Spent weeks building campaign only to be told that I was just trying to get paid
Had a client recently become frustrated near launch because the media traction didn’t materialize as quickly as either of us hoped for a first-time experiential event. I genuinely did a substantial amount of strategic work: targeted outreach, reporter research, tailored messaging, social media outreach, refining angles repeatedly by outlet type, follow-ups, and ongoing positioning adjustments.
After I requested the next milestone payment for the completed phase of work, the client told me that I was just trying to get paid.
Honestly, that one irritated me more than I expected. I had spent weeks actively working the campaign, refining messaging, researching contacts, trying different angles, and putting real thought into the outreach strategy behind the scenes. It was a good reminder that in PR, clients often only emotionally register visible external traction, while a lot of the actual work happens long before any public-facing result appears. Now I guess I won't get paid for what I've done and client is upset no matter how I try to respond calmly and professionally. At a loss of what to do, open to advice.