KFC has their secret forumla, McDonalds has their special sauce, but what about PR? I remember having tactics drilled into my head in school–writing press releases, pitching interviews, and planning events–and yet still thinking something was missing.  It couldn’t be as simple as being a “people” person. What kind of character or principles does it take to be effective in PR?
Ironically these same questions I had years ago continue to arise when I talk to young professionals or students hoping to embark on a successful career in PR. What does it take?
While I don’t think there’s a secret formula, over the years I’ve taken a page from Stephen Covey’s book and captured habits (or keys) that I’ve seen tried and proven to produce effective, and even great, PR.
I’ll be sharing the following thoughts in a presentation at a regional PRSSA event at American University next month. Let me know what you think and if this is helpful.
Key #1: Proactivity
Proactivity begins with a take-initiative mindset in comparison to the less-effective, but more common “reactive� stance. Nike championed the call, “Just Do It!� and not “Just Watch!� Competition for attention in technology media is fierce and requires passion and solution-minded action. Anyone in public relations can react to opportunities, whether they are editorial calendar items or press inquiries, but great PR professionals do more than just wait for the phone to ring—they set the agenda. Because of a clear understanding of their organization’s, and the media’s, needs and demands coupled with an anticipation of emerging industry trends and challenges, they’re able to bring new ideas and services to the table before they’re requested.
Key #2: Focus on Results
Visualize where you want public relations to take you. The true measure of any PR program is results. Is it a cover story in BusinessWeek or a profile in the Washington Post that you want? Then what will it take to make that happen? Every activity should be directed toward that end. While strategic planning and prioritizing key activities to influence results are key to public relations success, it’s the ability to move things forward to a desired end and execute on that strategy that defines great PR professionals.
Key #3: Identify Your Position
Being faithful to Covey’s concept of setting priorities, the first PR priority for any organization should be positioning. What key messages do you want to convey to your audience (customers, partners, investors, media, etc.)? This usually entails a brainstorm process that results in the creation of a messaging DNA—a quick way to articulate the company’s message so that analysts and media can easily and quickly understand. It seems simple enough (after all, how can you mobilize PR activity around messaging that isn’t clearly defined), but many organizations still engage in communications around a position that has yet to be clearly identified. Getting this right early on is the key, and can make all the difference between coverage and confusion.
Key #4: It’s About…Relations
As it sounds, public relations is about relating to your publics. It’s about building relationships and this is a two-way process. Seems natural, right? Remember the textbook PR definition, building mutually beneficial relationships. But many dismiss this in the rush to execute and make things happen. Pitch, pitch, pitch, and no relations. Building relationships takes and requires time. Time invested in understanding your technology, the industry, and key audiences—their needs, and what makes them tick. Consider your strongest relationships–they’re forged over time, through personal interaction, openness, genuine interest, and selflessness. Great PR is built on connections that infer reciprocity, where the rewards can be endless.
Key #5: Be in the Know
In PR, as in life, knowledge is power. Ask any journalist what their PR pet peeves are and the odds are very good that there will be a common thread traced back to a lack of knowledge—a lack of understanding of a publication, a lack of understanding of a beat, a lack of understanding of a company and its products/services, and a lack of understanding of the industry. Are you in the know? Homework won’t stop when you receive that diploma. Competitive advantage in PR comes when you know your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, anticipate and leverage emerging trends, and understand what your key audiences really wants. Ned Desmond, former president and publisher of Business 2.0 shared a powerful lesson years ago when he stated he would spend 30 minutes on the phone with any PR rep if they demonstrated sound knowledge and could engage in him in a conversation. That was true for Ned back then and is true for most media today—sound understanding, which includes understanding the world from the journalist’s perspective, will pave the way to being understood, and ultimately results.
Key #6: Collaborate
The perfect example of the “one plus one is three� concept in the business world is the teamwork and creative collaboration that must exist externally (between an organization and its PR firm or customers) and internally (between the marketing department and other departments within the organization, such as advertising and product development). In the old days, Advertising did advertising, Business Development did business development, and PR did PR. But for PR to break through the noise and clutter in today’s world, it cannot stand alone. Great PR professionals understand the power of collaboration and leveraging collective intelligence (whether it be across departments or in conjunction with partners and customers) to achieve the greater good.
Key #7: Raise the Bar
Highly effective PR professionals do not accept the status quo. How can they in a variety of dynamic environments, where what’s new today is old tomorrow? They are constantly exploring ways to exceed expectations, increase results, and achieve greater market penetration. In today’s ROI-driven business world, where investments are made based on metrics, PR professionals must rely on measurement to evaluate progress, recognize program strengths and weaknesses, and then make adjustments to affect the best return on their efforts.
BONUS Key #8: Leverage Collective Empowerment
Just as Covey recognized recently the need for an additional habit for effectiveness to thrive in an ever-changing world, so to must we recognize and practice the concept of collective empowerment. Gone are the days of simply being yes-men and yes-women. In order to comply with the business imperative of significance and superior results, individuals must find their voice—realize the great potential they possess inside to be cause-agents—and leverage this within their organization. Great PR professionals understand this and take it to the next level. They foster a culture of participation and interaction. They engage in the business of connections, which is governed by transparency, advocacy, and evangelism. Similar to the iceberg analogy, this kind of empowerment and hidden potential is seldom leveraged to its fullest extent within organizations. But great PR professionals unlock this aptitude and then they combine it with the collective talents, intelligence, capabilities, and creativity of others to generate great results.
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