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Someone is about to leave, whether it’s for a business trip, a vacation or an extended maternity leave. To make sure business runs as smoothly in their absence as it does in their presence, someone needs to be allocated to take things over.
The pressure is on in PR, especially when a client has a great relationship with the Account Manager. How can you, as the replacement, do an equally good job of pleasing them?
This is hard, because it takes time to build relationships and to really get to know the client. These are things that the Account Handler has had time to cultivate, and now it is on you to know their style, preferences and demeanor in basically no time. How do you manage it?
A good plan in place will clearly outline the expectations of the client for that time period and allow you to make sure that the sequence and schedule is being followed.
Sit down with the Account Handler beforehand and ask the questions that need to be asked. What is the client’s style? How do they give feedback? How should they be addressed? All this information will help you do a better job of taking over.
You are not a robot, so don’t act like one. Make sure to give the client all they expect, but don’t be afraid to infuse some of your personality into the mix. Who knows? You might find a new approach that the client is happy with.
Taking over someone else’s roles and responsibilities can be a bit daunting, but with the right preparation in place, smooth sailing is easily possible.
Anything else you would add?