Client Management Strategies

Client management is a critical facet of public relations practice—it is the art of strategizing, communicating, and fostering goodwill for clients. It is like when one plants a flower that requires effort, water, sunlight, and good seeds to grow and blossom. In this blog post, I am going to overview and explain the principles of client management, recommended strategies, free tools, and programs for creating the best client management strategies for lasting PR relationships with clients.

Key Points

Building trust is essential in client management, requiring transparency, active listening, and consistent communication to foster strong relationships and client loyalty.
Before starting, agree on success metrics and objectives to avoid miscommunication and ensure both parties are aligned, just like agreeing on a road map before a journey.
Regular check-ins about ongoing campaigns and emerging trends help prioritize client needs, prevent surprises, and demonstrate commitment to achieving their goals.
Effective client management doesn’t have to be costly. Leveraging free tools like onboarding checklists, meeting templates, Google Workspace, and CRM software (e.g., HubSpot CRM) can enhance organization and streamline communication.

Client Management

Client management is a critical aspect when operating a small business, and the relationships clients have are crucial. When you have done business with them, and especially if you’ve established a good working relationship with the client, they will call on you for future business and even recommend others.

It is also less costly for companies because it is always easier to get a former prospect to come back on board. When one has endeared himself to his/her clients, the clients trust him/her. And once a client is sure that for a certain job, you are dependable and capable of delivering on the tasks, that client will always call upon you.

“So, what does client management actually mean? You may have asked yourself, “What have I been giving out since I didn’t give the real definition of client management?” Well, I’ve been taking care of things. The definitions I’ve been providing and the one I’m about to give differ only slightly. Oh, I see! I was merely attempting to explain what client management is in my earlier info.

What is client management in this context, then?

Client management is the action and practice of organizing, planning and supervising different interaction activities between a company and potential customers and other customers. A client manager may forge and develop the relationships between an organization and the clients. They are also required to source new potential clients on their own and cultivate those into loyal clients for life. This implies that any individual client may wish to be given attention or selected to continue making his or her purchases in a given organization.

These are some tried-and-true strategies for developing sustainable client relationships. Make use of these to establish lasting, fruitful connections that will propel your company.

#1. Build Trust First

At the core of client management is trust. The best relationships grow from a foundation of transparency, active listening, and consistent communication. Get to know your client’s brand inside and out early on. This will strengthen not only your PR strategy but also show the client you’re fully invested in them.

See: How to Create Trust Through UGC Advertising: Strategies for Authentic Campaigns

#2. Set Clear Expectations

The most critical element in managing a client is making sure you and your client have the same idea as to what success will look or feel like. Setting expectations is like agreeing on a map before embarking on a road trip: it helps avoid miscommunication, manages timelines, and defines metrics for success that keep both parties happy.

Read: PR Metrics That Matter: How To Track and Analyze Your Campaign

#3. Stay Proactive

PR is one of those places where the unexpected does indeed crop up. Keep ahead of the game by checking in routinely about campaigns that are up and coming, seasonal trends, or any area where there could be a hitch. It helps your client feel they are a priority, avoids any surprises, and shows you care about meeting goals.

Free Client Management

It doesn’t have to be costly to manage clients well. Let’s look at some free strategies and tools that may be very useful.

#1. Use a Client Onboarding Checklist

Starting right is everything. An onboarding checklist might list all the first steps: everything from signing NDAs to scheduling the first planning session. This not only helps you cover all bases but also makes a great first impression.

Check out: Streamline Your Client Onboarding Process: Best Practices for Success

#2. Client Meeting Templates

Having templates for recurring meetings is a lifesaver. A simple Google Doc or sheet can do wonders as a meeting agenda on goals, updates, and key tasks. This is because, in every meeting, you’ll be deep inside what matters without missing anything important.

#3. Google Workspace Tools

A great set of free tools is Google Workspace: set up regular check-ins in Google Calendar, track projects collaboratively with Google Sheets, and create shared content in Google Docs. The simplicity and accessibility make it perfect to use with small PR agencies or freelancers.

Check out: How to Write the Best Google Ads Copy in 6 Steps: Templates and Examples

#4. Microsoft Excel Client Management Template

This is a free template for managing client information and projects. Indeed, Microsoft Excel can be used to maintain client information, and there are various templates available for download to get you started. This is the synopsis of one such template:

Client management template: This Excel template has worksheets for keeping track of meeting minutes, project data, invoicing information, and customer information. Additionally, it has conditional formatting and formulae to assist you in monitoring past-due payments and unpaid invoices.

Free Client Management Software

Sales teams can better manage their customer interactions with the use of customer relationship management (CRM) software. Salespeople can use it to keep track of all of their interactions with clients, including meetings, emails, phone conversations, and contact details. CRMs also offer tools for handling opportunities and transactions. Although this might seem pricey, there are actually a lot of free and reasonably priced alternatives.

If you happen to be dealing with multiple clients, then free client management software can save the day. Following are some popular options that offer strong features at no cost:

See: CRM Vs SRM: What’s The Difference?

#1. HubSpot CRM

HubSpot CRM is still one of the most favorite instruments for PR professionals. Firstly, this tool is free, and it allows you to organize client contacts, track email correspondence, and have a feel for project status. Highly customizable, it can be adjusted to meet particular demands in PR.

Key Features: Contact Management, Deal Tracking, Email Tracking
Best For: Small teams and freelancers who need a complete client database in one place.

#2. Trello

Trello is a great choice for visually managing projects. From card-based flexible systems, one can set up boards for each of the clients and lists for the different project phases, thus tracking the progress visually. It’s ideal for teams that enjoy intuitive yet flexible interfaces.

Core Features: Visual work boards, team collaboration, checklists
Best For: Teams that benefit from a visual approach to client management.

#3. Asana

Asana is probably one of the best project management tools out there that has a free tier. You can create projects for each client, assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress. Asana definitely works best when you’ve got clients with multi-step projects or long-term deliverables.

Key Features: Task assignment, project timelines, tracking of deadlines
Best for: PR teams with complex project timelines and multiple stakeholders.

#4. Zoho CRM

Meanwhile, for those needing even more advanced CRM functionality, Zoho has a free option that helps with the management of customers, the tracking of sales leads, and even imparts some sense into larger customer interactions. Although not quite as PR-focused as HubSpot, it’s versatile enough to manage client tasks.

Key features: It include sales and contact tracking, as well as lead management and analytics.
Best For: Public relations professionals who need to track detailed information for clients and data.

#5. Brevo (formerly-Sendinblue)

Emailing application software transformed into a Salesforce automation tool.

Well, maybe I’m a little biased because I started out at Sendinblue – now Brevo. But they have done a great job in the sales tools since they decided to become Brevo, and more importantly, most of the tools are available in the free version!

Actually, Brevo is simply the tool that allows you to gather all customer information into one place and control all your communications with the customers from this place. But the icing of the cake is that you can leverage their marketing tools like emailing, SMS, etc. and their sales tools like calendar, kanban, shared inbox, etc all for free.

The free plan at Brevo has up to 50 ongoing opportunities, unlimited contacts (this is true of all free plans at Brevo), task management, calendar, live chat, etc.

Try Brevo free of charge!

Checklist for Effective Client Management

Below is a checklist to help you keep client management on track. This is a customizable guide that can adapt easily to Google Docs.

Task	Frequency	Status
Onboard client with all necessary documentation	Once	☑️ Good
Define and communicate goals clearly	Project Start	☑️ Good
Schedule regular update meetings	Weekly	☑️ Good
Provide monthly performance reports	Monthly	☑️ Good
Review and adjust strategy based on feedback	Quarterly	☑️ Good
Collect client feedback	Quarterly	☑️ Good

Why Make Use of a CRM?

The benefits of CRM to your business on the macro and at scale are numerous. It can help save time and cost and can enhance the perceived value of customers.

Here are other benefits for implementing a CRM into your business processes:

Centralized customer data: In much the same way, a CRM system means that all customer data is located in one place and shared by all departments within the business.
Improved lead management: A CRM system helps capture and manage all contacts with prospects and customers to improve generation of leads and more targeted marketing to better convert leads.
Increased customer retention: With a CRM solution, companies can address issues before they happen and lower customer attrition while at the same time utilizing automatic customer communications to raise the clients’ retention rates.
Data-driven insights: Another advantage of CRM systems is the useful analytical tools that are used to assist organizations in making the right decisions and enhance the sales prediction together with the possible sections for enhancements.
Automation of tasks: A CRM solution can save time involved in several activities, thereby allowing the sales, marketing and customer service staff to create happy customers.
Improved revenue and cost savings: When implemented, the pull of a CRM can increase a business’s lead conversion rate, customer retention rate, and revenue per sale and, at the same time, reduce sales and marketing expenses, making the business more profitable.

Checklist for Using Data-Driven Insights Effectively in Decision-Making

Checklist for Using Data-Driven Insights Effectively in Decision-Making Download

What Is an Example of Client Management?

Here are some examples of client management:

Checking in with clients: Consider questions you can ask your clients and check on them often to see if they have questions.
Conducting surveys: Administer surveys with clients when a project is done.
Being honest: Inform clients whenever they need to convey important information regarding delay or any problem that may touch the client.
Using analytics: Today, it is possible to use data analytics and reporting tools to monitor the progress on the established KPI.
Depending on customer relationship management (CRM): Maximize on CRM to get intelligence into the needs, welfare and practices of the consumers.
Using marketing automation: Marketing automation should be used to escalate the handling of customers and prospects over channels of communication.
Working with a client management software: The ACD application has an additional function of using a client management system to keep contacts and view contact history.
Managing expectations: Finally, always be sure to deliver on what you promised and bring accountability for failure.

What Is the Difference Between Customer Management and Client Management?

The major difference between customer management and client management is the type of relationship with a business:

Customer management: This is centered on developing and fostering relationships with customers who purchase a product or service once or infrequently. The goal of the construction of customer relationships is to enhance the level of satisfaction among the customers, allowing the business to flourish. While…..

Client management: Concentration is given to the consumer who frequently interacts with a specific firm to transact business. It is often an objective to keep clients on the roll and to have a consistent stream of income.

Concluding Thoughts

Client management is so much more than just deadlines and deliverables; it is about cultivating the relationships, keeping the lines of communication open, and proving your value. Done properly, these practices serve to retain current clients, increase new ones, and equate to an excellent reputation as a PR professional. Well, go ahead now and practice these customs, tending to each client’s relationship with tender, loving care. Cheers for long-lasting PR success!

Best Client Management Strategies for Lasting PR Relationships

Table of Contents Hide

Key Points