PR, It’s About…Time

That is a great piece of advice I feel like everyone should know. I could not agree with you more because while studying public relations here at Auburn my teacher have continually stressed that making relationships with people is very important. I am about to graduate this spring and the knowing this advice will only help me in the workplace. Getting your name out and making people remember you are very important, but maintaining a relationship with a client is probably the most important.

Anything that people build and maintain a relationship with comes one important feature. That is trust. Without trust the business of public relations would be non existent. Wherever people go in life whether it is to work in the public relations field, be a little league coach, or becoming a teacher involves trust. However, the first step in maintaining trust like I said is through relationship building. I think an important aspect in the public relations field is patience and you touched on this as well. A client just does not trust you from the start. Depending on the client it could take months before the client allows you to work on a project with them. You have to prove yourself ready to take on the challenge by maintaining a good relationship with them. So as a public relations practitioner, I must be patient and wait for the time to come when the relationship is going good for me and my client. At that point how successful I will become will be determined.

The most important aspect, I agree with you, is building and maintaining relationships. There are certain aspects such as patience and trust that come along with maintaining relationships that can only help the next generation of public relation practitioners to be successful.

I could not agree with both of you more. I have only worked in my current office for four months and I built great relationships with the people I work with.

One thing that helped me build the relationship is that the current employees already had great ones. I work in a media relations office so it is very important to have a connection with the different writers. When things get hectic it is hard not to snap back at them, but in the end it’s better to maintain the good status.

Having good relationships with coworkers is also important. If the employees are not happy then that will show when they interact with the clients. I know when my coworkers have bad days that don’t want to talk to anyone of do anything. Maintaining a good relationship can be difficult at times.

I am constantly interacting with different people and making new relationships. In every job in it important to get to know the people you work with and your clients. However, it may be more important in public relations. Public relations is very competitive and word travels fast if you are not personable.

Bottom line is that maintaining and building good relationships is a must not only in PR but also every other profession.

The finished product is always a direct reflection of how much time was put into something. Whether it be professional or personal, time is a valuable thing. Time is an aspect that everyone can relate to. It is also a statement of commitment.

I agree strongly with your clients decision to go with the agency that focuses on building beneficial relationships. It is all about priorities. This decision says a lot about your client as well. Her professional scope rises above the hype of larger agencies allowing her to see the bottom-line. It seems she and this agency will work well together.

PR is made up of endless objectives working to accomplish the set goal. The client must allow the process to unfold and eventually take shape. Time should be a requirement, not a restriction. Time is the ultimate investment and something everyone involved will benefit from.

Thank you Dave, for making such an important point. It is the knowledge of these basic things that will allow us to be successful in our career. Time is something that we all have. How we choose to spend it, is what sets us apart.

It is so funny that this topic should come up because just this morning I took a test in my Case Studies and Ethics class and one of the things that I actually remember from our text book is that the desired outcome of public relations is public relationships.

I think this is great advice about maintaining relationships. Time is something that I hold very precious to me as I don’t have much free time, but some good advice I received recently was that if you don’t have the time to do it right now, you won’t have the time to do it right. Rushing through things will not accomplish anything including establishing relationships.

I agree completely with Josh about obtaining trust. I think one of the hardest things to obtain when coming in contact with a new relationship is trust. I have always heard that it takes years to build up trust and only seconds to destroy it, this directly applies to relationships. It takes time to actually build a relationship. It has been that way in my personal life and contacts I have made through school, and now as a senior I realize the value of making lasting relationships.

I am going to be graduating this spring and I realize that a lot of what has made me who I am isn’t the subjects I have learned in the classroom here at Auburn. It is the people I have met and the relationships I have made that have truly influenced me.

I could not agree more with your post. I actually have first hand experience on building relationships and making an impact on clients. My step-father is the head of the Tuftex division of Shaw Industries in California. As a part of his selling strategy he plans events/trips throughout the year for his customers with the mindset of establishing a relationship with them. For example, every summer my step father invites all of his salesmen and a customer of their choice to Montreal for the Jazz Festival. Both the salesmen and their customer are allowed to bring either their wife or a date for the event. I was even invited along one year on the trip and even I made lasting relationships on the trip. A relationship that has opened up an option for me when I begin choosing where I want to intern.

My step-father’s theory is that if the wives are happy then the customers are happy. He also plans events without the wives for a little male bonding. While on all of the trip they have a little fun, talk about a little business, make a few sales and establish a bond along the way. The relationships my step father establishes on trips his division of Shaw has brought in the most sales for the last two years.

I obviously agree with you that PR is about time. Spending a little time with a customer does cost a little more money. However, it will make a difference when is come time for the customer to decide where they want to spend their money. The first and last thing they will remember is the bond that you have established with them.

People are always blaming their faults and irresponsibilities on time. “I just don’t have enought time!” is a favorite excuse of many, myself included. Many important attributes that would accredit a project’s success are overlooked due to time constraints. Relationships are neglected, work is left undone, clients are left confused, and we blame it all on time.

There is a rush to hustle right past building relationships and onto the big business. Everyone wants to get to work; no time for small talk, chit-chat or catching up. Everything has become impersonal and quick. In PR, it’s important that customers are reminded of their own humanity through interactions with practitioners. Our goal should be to cultivate feelings of trust and personal care within our clients.

Hopefully this is something we will all remember when we become professionals. Taking the time to do something, and do it right, is a trait that will surely bring success to all those who practice it.

I agree with this post. It is all about time. I personally can not meet someone and automatically trust them. I have to build a relationship to see what kind of person they are and if they are worthy to have one. Everyone is worthy, but to have a relationship and trust takes a lot.

Like Kelli said, i just had that test also. We studied how important it is to build relationships wtih businesses, clients, and the community. Relationships are very important in PR and like I said, they are not always made over night. You have to build your relationship with these publics, so they will trust in you and what you do for them.

It did not take long for me to build a trusting relationship with my co-workers during my internship. I only interned for four weeks, but it seemed like i had known these people forever. I still keep in touch with them today through e-mails and i know they will be there when i need advice or recommendation. It is very easy to say i do not have time to do something, but it is worth making and taking the time in the long run.

Time is a commodity that I think as Americans we often don’t value. My roommate went to Italy this summer and that was a major difference she commented on—when Italians eat, they take time and often spend hours enjoying a meal, instead of our rushed eating. Personally, I forget the value of time as I hurry from class to work to other activities in my planner. I look back and realize that the most memorable moments I’ve had have been when I spent quality time with my friends and family.

This summer, I interned with a chamber of commerce and realized how important time can be. They were working on membership goals for the new year. Often, it takes several meetings and getting to know the businesses before they agree to become a chamber member. Even businesses that aren’t members require employees’ time because we had to network and work with the community on nearly all of the events.

During my time at the chamber (2.5 months), two employees resigned. During this crucial period, the chamber president took time out of her hectic schedule to write and mail a letter to all of the members to let them know how they were being affected by the staff change. She also took time whenever members came into the office or if they called with questions. Even though it was more work for her, the members appreciated knowing what was going on—and it helped keep the relationships with the companies the departed employees had begun.

Seeing the amount of time all of the employees at the chamber spent going to visit and maintain the relationships they had made me realize just how important they are. Recognizing a figure and knowing someone are different. In PR, we must know someone for it to positively benefit us. At the opening of Target, I was able to meet many people while I walked around with my boss. Seeing how many citizens she knew that helped her showed me the time she spent going to community events, businesses and other activities. Time is definitely one of our most valuable resources as PR professionals.

Thanks for this post. I feel relationships further everything in life and too often than not nobody wants to take the time to build one, whether it be acquaintances, co-workers or with people you come across in every day life. I know that by building relationships with people at your favorite restaurant gets you greater service, maybe discounts and an over-all better experience.
So, I agree completely that we should keep this advice at the top of our mind while we all enter the real world and remember how much further we can get ourselves as well as our company with strong relationships. Again, thanks for bringing this to my attention it will go on my “list of things to make me a better contender” for my upcoming career.

Mike McNight once said, “People don’t really care how much you know until they know how much you care.” This has become a guiding principle in my life as I form and maintain relationships with my classmates and co-workers, my educators and employers, and my family and friends. With each encounter, I have found that the time I put into a relationship is directly related to the trust and respect that I receive.

Kelli and Karalyne both mentioned that we are learning about such relationships in our Case Studies and Ethics class. As I was flipping through the book, in search of our next reading assignment, I realized that relationships are truly a basic element of each subdivision of the PR umbrella. Encompassed within the broad category of public relations are employee relations, community relations, consumer relations, media relations, and investor relations. While each category has unique characteristics, goals and offerings, it is important to note that they all share one common objective: to create and preserve relationships.

No relationship, whether it is personal or professional, can develop to its greatest potential overnight. I have learned that the same goes with each client. You can’t expect to walk into a meeting and leave as your client’s best friend. Rather, you must research your client’s needs and expectations, and use this information to develop a positive rapport with your client. Initially, you must ask yourself two questions: Who is (are) my public(s)? How can I effectively develop a strong, long-lasting relationship with them? Put the answers to these questions into a plan of action, and you are on your way to a successful business relationship. Your client will care about your service, when they know that you care about them.

I must admit, if there is one thing I have learned over time about Public Relations it is that networking is crucial. The relationships you build, and those you meet via other contacts, become the life line to your PR career. After all, the name is Public Relations. It would be amiss to think it didn’t have something to do with building relationships. Of course, as everyone seems to agree, the keys to a relationship are time and trust.

Time is first and foremost because without this how could the aspect of trust have a chance to form. Time is an often overlooked aspect in our “hurry up and get it done” society as you pointed out. We are all about quick action and quick response. I truly believe that clients, like the one you mentioned, are swayed by the time they feel a firm can offer them. We all like the feeling that someone is listening to our concerns, needs and wants. We feel like a company will do a better job for us if they understand us. In turn we are usually more pleased with the outcome when the time has been put forth to determine what we really want. I personally will always choose the company who seems to be more dedicated to my needs regardless of there “status”.

Trust is the second, although it is a byproduct of a relationship, it too is crucial. After all where is the relationship headed if there is no trust! Will clients continue to build a strong and lasting relationship with you if they can’t trust you? Honesty and time spent are keys to trust. If I really feel like I know the person I am dealing with I feel assured they won’t lead me astray and I tend to trust their judgment.
It all boils down to the same thing and you made a great point in saying it! Thanks for your insight! Perhaps we should adopt the slogan … “PR, it’s about… time.”

I completely agree with your post. I see public relations professionals today that are so focused on the quantity of clients rather than the quality of their relationships, and I fear for my future career. Like the client that you mentioned, I would prefer to work with an organization that focused on its relationship with its clients rather than the “in your face” pitch. What good is talent if it is not paired with compassion?

This topic reminds me of the movie Jerry MaGuire. As we all know, Jerry was unsatisfied with the way his career had gone: meaningless contacts with too many clients that ultimately resulted only in money. There was no real happiness in the game or the business. So Jerry wrote his infamous mission statement. As he writes, he thinks to himself, “And suddenly it was all pretty clear. The answer was fewer clients. Caring for them, caring for ourselves, and the games too. Starting our lives, really.” Sure this message comes form a Hollywood movie, but I don’t think that the source of the message dilutes its truth.
As future public relations professionals, we need to be applying these principles. I agree with Katie in that we need to research our clients and their needs. In my opinion, there is no better way to do so than to spend time with them, ask them questions and to actually care about their answers. The time of the cold, hard, profit-oriented public relations practitioner has passed. It’s about time for the relationship-oriented public relations practitioners to show clients what this profession is really about.

I couldn’t agree more with your post. My life is consumed with time. I think everyone’s life in college revolves around if there is time and how/if you want to make time for school, work, activities and going out with your friends. The PR world is a place where you must focus on time, trust, relationships and networking. People notice when you take the time to learn about their interests, wants, feelings and needs. I think PR practitioners would be more successful if they concentrated on these aspects of their clients.

This summer I worked for a non-profit agency that does a phenomenal job at keeping contact with clients, maintaining a relationship with them year-round instead of just when they are doing an event together and they are incredible at networking. I learned so much from the girls I worked for, and they taught me that if you continuously make the time to show a client that you care about them, they will make time for you and your business. If they didn’t take the time to learn about their clients, they would never raise money.

After working for several different companies and completing my internship, I noticed that people can either be completely focused on getting the job done and moving on to the next, or they are dedicated to one person and that task forever. In public relations it has to be about networking and making time to build a strong relationship with the people you are working for and with. It takes time to develop trust and acquire a relationship in PR world.

Time is very important in relationships. In dating, one wanting to spend too much time with the other can make the other feel smothered and one spending too little time with the other leaves the other feeling neglected. I feel this idea crosses over into Public Relations practices.
Time is valuable…you can’t buy it, and you can’t get it back once it’s lost. I think the value of time is what makes spending time with others such a special concept. In most cultures investing time in something makes it worth more.
I think that PR as a whole is sometimes too pressured with time restrictions and made to immediately show results that promote the ultimate goal. A problem with this goal-oriented pressure is that it doesn’t allow time to build effective long-term relationships.
While investing more time in a client will initially cost more, it’s worth it to ensure the client quality and effectiveness. Something I learned in one of my marketing classes is that it’s more time and cost efficient to maintain the clients you have than to get new ones. So that’s why in essence it’s not only “a good idea� but imperatively necessary for an organization to spend time to forge meaningful relationships with their clients.

I agree that there are no quickies in PR. At first glance there may seem to be a quick fix or a single marketing campaign that could send a company over the top, but how long will that overnight success last? A positive image and successful company are things that not only go hand in hand, but take a lot of thought and maintenance. PR efforts are never finished; they are ongoing throughout the company’s existence. This reiterates the need and importance for solid relationships between the PR practitioners and their clients. A relationship will help the PR side of things to understand what the client is looking for, what their priorities are, and will result in a mutual respect.

I hate to compare PR practices to law practices, but just as lawyers need to gain the trust of their clients, PR practitioners need to do the same. If a crisis were to occur, the company facing the crisis needs to trust that the PR firm will handle things in a way that is acceptable to the company. If the PR firm doesn’t have a strong relationship and understanding of the company this would be difficult.

Just as in any successful relationship, successful PR takes time.