Know your client.
Each client is different and each client is different in their very own way. One might love an idea for a photoshoot that takes place on a mountain-top with an elephant’s trunk holding their logo while acrobats backflip in the foreground, while another client may quickly backflip away from that same idea. The key is to get to know your client.
Build a relationship. Take them for lunch, coffee or to an event. Find out what makes them tick and you’ll get an idea of what PR and marketing ideas will work best for them and their business.
Planning is key but remember: things don’t always go to plan
You can plan everything for an announcement, media release or an event, but don’t get too hung up on it if you need to scrap all your plans and start again. In PR, you need to be flexible and adaptable. The company’s objectives may change, a key spokesperson may drop out, the client might decide to postpone an announcement, the venue might fall through, the weather may put a stop to all proceedings! Anything could happen and the important thing is to learn to adapt your plans to whatever’s happening.
The more you anticipate, the less you perspirate
A lot of PR is about anticipating needs of clients, media and anticipating the finer details of events, photoshoots, video productions, interviews, and so on. Working through various permutations of proceedings is helpful to prepare for all eventualities. The more you prepare beforehand, the less you need to worry about on the day itself.
Trust your team
If you want to do the best for your client, it’s all about teamwork. You may be brilliant at planning, but is someone else on your team particularly creative, organised or have even better contacts for you? Ask for help and return the favour to build a strong, dynamic, skilled team!
Don’t stress, it’ll all work out
Like most jobs, there can be a lot of opportunities to stress in PR. Multiple projects, deadlines and high expectations can create a whirlwind of activity and keep you on your toes. Know that as long as you’ve planned ahead, prepared as much as possible, kept the client aware of what’s going on and managed expectations, it will all work out.
