Entry Level PR Advice

Three Big No-Nos For Those Entering PR

by Patty

Let’s say you want to enter the PR field. Good for you. Are there certain traps you should avoid? Definitely.

We can think of three general principles that come to mind about what you should NEVER do as a PR professional PR. In no particular order, they are as follows:

1) Do not think or act like you know everything.

How many times have you seen commentators or supposed experts in a field look foolish because they were ignorant of the facts or just plain wrong? For some recent doozies, check here. Unless you want to become a laughingstock in public too, you must not overstate the facts as you know them for any PR purposes.

There is nothing wrong with saying “I don’t know” if in fact you do not know, except of course if all of your answers are “I don’t know,” in which case you really are not familiar with your client and thus have not been doing your job. Tell the questioner that you will get back with them on the item(s) in question with the right information – they will appreciate the effort. However, do NOT say “No comment” – that line makes you and by extension your client look weak and defensive.

2) Do not settle for doing just what is needed for a client – go the extra mile.

A reporter calls you about needing information from your client. You set up the interview with your client and the reporter. Mission accomplished? No way.

You are assuming that the interview went well, that there were no problems and that your client did not want or need any copies of the interview – all bad assumptions. Check with them, see how things turned out and let them know what you are doing for them now and in the future. Following up with your work is a key difference in what separates a barely competent PR person from a top-of-the-line one.

3) Do not forget the little things.

You send a press release back to your client for review. You are so proud of your content and how well it is going to be received by the general public that in your haste you misspelled your client’s name. If you think they will not notice that, you are wrong, wrong, wrong.

It is the “little things” like incorrect punctuation and grammar that can reflect poorly on a PR professional. What good will it do a client if you have great information but cannot get the name of its products, services or worst of all company correct? It shows sloppiness, and though they might seem minor mistakes to you, they are the kind of errors that clients remember and accumulate in their knowledge when it comes time for them to consider whether to continue their relationship with you.

And on that note …

Writing Tip for the Week

A simple mistake that can drive readers up the wall because you see it happen everywhere is the confusion between “its” and “it’s.” The former is a possessive word that does not refer to a specific gender: “That dog cannot make up its mind where to eat.” The latter is a contraction for it is, as in “It’s going to be sunny today.” Know the difference, as it’s going to look stupid when a client finds its PR person makes these mistakes constantly.

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1. Great tip on certain traps to avoid in the PR world. You may want to do your next “Writing Tip for the Week” on the differences between “their”, “there” and “they’re.” Ironically, you didn’t seem to be able to get it right 14 words into your blog post. Maybe refer back to point #3 in your post if you need some guidance.

   
   — Rich    Feb 15, 05:42 PM    #

2. Glad to see you fixed your error. Hope your clients found some humor in it.

   
   — Rich    Feb 18, 08:54 AM    #

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