What do you do when a client wants "the truth?"
What do you do when the client wants to know what you really think about how their in-house PR manager is doing, or howcum their story isn't getting more ink, or whether their strategy is off-kilter?
You wouldn't think "the Truth" could be such a sticky issue, but it certainly can be, due to the lopsided nature of the relationship. Truth exists only when there is some level of equality.
If the PR pro's mortgage payment depends on the client's happiness, they won't tell the client a truth that will make them unhappy. They'll try to avoid doing so, or will couch the truth in a wrapper so laden in diplomatic ribbons the client will give up on unwrapping it.
Ultimately this means that the client's program will go off the rails, and the PR pro will get blamed for it. And while the PR person's role in the program's failure may be more implicit than explicit (i.e., the explicit reason is "the product sucks;" the implicit reason is that the PR person refused to make the client face facts), they'll deserve to be fired.
When the client asks for the Truth, tell the truth. Be diplomatic without mewling.
It's better to say to the client: "I'm sorry to tell you this, but this press release is not going to generate much enthusiasm in the media, for these 3 reasons..." than it is to say, "We thought this release was truly noteworthy but the press is just not picking up on it for some reason" (unsaid: "so we're going to waste another week making fruitless phone calls, just in case.")
It's better to say to the client, "We have had some difficult moments with your PR manager recently. I'm sure we can work it out, though, especially if you are able to give us some advice" than to say, "Thank goodness we lost that account, the PR manager was awful!"
The clients pay the PR agency not just for "ink" but for the benefit of that agency's experience — including the foul-ups we've witnessed or caused!
The PR pro is not supposed to be a head-nodding, name-dropping, release-flogging flack. The PR pro is supposed to be a valued consultant whose focus on results implies a responsibility to tackle hard truths.
So make your mom proud. Do not tell a lie.