When I launched Poston Communications in the fall of 2004, I knew serving public relations clients would require continuous learning and improvement. Like any entrepreneur, I had long-term hopes and goals, but I had to stay focused on the immediate needs of a fledgling business.

As we mark our agency’s 20th anniversary, we’ve taken some time to look back at the big picture and assess what we’ve learned over two decades about client service, risks, crises and choices. We look forward to discussing these ideas with you as we maintain our commitment to gaining more insight from clients, colleagues and friends.

1. At the beginning of a risky new project, resist the urge to operate from a scarcity mentality, focusing on what your new enterprise lacks. People are surprisingly supportive and want to help each other succeed, especially when they see someone putting themselves out there and trying hard. Lean into those moments to build your business into a part of the community.
2. Get to know potential client contacts. They have personal needs that influence their choices, ranging from simply lightening their workload to reaching their personal career goals. Knowing what drives them will help you help them.
3. Potential clients are impressed by your experience, but they engage your services when they see your processes. Checklists, templates and other examples of how you work for them inspire confidence.
4. Ask clients questions and listen to their answers, repeating or reiterating what they have said. Understanding their professional needs and personal goals empowers you to provide relevant support. Communicating that you understand builds confidence in your working relationship.
5. Execute a flexible protocol to advance clients’ best interests. Simply responding to clients’ requests requires them to think about what they want you to do. If you anticipate challenges, you get a head start on solving them – which relieves your client of having to identify and evaluate problems and responses.
6. Acknowledge that clients juggle multiple responsibilities. You and even the project they hired you to do aren’t always their top priority. Understanding their time restraints can help you to tailor your communication tactics with them. If there’s a way to streamline communication, proactively take the steps to make it a habit.
7. Learn your clients’ stories – their “why” – and how they want them portrayed. This knowledge allows you to craft messaging that aligns with their goals and authentically represents their brands.
8. Grow and train your client teams. I’ve found that clients are usually open to our interns and new staff joining calls and meetings, often taking an interest in their progress.
9. Everything presents a choice. Being optimistic, smiling, committing to traditional ways of doing business or embracing new ideas – they all require someone to choose.
10. Acknowledge bad news quickly. Recognizing significant challenges maintains transparency and enables you to act with compassion and empathy with clients and your colleagues.
11. In a client’s moment of crisis, provide a sense of calm, levelheadedness and broader perspective that they cannot see in the moment.
12. When a crisis arises around you, recognize it as an opportunity to show who you really are and – as the crisis reveals a mistake on your part (it always will, even if the entirety isn’t your fault) – resolve to do better.
13. Be OK saying you don’t have an answer to a client’s question, or one posed internally. Sometimes a client or colleague is a step ahead of you. Asking for a moment, an hour or a day to think something over demonstrates confidence that you care and that you’ll catch up fast and address the issue at hand.
14. Be enthusiastic about your projects for clients. This helps your clients maintain their focus amid new challenges that could distract them from their original goals.
15. Be enthusiastic about clients and their projects that don’t involve you. Everyone can benefit from a boost to create or maintain momentum.
16. Celebrate your clients’ professional successes. Whether they’re winning big cases, limiting the damage when faced with bad facts, managing billion-dollar transactions or helping someone in need with a pro bono matter, they probably don’t hear that they make a difference very often.
17. Celebrate your clients’ personal passions. Over the years we have marveled over clients who have completed ocean swims, climbed mountains and run marathons, along with others who have made works of art, learned to play instruments, or committed time and treasure to worthy causes. These activities help them – and us – find meaning.
18. Keep updated on current events, but don’t let them overwhelm you. Unless you are monitoring a client crisis, check the news at a few regular intervals in the day, but focus on the work in front of you. Your clients and colleagues deserve your full attention.
19. Be brave and optimistic. For example, DEI programs have become a political punching bag lately, and while they will often need fine-tuning for legal or other reasons, don’t pull back just because of a backlash. Maintain your principles.
20. Don’t be afraid to be your best.