PR’s Top Pros Talk… The Value of Project Management

Hanna Bautz, Account Lead at Next PR, shares how creating structure around quarterly plans can boost productivity and collaboration. She explains how she uses the project management triangle model to hone her creative problem-solving skills. Hanna also emphasizes the importance of understanding client’s preferred communication styles.

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TRANSCRIPT:

DOUG: When it comes to communications, what’s your top tip for being an effective project manager?

HANNA: My top tip is to see yourself as a strategic connector, so that means being an extension of the client’s team. And Doug, we can talk more about what that looks like today.

DOUG: Yeah, we’ll get into what that looks like. Do you think project management is sometimes undervalued given its importance?

HANNA: Yes, I think in PR in particular, we often are in reactive mode. And so, we are operating on these 24-hour news cycles. And it’s easy to overlook the importance of building in structure and building in that time for reflection. So, where PR teams can really create value for their team is by carving out that time to have introspection, creating structure around making sure that we’re taking the time to reflect on our results to date. And, one thing that we like to do at Next PR is to, um, create a plan around quarterly recaps and plans. So, that means we’re proactively a month in advance. building out a calendar of every single account team is going to create a plan about results so far, and how we can improve moving into the quarter ahead. And we have an outside reviewer to really provide a critical lens as they’re reviewing those plans. And so, creating that structure around this process of reflection has helped us get ahead of not just being reactive, not just saying, you have this one-off reporting request that we’re going to address. It’s about showing that we are constantly providing value and being that strategic partner to our clients.

DOUG: Yeah, and with things changing so fast in the world and in the PR world, you really do need that strong foundation, that strong structure to be able to be nimble. Is that a key part of when you look at project management is how can you both execute a plan and be nimble at the same time while staying on track?

HANNA: Yes. So, it’s both of those things. It’s creating that structure and it’s also being a strategist. And so, it’s about taking the time to understand our client’s goals or if you’re working on an internal team, understanding exact goals and asking how those leads are generated and making sure that we are connecting all of our PR tactics to that ultimate business objective.

DOUG: Some people might wonder and not necessarily think of project management as being creative, but that’s probably a mistake.

HANNA: Yes, I agree with you there, Doug. I think project managers often are seen as going through the motions. It’s a routine job, but I would argue that project management is inherently creative because it’s about creating a structure where none exists. So, an example I can give you. When I was studying for my Project Management Professional Certification, we talked about this concept of the golden triangle of project management. So, imagine you’ve got your triangle. There are three constraints and that is schedule, cost, and scope. So, if any one of those constraints is tweaked at the center of that triangle you’ve got quality. So, let’s say you’re cutting scope or you’re cutting timeline. Ultimately that’s going to compromise quality unless you compensate at one of those other angles of the triangle. So, an example that a lot of PR pros have seen recently is with budget cuts, right? So the cost constraint of our golden triangle is shrinking. But rather than compromise quality as project managers, we can get really creative about how we’re approaching scope for projects. So, that might look like something that we’re doing is creating these micro engagements, considering how we can make what may have been a broader project or an ongoing service into these smaller projects so that we can really meet clients where they are in terms of their budget, without compromising quality.

DOUG Yeah. Well, that geometry lesson was really critical. Yeah, that thank you for that. I understand project managers and we understand this at our company because a lot of the people who are producers who work on the SMTs directly for clients, clients will provide feedback back to them. Hey, we’ve got something else coming up and work that way. So, can project managers lead to lead generation?

HANNA: Yes. So, I think there is this common misconception in PR, we get a bit of tunnel vision thinking about brand awareness, because ultimately as PR pros, that’s what we’re closest to. But when you take a step back and put yourself in the shoes of an exec, what they’re concerned about at the end of the day is driving their bottom line, driving sales and closing leads. And we know this to be true. We actually conducted at Next PR a survey of our clients, and we found that heading into 2024, the top objective by far was to generate more leads. It was not brand awareness. So, knowing that we as project managers can be that strategic connector between the sales team and between our internal agency teams because we’re kind of already seeing, to be honest, as a middle man or middle woman, we are that go between so we can use that to our advantage to really embed ourselves in the sales team. And what that can look like is being curious about how leads are generated. I’ve been surprised when I’ve asked clients about where they’re generating most of their leads. It’s often not digital advertising or where we might think I’ve heard from clients. It’s good old-fashioned trade shows often. So, definitely worth taking the time to have those conversations and then ensure that we, as project managers, are mapping every one of our PR objectives and tactics back to that ultimate business objective and ensuring that we don’t stop there after we bring in these great PR wins, that the sales teams are really getting the full value out of those by using a media placement to nurture leads and have really meaningful conversations with prospects that are in their sales funnel.

DOUG: Yeah. And as a project manager, if you’re helping your client grow sales, they’re going to want to stay connected and perhaps expand, work with the agency, because clearly that’s something, you know, if it’s making profit for them, they want to do more of it. What are some mistakes to avoid as a project manager when communicating with clients?

HANNA: The biggest mistake, I would say, is assuming what works for one client will work for every client in terms of communications. It’s really about taking the time to understand your client’s love language and tailor communications accordingly. So, for example, I have some clients who are so swamped that sending them an email with an open-ended question like what are your thoughts on XYZ? It’s creating more stress in their day because they have to formulate a response. And so for clients like this, giving them a yes, no, here are my recommendations, any concerns with moving forward? And then on the flip side, I’ve got other clients who love to be collaborative, love to be a strategic partner. And so, it’s really important to ask for their input when formulating strategies. So, that’s mistake number one is don’t use a one-size-fits-all approach. The second mistake I would say I see is looking at your client, your day-to-day contact, like they’re in a vacuum. The reality is they’ve got a team, they’ve got a boss. Even CEOs have bosses. So, it’s so critical that we’re giving them the tools that they need to be successful with their broader team. And so, I like to ask myself, what would this contact need to have a successful conversation with their boss? If their boss knows absolutely nothing about PR, how can we help him understand if a result is good by giving some context around it?

DOUG: You know that’s great points. And I really love your open-ended versus yes-no construct. I think that applies to much more than project managers, but anyone. I always advise employees when they’re starting to come to me with stuff I can just say yes to. That makes it much easier. And it also forces you to think things through, which advances people’s growth as well. Any final thoughts you want to leave us with? Besides the fact that if saying project manager was a drinking game, people might be in trouble by the end of this conversation. But it’s really valuable information you’re sharing.

HANNA: Yes, absolutely. Well, I don’t want you to get too bogged down by the pitfalls of being a project manager, because ultimately, I want to leave you with this. It’s about putting yourself in the shoes of the client or your stakeholders and asking what they need to be successful, and framing everything that you do in terms of what will make their life easier.

DOUG: That’s great. Well, this conversation will make a lot of people’s lives easier. Thanks so much for being part of the show.

HANNA: Thank you, Doug, it was a pleasure.