Rachel Huff’s Post

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Brand-agency relationship builder. Communications strategist.

Navigating a new agency partnership in unfamiliar territory? Here’s how to make the most of the relationship when the agency's expertise is outside your comfort zone: 🔍 Build your foundational knowledge Check out industry trade pubs to read up on recent campaigns and case studies. This will build your foundational understanding of how others are succeeding in this new area. 📚 Set up a learning session Arrange a session with your agency where they can walk you through key concepts, recent plans, and success metrics. Think of it as onboarding for you, not just them. 📊 Define specific KPIs together Ask them to explain why the KPIs they’re recommending matter and how they align with your business goals. You’ll likely be deferring to them more in the early stages of the partnership, and that’s OK. 👥 Request training for your team Many agencies are happy to provide training sessions to help bridge clients’ knowledge gaps. It ensures everyone’s on the same page and makes for more informed, better clients! 📰 Stay informed on trends Subscribe to industry newsletters and attend relevant conferences and webinars (your agency can make recommendations here). Staying current on trends will help you better understand the context of the agency’s work. Venturing outside your comfort zone can be challenging, but your agency is there to help you succeed—so don’t be afraid to ask questions and rely on them as a partner! Have you faced a similar situation? How did you manage it?

Rachel - Working in a PR situation that is a little unfamiliar or beyond your comfort zone starts a lot with your own mindset. It can be refreshing if you're able to convince yourself that the beginner's mindset is likely to reap the biggest progress for self and others - tapping into others' expertise and then leveraging your own (rather than coming in hot with your own "I've done this and this is how we'll do it.") "If I'm green, then I can grow!"

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