My first “real world” job was in advertising. Driven by client relations, my daily routine would revolve around conference calls, creative briefs, media, creative, production direction and budget-to-actuals. In essence my role was anything and everything under the sun — but the most important aspect of my job was listening to my clients.
In the advertising world clients were constantly revealing parts of themselves and their companies during phone calls, meetings and more. That’s why I found it is crucial to be aware of these key clues that help trigger creative inspiration.
Regardless of your field, if you are a service provider the most essential part of your job is listening. Listen to your clients’ needs. This sounds so obvious but in reality it is easily omitted by many.
Whether you are in PR or not, this advice can help us all. As I learned in the advertising field, if you really listen to your clients you can accomplish a lot by learning, collaborating and creating an open line of communication.
Every time you communicate with your clients they are providing you with key elements that help facilitate your next press release, event, campaign, or even strategy. Therefore listening becomes one of the most important parts of a PR practitioner’s job.
