Forget the Headlines — It’s the Backstage Work that Keeps Clients
For a lot of PR agencies and consultancies, getting the headline is THE BIG GOAL. The mentality is that once you get the media coverage, the client is going to keep paying.
But here’s the thing: these one-time wins mean nothing if you can’t show up to a meeting on time, don’t communicate difficult news cycles, or have a habit of sending clients surprise invoices. That’s because the best PR campaigns are built on more than just the headline. The more important foundation is the backstage work that nobody sees, but shows up in how you show up.
Two recent episodes of Cracking the Comms Code laid out what’s most important for agencies and consultants to bring to the table. The first was from the client perspective and featured
- Dan Ring, SEON’s Head of Communications,
- Susan Powell, Marketing Director for Interstate Moving Relocation and Logistics, and
- Amanda Coffee, who ran global comms for PayPal and other corporate giants.
The other brought experienced agency executives and consultants to the conversation:
- Jen Becker, founder of JB Comms Consulting and wearer of many comms hats,
- Julie Murphy, president of Sage Communications, and
- Rod Hughes, president of Kimball Hughes Public Relations.
They all agreed: it turns out that the “boring back end” of a business often determines whether clients stay, grow, or walk away.
The Hidden Half of Client Service
Most agencies focus heavily on the front-end of communications work. This means media strategy, messaging, thought leadership, pitching, and interview prep. But a reliable operation makes as much of an impression on clients, and they’re looking for that every day of your contract.
- Did the proposal arrive when promised?
- Did the invoice match the agreed amount?
- Did team members show up to meetings on time looking worth the money?
- Did onboarding feel smooth?
Administrative details? Sure. And that can translate to “boring.” But “boring” leads to “predictable,” and “predictable” leads to “reliable” – and that leads to the exciting stuff like uncovering a great narrative, landing the surprise piece of media coverage, and getting paid.
These agency, consultant, and in-house experts described how operational consistency directly impacts client confidence. A missed payment record, a confusing invoice, or a delayed response can quickly create friction even when the actual communications work is strong.
For smaller agencies especially, professionalism can become a competitive advantage. Many less-known boutique firms can compete successfully against larger agencies precisely because they provide a smoother, more attentive client experience.
Clients Don’t Care about Your Internal Chaos
One of the strongest themes from the discussion was simple: Clients generally do not care what internal systems or challenges an agency is dealing with. They care about outcomes and the ease of working together to reach them.
Clients want smoothness, and they expect it, too. Anything less calls into question an agency’s or consultant’s competence, which too often is a client’s first step toward the door.
This becomes even more important in family-owned businesses or smaller organizations making their first investment in PR. It’s enough of a challenge to justify the budget to leadership. Throw in a few operation mistakes, and that uphill battle becomes Everest without a Sherpa.
There’s enough organizational chaos out there, but that should stay behind the curtain. Without clarify, there’s friction – and not the good kind. An agency that communicates clearly and has its administrative ducks in a row will stand out, and build trust. This is part of client service, and a bigger part than most communicators acknowledge.
What to Do with All that Tech
Modern agencies now rely on a growing ecosystem of tools for contracts, accounting, project management, collaboration, CRM systems, communication platforms, invoicing, and AI-powered workflows. That’s fine, provided all this tech supports good processes.
As Amanda described, many small businesses face the temptation to sign up for endless free trials without fully considering long-term operational implications. Once financial records, invoices, and client data are embedded into a platform, switching systems becomes painful.
The smarter approach is to ask these questions when a tool looks tempting:
- Does this solve a real operational problem?
- Will this scale as we grow?
- Does it integrate with my other systems?
- Does it integrate with client systems?
- Will it make life easier for the team or just create more complexity?
This is especially important as corporations look to have many specialty agency partners. If you love Slack and can’t handle Teams, you might be out of luck. Dan works with firms in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The sooner an agency in Arizona or Alabama can standardize systems and collaboration tools across time zones and offices, the better.
Transparency Versus the Bait-and-Switch
Especially with all the unscrupulous (or even amoral) AI out there now, clients are doubling down on transparency as a top priority. Honesty has always been the best policy, but now it’s taking center stage.
Take upselling as a prominent example. If an agency believes that additional services could help achieve business goals, clients generally want to hear about it — as long as the recommendation is thoughtful and clearly tied to outcomes.
Upselling becomes problematic only when it feels disconnected from strategy or business priorities. But when agencies explain
- the opportunity,
- how it supports the client’s mission,
- its potential measurable value, and
- the additional cost,
clients are often receptive.
Here’s another example of where transparency is key: the pitch process.
Agencies benefit from adopting this rule, or at least something like it, when presenting themselves for a client’s evaluation: Every team member who will actually work on the account must participate in the pitch process. The alternative is all too common: a bait and switch where the agency presents senior executives during pitches, only to replace them with junior staff once the contract is signed.
Clients understand that agency teams evolve over time, but changing the team immediately after winning business is a trust-killer. Clients should be important, not just feel important for the first five minutes of the relationship. So sell the team you actually plan to staff.
Success Starts with Operational Excellence
If you want a good reputation in the industry, start internally. Delivering a smooth experience will wow clients more effectively than fireworks from an inconsiderate or unresponsive team.
“Flashy” is fine, but “dependable” is better. (Better still if the client can get both.) Agencies with reliable systems, clear communication, transparent billing, and collaborative processes often retain clients longer, even in highly competitive markets.
PR professionals have a lot of good stuff to sell. If they lose sight of operational excellence as part of the package, they’re going to have trouble closing on anything else.
Both panel conversations are below.
The client perspective
Agency and consultant best practices
