There may come a time when you find yourself in the presence of an “A Lister”. If this is the case… Do.Not.Panic. Everything will be fine. In fact, from our experience to your ears here are our top dos and donts of handling high-profile clients.
Photo credit: TheFandomofOpera
Dos
Be Courteous
Always remember to be courteous and polite. Others will feed off your energy; if you are positive and polite, you will set the tone for the day.
Be Respectful
Be over-prepared
What would you want on your big day? Think about everything you would need and bring it with you. Pens, water, breath mints, a snack bar maybe? Pack your purse with these items.
Never forget your schedules. There is nothing worse than a PR practitioner not knowing where to go next. If you are leaving one interview/event and on to another, make sure you know where you are going, what entrance to go to, what route (and alternates) to take and what time you need to be there.
Brief everyone on acceptable standards
This is a biggie. If you are running an event and there are staff working it, let them know that an A-List client will be there and they are expected to act appropriately. It it your job to make sure the client is comfortable and happy, this does not include catering staff asking for autographs while your client is trying taking a breather.
Don’ts
Be disrespectful of private moments
If you want to snap a photo for social media purposes while your client is on stage or mingling, do it quickly but understand that private moments are private moments. If your client is constantly in the public eye there is nothing they need more than a few quiet moments. Under no circumstances should you take a photo of them backstage getting prepared for the evening, these are their private moments and should be treated as such.
Fangirl out
“oh.ma.gawd. I am your BIGGEST fan” are 8 words that should never leave your mouth. You are there to work and be professional, never fangirl out. Should you end up in the back of a photo, you don’t want to be the person screaming or taking a photo. You want to be professional. Treat your client and their work with the respect it deserves.
Keep talent/clients waiting
This goes along with being on top of scheduling. You are hired to be the most prepared person in the room and never keep your client waiting while you second guess your scheduling.
Panic
It’s PR…not ER. No one is going to die so stop panicking. Take a breath and figure out your problem before you run screaming out of the room in a panic. Every problem has a solution…you just need to find it.
There you have it…our top dos and don’ts of handling high-profile clients. Always remember that pressure makes diamonds and you can handle it…even if you are screaming “Oh my gosh I LOVE YOU” on the inside (never on the outside) while you do it.
