The Pioneer Communicator -- November 2004

PR Principle:  Commitment, Patience & Persistence

The January 2004 edition of The Pioneer Communicator 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, passing, free throw shooting and defense are to a good basketball team.  In this issue, we will discuss Commitment, Patience & Persistence.

Commitment, Patience & Persistence

We live in an impatient society.  Simply put, we want the whole enchilada, and we want it yesterday.  This innate desire for instant gratification often leads small business owners to foolishly pull the plug on their Public Relations program before it has time to take root.

Public Relations is a long term process, not a quick-fix.  A good PR program will not build a strong reputation or repair a damaged one overnight; it takes time. 

Good reputations are built on trust and credibility.  You don't consider someone you just met to be your best friend; that kind of trust develops over time.  This principle also applies to your Public Relations program.  

The challenge before you is this:  demonstrate the commitment, patience and persistence required to give your Public Relations program time to work.  

Your goal is to build a reputation, and reputations are built over the long haul.  Once you begin executing your PR plan, you must exercise the commitment to see it through.  This will require patience and discipline.  It will require persistence.  It will require the confidence to tune out well-meaning but ill-informed Monday morning quarterbacks who encourage you to change course at the drop of a hat.

Once you've developed a well thought out plan and committed yourself to it, stick with it!  This does not mean you shouldn't evaluate your program and make adjustments along the way; you should.  However, you should NOT completely change directions unless you have one heck of a compelling reason to do so.  If you change directions on a whim, you will very likely shoot yourself in the foot, harm your company, and waste a lot of time, money and resources.  

Develop a well thought out Public Relations plan, then commit yourself to it.  Stick with it.  Be patient, and give it time to work. 

"Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go."

- William Feather

"Never give up, for that is just the place & time that the tide will turn."

- Harriet Beecher Stowe

Networking:  Tag Team Networking

We have previously defined networking as making friends before you need them.  The purpose of professional networking is to build strong, trust-based business relationships that stand the test of time.

Relationships are built on trust and credibility.  When you meet a new person, more often than not you must start from square one.  There is no foundation on which to build trust, so you have to build it from the ground up.  However, if you are introduced to that person by someone else they know and respect, you instantaneously have a degree of credibility.  This kind of personal introduction helps you get started on the right foot.

Tag Team Networking can be an effective way to meet new people at networking events.  Team up with another person who attends networking events and knows a good number of people.  Choose someone whose business is complementary to your own.  Work the room as a tag team.  Introduce the other person to your contacts, and let them introduce you to theirs.  The introduction gives you additional credibility in the eyes of the new contact.  Tag Team Networking can help you make new contacts and get started building a strong, long-term business relationship.

- Frank Williams

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