7 Ways to Deal With an Unresponsive Client

Figuring out how to deal with an
unresponsive client is a problem almost all
account managers and directors encounter.
You have a great idea for a hook or a campaign,
or there’s an urgent piece of correspondence you
need to get approved. You email it to the client
and then, nothing.
You send a follow up email. Nothing. You send
another. Nothing. You give them a call. They’re
very apologetic. Yes, they say, they'll look at it
straight away. But still nothing. So you email
again. Nothing.
This problem is surprisingly common. Yet most
lobbyists and PR professionals struggle to deal
with it.
Here are seven things to think about if you’re
faced with an unresponsive client who won’t sign
off material or come back to you on an important
piece of work.
1. Remember it’s not all about you.
Your clients are busy people. They’re running
large companies. They’ve got unhappy
shareholders to worry about. Sometimes, despite
all your best efforts, you just aren’t their priority
at the moment. Keep at them. If it’s a good idea,
or important to them, they’ll come back to you.
2. Call them rather than email.
Some of the best managers are notoriously bad at
email. They read messages on mobile devices
and think, “I’ll deal with that later.” By the time
they get back to the office they’ve had 100 other
emails they need to deal with. If you’re not getting
a response to your email, don’t be afraid to pick
up the phone.
3. Check that the client knows what
to do with what you’ve sent them
and why it’s important.
Some PR professionals are terrible at telling their
clients what they need to do with any work that’s
been sent to them. If your client doesn’t know
how he’s supposed to respond to your idea,
chances are they won’t respond at all. Makes
sure you state clearly in the opening line of your
email whether you need the client to input
technical information into a document, sign off a
draft letter, or agree to a budget.
4. Consider whether the quality is
up to snuff.
Most people don’t like giving negative feedback.
Clients might ignore your work if they think it isn’t
good enough but don’t want to spend hours
correcting it. If your work is being constantly
ignored, ask yourself if it was really good enough
to send them in the first place.
5. Think about whether the work is
relevant to what the client wants to
achieve.
Some agencies like to generate activity to show
perceived value to the client, rather than focusing
on the things needed to meet the client’s
objectives. If your client’s busy and you send
them stuff that isn’t important to them, not only
will they ignore it, but you’ll also irritate them and
cause them to wonder what they’re paying you
for.
6. Have a regular time slot with
your client.
Your clients’ time is important. That’s why they
hire lobbyists and PR consultancies to do the
work for them. Respect your clients by managing
their time effectively. Schedule regular meetings
or conference calls in which you can have their
undivided attention and where you can go through
outstanding materials with them. That’s a far
more productive way of getting them to sign off
your work than constantly chasing them by email.
7. Accept it isn’t happening.
Sometimes great ideas and great pieces of work
don’t go anywhere. That’s the nature of our
industry. Accept it and move on. CARL THOMSON
FROM PR DAILY