PR colleagues: Don’t forget to brush up on the basics
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Guest post by: Arik Hanson, APR (Follow him on Twitter, too @arikhanson)
These days, it’s all about Web 2.0. David Armano just raised more than $16,000 for a homeless mother—all by making a simple “ask” to his trusted community. Facebook continues to grow by a whopping 600,000 users a day. And there are now more podcasts than radio stations across the world. But, as we all rush to build this new suite of social media skills, are we neglecting the core skills that are so critical to our everyday professional lives?
Don’t we need to keep the bigger picture in mind, here? Our clients need savvy and seasoned counselors who can help solve their business problems. They need strategists that can help build strong brands and manage and lead through crisis. And they need communicators who can help shape perceptions, attitudes and behaviors of key stakeholders inside and outside the organization’s four walls.
These are the key issues our clients pay us to resolve and manage each day. These are the issues that allow us to position ourselves as counselors–not tacticians—in the eyes of our clients. And these are the business challenges our clients are being asked to tackle by their shareholders, employees and customers in this rough-and-tumble economy.
And they all require rock-solid core PR skills.
To be clear, I’m not saying we ignore developing our Web 2.0 skills. I’m just concerned we might be investing a little too much time building these social media skills while we forget or avoid brushing up on the core skills we rely on each and every day.
OK, so let’s talk about these core skills. A former boss, mentor and good friend of mine used to say, “our skills fall into three buckets: Professional skills, client skills and team-building skills.” She summed it up perfectly. Everything else revolves around that. You need those core skills to compete—whether it’s on the corporate side, in an agency environment or if you’re hanging out your own shingle. Core skills rule.
“So what?” you’re saying. You work in the industry. You understand how to work with the media. You consult with clients all the time. Yes, but when was the last time you brushed up on your writing skills? Do you remember a recent situation when you really pushed back on a client and convinced him or her that an alternative approach might work better? What would your team or manager say about you, your work style and your role as a team player or leader?
If we’re going to be the kind of consultants and counselors we want to be for our clients and organizations, we need to keep nurturing our core skills—as we identify and develop these new and evolving skill sets.
So, let’s take a closer look at the three buckets and see how we can start honing our core PR skills:
· Professional skills. For my money, this discussion begins and ends with writing. In my experience the best writers are the best thinkers—and therefore usually end up as keen strategists, strong leaders and luminaries in our business. How can you hone this crucial skill? Start a blog. This allows you to practice your craft and receive real-time feedback from your readers (i.e., if you’re content doesn’t engage your readers, you won’t have any). Volunteer for additional writing projects at work. I spent time at a local newspaper early in my career on the sales side (yes, I am somewhat ashamed to admit that). Since the sales side of things never really piqued my interest, I moseyed over to the editorial folks and asked if and how I could help. In a few weeks, I was writing special sections and I instantly had my first professional writing examples. This might seem obvious, but read. Read. Then read some more. Amazing how much you soak up by reading great writing. Bottom line: You can never pay too much attention to your writing skills. In this business, it’s the most important skill you have.
· Client skills. You can have the best idea in the world, an idea so great it’s going to transform the way your client does business. But, in the end, if you’re not an effective consultant, those ideas will never see the light of day. This means honing your persuasion and consensus-building skills. And don’t forget to manage your client’s expectations–constantly. Many a client relationship has suffered because the consultant neglected to manage expectations effectively. Brush up by offering up your advice for free to a local not-for-profit or charity. They can always use good counsel for the “right price” and it gives you the chance try new approaches virtually risk-free. Or, talk to your mentor or a senior-level professional. They’ve usually been through enough sticky wickets to give you sound advice on what works and what doesn’t in different situations with clients.
· Team-building skills. Probably most critical if you’re working on the agency side, team-building skills are the red-headed stepchild of the core skill set. But, I’d argue they’re every bit as important. Take extra time to mentor more junior-level staff—after all, someone helped you out early in your career, right? Recognize team members who go above and beyond to meet client needs. And always bring a positive, can-do attitude, even when you’re having a bad day. The best leaders and team members I’ve worked with exude a contagious enthusiasm. You just can’t help but feel inspired and motivated when you’re around these folks. That’s what you want to capture. That’s the “magic” that builds extraordinary teams.
Now, it’s your turn. What tips do you have that can help improve our core skills? What has worked for you in the past? And, to back up a bit, are these even the right core skills? What are your thoughts?
16 Comments on this post
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Dahna M. Chandler said:
Great article with important ideas but I don’t tink the focus on learning the new skills that social media requires means we’re forgetting to brush up on the core skills we need to manage day to day professional activities. To be sure, many of our clients still have not embraced social media the way others have. Many of us, however, are trying to apply those core skills in social media messaging, strategy, client relations and team building. In fact, effective social media networking requires all of these skills.
Moreover, because of what I’m learning about where media is going (as a former journalist and PR pro), that is rapidly toward social and digital media, I’m overhauling my website, carefully planning my blog, being more niche specific in my client development strategy and being deliberate about my social media networking strategy. Granted, as a PR pro, you’re only as good as your core skill set but it’s those core skills upon which the ability to learn the new skills social media PR strategy is built. There is not choice, especially now, we must do both.
January 29th, 2009 at 3:30 am -
Heather Whaling said:
I think one of the core skills PR people need to possess is an understanding of the business world. If you work for an agency, what’s your client’s overall business strategy and how are your efforts helping to meet those goals? That also relates back to social media. Part of the reasons some executives are wary about trying social media is because they don’t understand how it will help them achieve their overall business goals. That means PR people need to wear their “business hats” and think strategically to understand how a tactic impacts the bigger picture. Too often, we’re consumed by getting that next clip, or creating the next viral campaign. None of that matters if the results don’t support the corporate goals. Yes, we’re communicators … but the best PR practitioners are also savvy business people.
Heather (@prtini)
January 29th, 2009 at 3:38 am -
Tiffany said:
With Web 2.0 often being over emphasized, these are solid tips that all PR professionals could use a reminder on. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with this great post.
January 29th, 2009 at 9:08 am -
Krista Parry said:
I agree with the core skills but I think one that should be stressed is “effective communications.” I believe that this is developed by becoming a great listener! You should always start by listening to what people want (this works well in social media too) so that you can deliver. Who doesn’t like to talk a lot about themselves? It’s those who are great listeners that build great personal relationships wtih all your players, whether it be internal, community, media, or client.
January 30th, 2009 at 7:37 pm -
Web Design said:
I 100% agree with Krista, for getting knowledge and success one need to be silent and effective listener than and than can achieve a little part of information, i mean to say success.
February 4th, 2009 at 12:44 pm -
Web Designing said:
if you;r not good listener than you wouldn’t become good leader.
February 9th, 2009 at 5:34 am -
SEO Services said:
I like the third point the most. “Team building Skills”
There are certain task which can be implemented through great team efforts and not just an individual can perform it better.February 9th, 2009 at 9:49 am -
Ruth Hickok said:
I’m really glad you posted this, especially as a PR student who’s looking to enter the work force in a few short months. In a video conference my class recently had with Paull Young, he mentioned when employers are hiring, only 15% of the reason they hire someone is their technical skills; the other 85% is their ability to interact with people, both clients and fellow employees. Especially as the younger generation moves into managerial and leadership roles, team building skills are becoming more important than ever.
February 22nd, 2009 at 4:22 am -
Kristen Victory said:
I think all the core skills you touched on are absolutely essential for a PR professional but also for professionals in general. These are the keys to success in many different professions. Also agree with the comment Krista made, listening should also be considered a core skill. I don’t think one can effectively hone the other skills without listening first.
February 22nd, 2009 at 8:58 pm -
Heather Yaxley said:
In stating that “the best writers are the best thinkers”, you imply that it is through writing that we become better thinkers. But, I believe it is the reverse, how can we be an effective writer if we aren’t thinking clearly in the first place? Surely it is the ability to think that supports effective communications and also enabling us to be “keen strategists, strong leaders and luminaries in our business”.
For me a blog or any other writing medium (even the constraints of Twitter’s 140 characters) is really a test of clarity of thought. Can you make a reasoned argument, get to the heart of a situation, engage with others, listen to what is being said, etc etc.
Of course, being able to think is worthless without the ability to execute – but ultimately it is those who can reason and reflect, ie understand the why not just the how, who will prove to be the most valuable strategic PR practitioners.
February 23rd, 2009 at 8:02 pm -
dmanetta said:
Team building is HUGE, especially in an agency. I remember having to assemble a cross-agency team my first month for a client proposal… I had to build relationships quickly and solidly to get the proposal squared. If not for teamwork, the proposal would have been dead from day one.
March 6th, 2009 at 4:18 am -
youtube gir said:
thans for post
December 10th, 2009 at 6:34 pm -
yemek tarifleri said:
actually facebook.com is interesting site i dont wanna use it anymore
January 5th, 2010 at 6:06 am
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