Many moons ago, I had an office job where part of my weekly tasks involved handing paper checks out to various vendors. My then-coworker and I would go around our building and hand-deliver the checks each Friday. This would usually happen with little fanfare, until one fateful day when a vendor unexpectedly came up to our office to return his check.
“I don’t think you realized, but this week you accidentally gave me a blank check,” he told my coworker in a hushed tone. My coworker immediately turned pale and started profusely apologizing. Sure enough, there was a signed check inside the vendor’s envelope that did not have the dollar amount filled in. Yikes!
Why Trust Is the Cornerstone of Great Agency Work
I often think about this story whenever I begin a project with a new client. Trust is at the heart of every successful client-agency relationship. Mutual trust sets the foundation for honest dialogue, better, more informed decisions, and stronger outcomes.
If it hadn’t been for the vendor coming up to my co-worker and me and establishing a clear and trusting channel of communication, we would never have been able to resolve our issue.
Similarly, it takes courage on both the client and agency sides to admit when a communications angle or strategic PR approach isn’t working. Sometimes, a simple shift in messaging is needed to revise an existing approach. Other times, more information is needed in order to pivot or rectify an issue. In the case of my story above, sometimes the complication is caused by human error.
No matter what the source of the misstep, let my “blank check” tale serve as a useful lens for thinking about client-agency relationships in PR.
What do the best PR agency/client relationships have in common?
- Quick delivery. The vendor informed my co-worker and me of the error right away, in a discreet and non-judgmental manner. It is extremely important in the field of communications not to let a mistake linger; delaying or withholding information can lead to a domino effect of unintended consequences.
- Assuming best intentions. Presuming this incident was a one-off accident, the vendor came to us himself and figured it was a simple mistake rather than a test or trap. Usually, the most probable explanation is the one most likely to be true.
- Honesty. It’s better to own up to a blunder or issue than to delay delivering bad news. My co-worker and I did not get defensive when we realized we made a mistake, nor did we try to blame it on anyone else. To the vendor’s credit, he was honest as well and did not try to amend or fraudulently cash the check himself.
- Accountability. As a result of the blank check incident, my co-worker and I established a new system; I would double-check all of his paperwork and he would review mine as well, before we handed out anything to the vendors. This extra review layer allowed my coworker and I to rebuild trust.
- Graceful recovery. In subsequent weeks, the vendor never (not once!) brought up the mistake again. The ability to move on from an incident, learn, and recover is an extremely valuable and necessary skill for anybody who is leading or advising on a public-facing communications campaign.
It’s also worth noting that the longer two parties work together successfully, the more each accrues “pennies in the trust bank,” as my colleague puts it. It’s a true investment of time and resources to work with a PR agency, and the companies that prioritize long-term engagements with public relations/communications teams often see the biggest returns on their investment.
If you’re looking for a trusted partner that can help you build momentum and navigate your next period of transformation, reach out to our team at resilerepartners@resilere.com.