Client communications shouldn’t feel like a box-checking exercise. That’s why Joey Jandoli, a Bospar senior account executive, takes a different approach.
With PR experience across adtech, martech, cybersecurity, cloud data and LLMs, Joey knows that keeping clients engaged means bringing more to the table than status updates. Every call is a chance to show clients what’s happening behind the scenes, and where PR can take them next.
In this Expert Insights interview, Joey shares how to make client communications more informative, actionable and a little less “same time next week.”
Why do agency-client calls often become formulaic and checklist-driven?
While it’s important to have an agenda or dashboard to walk through with clients, they’re often the culprits for why PR calls feel checklist-driven and repetitive. They sometimes don’t paint the full picture of what PR is doing behind the scenes; only what items we’re working on or our status updates.
To make calls feel fresh, my teams and I bring a new idea for the client to react to, whether that’s newsjacking a trending story, sharing a creative pitch angle or presenting a relevant award or speaking opportunity. Doing that keeps them engaged and shows we’re thinking beyond updates.
What’s important for a client to know when they leave a PR call?
Clients need to understand their actionable steps and deliverables when leaving a call. Do they need to provide responses to a Q&A? Do they need to share their availability for an interview? That should be easily outlined in action items for the client following the call.
But it’s also up to the PR team to stay on top of the client for timely responses or actions. It’s a partnership that requires both sides to contribute to its success. If neither contributes, momentum may stall or, worse, be lost.
How do you keep client calls informative and to the point?
There needs to be a balance. The PR team should make sure the client understands the goal of each task during calls. For example, if we flag a newsjacking opportunity to the client, we should outline a clear angle so they can easily comprehend the message we’re trying to get across in a pitch. Sometimes a client may ask, “How does this tie back to our messaging?,” or “What does this do for us?” Outlining our thinking goes a long way toward getting to the point.
Last year, a jobs report showed that healthcare led the U.S. in job growth. We saw an opportunity for a client specializing in IVF and fertility training to offer a different perspective: Despite overall growth, specialty areas of healthcare still face workforce shortages. We explained to the client how that counterpoint could add value to the broader conversation and give the reporter a fresh angle. The result was Ken Alltucker including our client’s commentary in a USA Today article.
For some clients, working with us is their first entry into PR. They may not fully understand how earned media works, so it’s up to us to explain and ensure they understand.
What information does a client actually need when PR recommends a reporter or pitch angle?
Clients should know how it ties back to their company’s messaging and positioning. If we recommend a specific reporter, outlet or angle, we should make it clear why it’s a good opportunity for the client to participate in.
Let’s say a client doesn’t get why we’d want their CEO to comment on a story that doesn’t directly impact their business. It’s up to the PR team to explain our thought process. Namely, that if we share commentary from the CEO on a specific topic, the media will realize this company has an interesting perspective and belongs in this conversation.
Even if commentary isn’t included, it can be an opportunity to educate the client: If we don’t receive specific feedback, we still put the client’s name in a reporter’s inbox among other companies that are already in that conversation.
After securing media interviews, how can PR make sure clients/SMEs leave PR calls understanding not just what an interview is about, but what to expect?
We brief the client and SME on the media opportunity itself: who the specific reporter is, their beat, what outlet they write for. This is where briefing documents are super important because they contain this info along with questions to expect. Reporters typically don’t share questions in advance of an interview, unless it’s a written or podcast interview. But we can infer what questions they’d ask based on the topic we pitched, our conversation with the reporter, what outlet they write for and what their beat is.
After reading the briefing docs, SMEs should understand who they’re speaking to and the reporter’s writing style. If the reporter loves hot takes, we’d recommend the SME prepare a spicy opinion that could lead to inclusion in the piece they’re working on. We’d adjust the approach with trade media, which normally report on news within a specific industry. They likely want to discuss the technical side, so we’d prepare the SME for that ahead of the interview.
Another way to know what to expect is through prep calls, which are especially helpful for top-tier interviews. Even though the SME is qualified to speak on specific topics, an interview with The Wall Street Journal can still be nerve-wracking. That extra prep call can make a difference.
How does concise client communication lead to better media results?
Concise communication can be the difference between a client making it into a reporter’s story or not. Newsjacking is a good example of this because it’s all about timeliness.
Reporters are typically working on tight deadlines, so getting the information over to the client as quickly as possible, while also explaining what the topic is and what the reporter is looking for, is essential with breaking news stories.
Sometimes, it’s not about who shares the best commentary, but who shares it first. So, while we want to ensure we’re getting the right message across and sharing approved comments, timeliness matters for inclusion.
