By Michael J. Smith
PR for its own sake is not enough anymore. Clients want our work to lead to real, tangible business development. I've been in PR for 25 years and believe it is the best tool
in the marketing arsenal. But it's not about spamming press releases and seeing what sticks. It is about relationship-building and using channels to reach customers. That axiom
is true on the consumer or the B-to-B side of what we do.
We are in the "relationship management business." But relationships are about human factors and not about faceless, nameless bloggers or managing remote online pressrooms.
I have eschewed even using the words "Public Relations" in my current business enterprise. PR does not accurately encompass the role I wish to play with my clients as true
counselor and business development partner. That is why I am now Michael Smith Business Development, Inc. I want to prime the BD pump or use PR to help feed the sales
pipelines and work with marketing directors who require positioning, messaging platforms, and channel strategies.
While high technology has permitted us to literally "automate" the media contact management process, generate mass e-mailings, and even start our own digital Video Web Logs
(Vlogs), making those personal connections today is perhaps more important than ever.
For PR practitioners early in their careers, here are some tools of the trade that are important to offer to your corporate executives or your clients:
1. Conduct Media Tours. Meet your reporter contacts face-to-face and allow your clients to have direct access to the media.
2. Host Press Conferences. Particularly at trade shows, press conferences still provide a value-add to the exhibitor/client. At a recent GLOBALCOMM show in Chicago,
for my TIA client, we had 415 registered media and analysts.
3. Attend Investor and Analyst Meetings. Also known as "follow the money trail." You need to understand how investors and shareholders influence key decisions at the
top. Financial analysts may need as much care as industry analysts. Join the quarterly conference call, even if the IR side is not in your scope of work.
4. Facilitate Direct Introductions. One of the greatest values I've provided my clients with is making introductions to Executive Branch appointees, Pentagon brass,
CEOs of potential customer companies and even Broadway show stars (who in turn provided a pro bono benefit concert recently for a national museum fundraiser in DC).
5. Volunteer. Service is a great networking tool. I provide a mentoring program to my Northwestern University journalism school here in Washington. Meanwhile, the
Medill School of Journalism has 500 working journalists in the Washington area at any given time. I also serve on the PRSA "Power of Two" program with the American Red
Cross, as a crisis communications volunteer. I have met more tier-one journalists and television news anchors working on-site during the past three hurricane seasons (generally
one week assignments), than I have in my years in this business! In fact, the last story Fred Francis filed for NBC News was about hurricane survival and recovery after
the Red Cross team guided him to survivors in our shelters.
6. Understand the "ABCs" of PR. ABC means "Always Be Closing" and that is because we are constantly in new business mode or a potential news-making situation. Airplane
flights often lead to great intros - buy yourself an Airline Club membership such as United's Red Carpet Club for further exposure to decision-makers.
Making time for the "people" part of our positions is critical to the future of the PR industry. So, get out there and meet somebody! Without sounding too trite, PR folks are
really in the "people" business and we need to understand that power.
CONTACT: Michael J. Smith runs Michael Smith Business Development, Inc., in Arlington, VA. He was most recently executive vice president and general manager Euro RSCG Magnet.
He can be reached at [email protected].