Check-ups are always important, whether it’s with a doctor for your health, a mechanic for your car, or in our case, with a client for the projects we’re working on.
It’s important to work in partnership with clients, but it takes trust and bravery to be transparent about what you each find is working well, lessons to be learnt and areas to improve.
That’s why we really value a client check in, where we get all the important people together in a room, and recap the goals of the retainer or project, what was delivered, and gather any feedback on what worked and what can be improved.
We often use this opportunity to do a bit of a ‘sit-rep’ on any industry themes or issues that might shape PR or comms we’re working on – what external factors may have positively (or negatively) impacted a project – and how can we find opportunities in these or mitigate challenges in the future?
Just like with a car service or a health check-up, there might be areas that need fixing or addressing. Maybe KPIs weren’t met, or budget was overspent, but checking in allows everything to be out in the open to be addressed and ready to be resolved.
It also helps set both parties up for success for the next stage, whether it’s the next phase of a retainer or briefing for a new project. Getting the right people together can help uncover insights, or outcomes you might not realise were important before.
Some things you might want to consider covering in the review:
- What were the objectives of the project/retainer?
- What outcomes or results were achieved? (This could be media hits, social engagements, leads etc.)
- What worked well? Highlight work ideas or initiatives that worked well across the project and why.
- Learnings – what issues did you face, and how could they be better dealt with?
- Ask for direct feedback and keep questions open ended – you want this to be a collaborative meeting.
And at the end? A set of clear next steps is always essential, so then everyone knows what you’re working towards, and you have something to report against for the next check-in.
Alex Williams