The Pioneer Communicator -- April 2004

The Principle of Process & Seasons

The January 2004 edition of this newsletter provided an overview of the principles of effective Public Relations.  These principles are the fundamentals; they are as important to your Public Relations effort as dribbling and passing are to a good basketball team.  The March 2004 edition explored the first key principle:  being intentional, or proactive. This month we will explore the Principle of Process & Seasons.  

The purpose of a Public Relations campaign is to build and maintain a credible, favorable reputation among key groups of people.  The term "campaign" is key because Public Relations is not a one-time event.  Rather, it is an ongoing process that requires planning, forethought, discipline, and patience.  It is impossible to build a strong, credible reputation overnight.  Instead, you must plant the seeds and nurture your reputation over time.  Then, in the proper season, your Public Relations campaign will bear the fruit you desire.

Consider the following:

- You are considering purchasing a new home and are choosing between two Realtors.  Realtor #1 is established in the community.  She is well-known and highly recommended by many of your most trusted friends.  You have known about her agency for years.  Realtor #2 has also been around for quite some time, but you don't know much about him (and neither do your friends).  He doesn't seem to be well known and doesn't have much of a presence in the community.  With all other factors being equal, you are far more likely to view Realtor #1 (the one with whom you are most familiar) as a credible expert who can help you.

-  Who are you most likely to consider a close friend -- someone you've known for years, or someone you just met?  Building a close friendship takes time.

Jay Conrad Levinson summed it up this way in his excellent book, Guerrilla Marketing:  "Consistency breeds familiarity, familiarity breeds confidence, and confidence breeds sales."  (As an aside, I highly recommend Guerrilla Marketing to all small business owners). 

Public Relations is about building a reputation.  It's about establishing rapport and building credibility.  It's about developing strategic relationships.  None of these happen overnight; they all take time.  Public Relations requires planning, patience and discipline.  If your Public Relations campaign is to be successful you must plan intelligently, execute efficiently, exercise the discipline to stay on task and on message, and have the patience to give the program time to work.   

Networking Tip:  Don't Sell on Day One

The purpose of professional networking activities is to build strategic, trust-based business relationships with key people.  With this goal in mind, we define networking as making friends before you need them.

Networking is a long-term process.  It's not just about getting the sale (or the job) today; it's about building relationships that last.  Any lasting relationship is based on trust, and developing trust takes time.  However, trust can be broken or lost in an instant.  Once trust is lost, it is difficult to regain.

In terms of networking, one of the quickest ways to lose the trust of the person to whom you are talking is to attempt to sell them a product or service the first time you meet them.

I once attended a networking event with a salesperson who attempted to make the sale at the event -- even though he was meeting the other attendees for the first time.  As a result, the attendees ran from my friend rather than flocking to him. 

If you want to build a network of solid business contacts, don't sell on day one.  Spend some time developing getting to know the other person and developing the relationship.  Remember that it's not all about you.  You must be sincere and add value to the relationship.  Invest your time in the relationship, plant seeds, and be patient!

- Frank Williams

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