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Sometimes you gotta fake it ’til you make it. But when a client asks a question you don’t know the answer to, faking it could break it... trust, that is.
In much the same way it’s important to take responsibility for mistakes made, admitting you don’t know is an essential part of building a solid relationship between client and agency. Which do you think earns more respect — fancy-talking your way around a response or saying you’d be happy to do some research to dig up the answer?
Yes, we should be experts in our field, and yes, we need to be well versed in our client’s industry, but in a world of ever-changing e-knowledge, no one can be expected to have all the answers every single time.
What your client should be able to expect is enthusiasm from you when it comes to taking the lead in finding answers to relevant questions when they arise—not to mention providing a thorough, thoughtful response.
So don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know”. Just be sure to follow it up with “but I’ll find out”.
Tags: research / client-agency relationships / i don't know