Every agency has them: clients who interrupt your recommendations with “I’ve done strategic communications before” or “We tried that and it didn’t work.” They question every strategy and seem convinced they could do your job better.
Here’s the shift that changes everything: they’re not trying to undermine you; they’re protecting themselves. Behind every “know-it-all” client is someone who’s been burned before or feels pressure from their boss.
When clients feel out of control, they assert what they do know. They’re not dismissing your advice; they’re testing whether you understand their world well enough to navigate it.
The solution? Listen to them; they are the expert in their field and you are in yours.
This is where Honesty and being Result-Oriented matter most: we have the desired end in mind, while letting them contribute to the strategy that informs our decisions.
