It’s Not About You
If you’re a public relations professional and find yourself antsy that you aren’t getting the glory, you may just be in the wrong line of work. One of the most important aspects of your job is to present your client/boss/company in the best possible light. Then–and only then–you may bask in the reflected glow of that light.
If you think you should be out front and have a personal fan base that rivals or eclipses that of your boss/client, you should think about what your priorities really are. Credit deserved is one thing–but that should be reflected in your performance reviews, kudos from the boss/client and your paycheck. If that isn’t enough, then you may find yourself looking for a new job or new clients.
Please remember public relations professionals: it’s not about you. Once it becomes all about you (as in you the messenger) the message is lost. File that under #FAIL.
Your time in the spotlight is when you are advocating for your client or their brand, introducing your boss at an event or responding to a crisis. The second you believe you have your own cult of personality–particularly one that is of equal or greater importance than your client– you cease to be effective. See also “Don’t Upstage the Boss.”
Exceptions to this rule? Certainly. Your client may want you to be the “face” or spokesperson of the company; host of the podcast, author of the blog and master of the Twitter feed–but everything you do in those capacities have to be of benefit to your client or in service to their brand.
Always remember: in the end, it’s about the client. It’s not about you.
Strategy, Strategery and Management By Hair on Fire
In my 20 years in the world of work, I like to think I’ve seen just about every permutation of communications/message management. I’ve worked for companies or organizations that set up intricate, focus group-driven strategies and never budged a millimeter from those plans. 
Conversely, I’ve worked places that had ’strategery’: they thought they had a strategy–perhaps even had one on paper, but in real life it was really pretty seat-of the pants stuff. It was all do/say what works well at the moment, worry about future implications later.
The third type of communications management I’ve experienced is by far the worst: hair on fire. The hair on fire plan involves one faction of the organization demanding a coherent strategy, another part bucking that strategy; and a third, ultimately dominating faction who believe in a nihilistic, “damn the torpedoes” flurry of activity–running around with their hair (figuratively) on fire. Every day is a new day. “The strategic plan’s a great idea but it doesn’t apply today” or “we have a strategy?” and activity (however fruitless or pointless) equals performance.
All three of these communications/messaging management areas have their problems–even the competent, stick-to-it strategy (there needs to be some “wiggle room” even in the best strategy).
However, even strict, no-improvising adherence is usually better than sitting down for a day or two and hammering out a strategy then locking it in a drawer and rarely revisiting it– ala strategery.
Strategery-oriented organizations know in general what they’re supposed to be doing, but somehow January becomes June and June becomes October and very few communications-related goals are achieved because strategic plans are not followed or even revisited for tweaking. In effect, they are an exercise like climbing the rope ladder at a team-building event–you feel good about completing it and everyone pats each other on the back, but it has dubious far-reaching benefits.
Hair on fire: well, all I can say about that is good luck. If you work in an organization that cannot come to grips with a coherent, basic communications strategy and instead spends all its time and energy reacting instead of managing communications to prevent brush fires, then you need help. Fast.
All it may take is one PR crisis, the loss of key personnel or a competitor with its stuff together to start your company on the path to failure.
Which communications management does your company or organization practice? Do you have any horror stories–or better yet, stories of hair on fire being doused by a competent strategy? Let us know in the comments section–you can remain anonymous.
How Do You Do (This)?
One of the first questions we get when meeting with a prospective client is, “How do you do this? How does this work?” (Usually accompanied by a skeptical sideways glance.) I think this is indicative of a certain mystery that many people have about public relations consultants and how we work. It may even stop people from considering the hiring of a public relations professional.
To take a little of the mystery out of it, here’s a simple breakdown of our work activities for most clients (this is after the proposal has been accepted, contracts signed and we get down to business). This could be a PR campaign, an integrated marketing plan, presentation or a combination of several work activities:
1. Project Management – includes all billing, administrative tasks, timelines, interviewing/hiring vendors if necessary, etc.
2. Client Communication – any and all time talking to the client– phone, online or in person–and travel time if it’s an extensive trip.
3. Conceptualization – thinking about and researching the project. This includes gathering research, conducting interviews, focus groups, surveys or writing proposals or plans and establishing key messages.
4. Implementation – doing the work. This includes writing press releases, designing the ads, writing web content, working with media (making pitches), vendors, graphic artists, social media experts, etc.
5. Reporting/Project Review – reporting results and reviewing tweaks to improve outcomes. This can also be the final meeting if it’s a project or the end of a campaign.
Fees depend on whether a client wants to retain us on a monthly basis or hire us for a specific project or campaign. (More about fee structures here.)
Every client has different needs. We can tailor our activities and fees to suit each client. Let’s talk about your next PR campaign, speech, crisis communications training or other service so we can figure out “how it works” for you.
