And email newsletters ... and magazines ... not to mention Richard Laermer's latest book. According to Laermer, founder and CEO of RLM PR in New York and author of the
recently-released trendSpotting, exposing yourself to a variety of information so you can get "the big picture" on upcoming trends is key to the business of PR.
Laermer's new book is all about how to discern the signs of change. He interviewed more than 80 sources about their honest prognostications for the future (find out what the
guys behind Blackberry think wireless devices could do for worker productivity. Think longer hours - see article above). Laermer believes being able to spot the predictors of
change comes from being a "well-rounded" person who consumes media and other information voraciously. "Go to a class, subscribe to a magazine like Popular Mechanics" even if it
has nothing to do with the client or company you work for, Laermer says. And check out the Top 25 Most Emailed Articles from NYTimes.com - "They're never what you would think they
would be. Spend time meandering through the Web to find things you might be interested in," Laermer advises. For more information or to purchase the book, visit http://www.thetrender.com.