from students of communication, teaching courses and guest lecturing at various educational institutions. When he is not working you will find him on the tennis court or out for long walks with his family and four legged friends.
Previously he has held senior leadership positions at Weber Shandwick and Genesis BCW.
He can be reached on twitter @deydreaming
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