S8 E8: From Coffee to Contracts: Moving PR Prospects Through the Pipeline with Jaime Gardner of Novitas Communications

Jaime Gardner joins Abbie Fink to talk about the biggest business development challenges agency leaders face: winning the right clients, moving prospects through a long business development cycle, and growing existing accounts.

Jaime makes the case for proactive relationship-building over reactive crisis-driven engagement, arguing that agencies are better positioned when they help clients get ahead of issues before they escalate. She emphasizes that cold outreach is rarely as effective as referrals, networking, and strong relationships, and that agencies need to clearly communicate the value of PR as a business investment.

Jaime also digs into the practical side of moving prospects through the pipeline. She shares that there is no single formula: sales cycles can be long, ghosting is common, and outside factors often slow decisions. The key is to listen carefully, reduce friction, and make it easier for prospects to say yes, while avoiding the trap of giving away too much strategic thinking in the proposal stage.

Key Takeaways

• Strong relationships and referrals are more effective than cold outreach in agency business development.
• PR is easier to sell when it is framed as a strategic business investment, not just a transactional service.
• Long sales cycles are normal, so persistence, listening, and low-friction next steps matter.
• Proposals should show expertise without giving away too much detailed strategy for free.
• Existing clients often present important growth opportunities when agencies listen closely and demonstrate added value.

About the Guest

Jaime Gardner joined Novitas Communications in September of 2021 as Business Development and Communications Director, and became Executive Vice President in March of 2025. Jaime has over 25 years’ experience working in the public and private sector. She started her career supporting global operations for an international telecom company, then worked for the federal government in a variety of positions, and has run her own small business. Jaime has owned High Plains Communications, LLC since 2008, a small consulting firm based in Eastern Colorado, specializing in communications and public relations consulting, community relations/outreach, and regulatory consulting; she also manages the mom blog, Juggling Normal. She enjoys all manner of projects, especially tackling new challenges and solving problems for clients.

About the Hosts

Abbie Fink is president of HMA Public Relations in Phoenix, Arizona and a founding member of PRGN. Her marketing communications background includes skills in media relations, digital communications, social media strategies, special event management, crisis communications, community relations, issues management, and marketing promotions for both the private and public sectors, including such industries as healthcare, financial services, professional services, government affairs and tribal affairs, as well as not-for-profit organizations.

Dr. Adrian McIntyre is a cultural anthropologist, media personality, speaker, and strategic communications consultant for PR agencies and marketing firms. He's lived in over 30 countries and spent more than a decade in the Middle East and Africa as a researcher, journalist, communications adviser, media spokesperson, and storytelling consultant. He earned a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a Fulbright scholar and National Science Foundation fellow. Adrian helps agency leaders strengthen their positioning, sharpen their messaging, boost their visibility, and win new clients by replacing impersonal, intrusive and ineffective marketing tactics with authentic human conversations.

PRGN Presents is brought to you by Public Relations Global Network, the world’s local public relations agency. Our executive producer is Adrian McIntyre. The show is produced by the team at Speed of Story, a B2B communications firm in Phoenix, AZ.

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