After a 35-year career in public relations, including 18 years with my own business, I’m about to retire. Effective May 1, 2020, I will no longer be handling consulting or writing engagements – and I’m really looking forward to trying some new things.

Cleaning out client files earlier this month was like a trip down memory lane. I was reminded of a panoply of campaigns, crises and interviews on behalf of clients representing a wide range of industries. It has been quite a journey, and I wouldn’t trade it for any other career.

I started my PR career in the mid-1980s. After working for two international non-profit organizations, I decided in 1990 that the time was right to transition to the for-profit sector on either the agency or corporate side.

Having what I thought was valuable experience working with reporters throughout the world, a terrific mentor who really understood the media relations business and a just-completed graduate degree in communication and management, I was brimming with optimism and ready to take the next step.

As so often happens in life, however, things didn’t work out exactly as I envisioned.

For starters, I had the misfortune of trying to make this transition in the midst of an economic recession. It also didn’t take long for me to clue in that the for-profit sector was generally somewhat skeptical of my non-profit experience, and some considered it second tier. I was determined to prove myself, but how?

I attempted to arrange meetings with people in PR jobs to which I aspired, both on the corporate and agency side. Some were incredibly gracious, encouraging and generous with their time – while others wouldn’t give me the time of day.

For those who took time to hear my story and offer career advice, I consistently received feedback that I needed agency or news media experience to be considered for a corporate communications position or for a spot with a large PR firm.

While that wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear, I nevertheless took their advice to heart and started working as a correspondence for the Daily Herald, a newspaper covering Chicago suburbs. My compensation was a whopping $35 per article, which included my time attending meetings, conducting interviews and writing stories about city government, local schools and law enforcement.

Actually, I would have done this for free because the by-lines were far more valuable to me than whatever fee the paper paid for my stories. It also helped me see life through the eyes of a reporter.

After much persistence, I also landed a job with a small advertising agency near Chicago. It didn’t pay much but provided that all-important client experience. A little over a year later, I was hired by one of the largest PR firms in the Southeast as an account executive. A mutual acquaintance put me in touch with the agency’s president at the exact time he was looking for someone with my background and experience.

Some would say that was luck, but as a Christian I know there is no such thing as luck, and that it is God who opens and closes doors in our lives and careers. My task was to make myself as marketable as possible, be sensitive to His leading and knock on doors to see which ones opened.

In the years that followed, I worked with a talented group of 80 agency colleagues, serving local, regional and national clients and helping manage campaigns that included Tennessee’s year-long bicentennial celebration. I also was part of our agency’s media training and new business teams.

Four-and-a-half years later, a rising ad agency in the Nashville area recruited me to head up its PR division, which I did for four years before venturing out on my own.

On April 8, 2002, I launched ABC&D Communications (each letter stands for a family member: Andra, Brooke, Carolyn and Don). My goal that first year was to survive and earn enough to pay the bills. Much to my surprise, I immediately landed a huge piece of retainer business, followed by two additional retainer clients in the next few months along with several projects. By the end of the year, my business was booming.

When I started ABC&D Communications, a friend who had his own ad agency advised me to “prepare for success.” I thought he was being kind and encouraging, and frankly was skeptical that I would have much success that first year. He turned out to be right on target.

For the past 18 years, I’ve been blessed to have served well over 100 clients through my firm, as well as many others through my previous agency work, and to participate in a number of speaking engagements at professional conferences, webinars and podcasts.

In 2012, I wrote a post commenting on an article titled “10 skills the PR pro of 2022 MUST have.” We are now less than two years away from 2022, but my top 10 list of traits and skills for PR success are, I believe, as relevant today as when I wrote about them eight years ago. In fact, I believe they are timeless keys to PR success. Here they are, as I described them in 2012:

Integrity. Yes, I know there are unscrupulous PR people just as there are unscrupulous people in other walks of life. But sooner or later the truth emerges, and the bad guys get exposed and discredited. If reporters, clients or customers don’t trust your word or character, you’d better find something else to do because you aren’t going to have much of a career in PR in 2012 or 2022.

A positive attitude. Being a positive, energetic person with a can-do attitude will always go a long way. The world is full of people who can give you a dozen reasons why something can’t be done or won’t work. And sometimes they’re right, but often it’s because they’ve allowed themselves to become negative and cynical in their thinking, always seeing the glass as half empty rather than half full.

Relational skills. Being a team player and having the ability to relate well to people at all levels will never go out of style. It’s one of the most important traits of successful people, whether in PR or in other disciplines.

A knack for networking. Being a resource and connector for others will pay off, even if there’s not an immediate personal benefit. From assisting reporters or bloggers looking for good sources to building relationships with key influencers in the community and industry, time invested in people is never wasted.

Balance. Know how to strike the balance between needing to get information out quickly vs. ensuring the information is correct and credible. If you wait too long, in today’s 24/7 news cycle you may miss out on opportunities. But a quick response must also be a responsible one, and if you want to keep your credibility make sure the information you disseminate is accurate to the best of your ability.

Strategic thinking. The ability to do effective planning and see the big picture separates the strategists from the order takers. Effective PR people are able to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously without losing focus on the long-term objective. Those who think tactically (what needs to be done) without also thinking strategically (why we are doing something and how we should go about it) will have a hard time advancing in PR.

A cool head under pressure. Thinking quickly, clearly and calmly under pressure—and helping others do so in a crisis—will always earn respect among peers and leaders alike.

Flexibility. A PR person’s day can change in an instant, and you need to be able to shift priorities at a moment’s notice.

A yearn to learn. A broad-based college education that incorporates working knowledge of PR principles, business, journalism, marketing and the social sciences is a good start, but learning should be a life-long activity. Keeping up with industry trends through blogs, conferences, industry publications, etc., will keep your thinking fresh and make you a valuable resource to others.

The ability to communicate clearly, concisely and relevantly, regardless of the medium being used. A good PR person understands the audience he or she is targeting and what’s important to them. Knowing how to adapt a story to a particular niche and medium—and how to speak to people in a meaningful way— has always been vital to success. As audiences get more and more segmented, the demand for this skill will only increase.

As I write this final post and start a new phase of life, I am grateful for the journey and excited about the future.

I want to thank my clients for entrusting their businesses to me for their PR needs; my colleagues for all I have learned from them; the reporters who have considered my pitches and done some first-rate stories about my clients; readers of my blog who have shared thoughts and insights over the years; and my family for being a constant source of support and encouragement.

Most of all, I want to give thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ for blessing me with such a wonderful career and for His unfailing faithfulness to me.

Don Beehler is a PR consultant, strategist and writer who helps clients communicate effectively, manage their reputations and build their brands so they can advance their business objectives. Prior to founding ABC&D Communications, he held management positions with advertising/public relations agencies in Chicago and Nashville.

photo credit: symphony of love Author Unknown If you are not willing to change, then don’t expect your life to via photopin (license)

photo credit: wwarby Desert Roadvia flickrand photopin (license)

One of the lessons I’ve learned in my PR career is that making the right pitch to the right reporter at the right time is vital to publicity success.

It’s also important to know how the news media operate and have a good understanding of what makes a newsworthy story if you want to have effective working relationships with reporters.

Public relations and advertising are very different, and failing to understand these differences can be fatal to an agency’s publicity efforts.

The following are three easily correctable mistakes advertising, digital and media agencies often make when dealing with reporters:

Mistake #1. Failing to do adequate research.

Whether you’re dealing with your local paper, an industry publication or a national media outlet, you need to take the time to find out which person covers the particular area you are interested in pursuing.

It’s equally important to research the reporter’s previous stories. Learn all you can about what the reporter covers; his or her interests and reporting style; and follow the reporter on social media before making contact. The more you can demonstrate that you understand a reporter’s audience and story preferences—and how he or she wants to be approached with ideas—the better your chances of success.

Here’s an example of helpful information such research can uncover. In the “Contract Notes” section of a media directory for print and broadcast outlets, a computer/high tech reporter notes the following:

• Works from home, but prefers all materials be sent to the paper.
• Prefers to be contacted by e-mail and hates follow up calls.
• Interested in the ideas behind technology, not the products.

This is helpful information to know before you contact that reporter.

Mistake #2. Wasting reporters’ time with irrelevant pitches.

Reporters are busy people who work under constant pressure and deadlines; don’t waste their time with pitches that aren’t appropriate.

When presenting a story idea, the most important things you can tell a reporter are who will care about it and why. Get to the point right away because media people don’t have time to hunt through your pitch to get to the news. Be clear and concise, including all the necessary information—but nothing more.

Here’s a simple test to determine if your pitch passes the “so-what” factor: Put yourself in the reporter’s shoes and ask, “Would this story be interesting to my audience?”

Mistake #3. Writing like an advertising executive instead of like a reporter.

Trying to get earned media by sending disguised advertising or editorializing your story idea is a sure way to get your information trashed and lose credibility with the news media.

Craft your pitch as objectively as possible emphasizing its news, trend or human interest aspect, and your expertise to comment and provide insights. If you’ve done your homework, you will know the reporter’s audience and area(s) of coverage so you can customize your pitch accordingly.

The more you can provide reporters with relevant, factual information that is timely, meaningful and targeted to their audiences, the more likely they are to take you seriously and provide positive coverage for your agency and clients.

 photo credit: Cloudberry Communications via photopin cc

In The Art of War Sun Tzu, a Chinese military strategist and philosopher, makes this astute observation:

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

Critics can, at times, seem like enemies of an organization and the marketplace a battlefield.

Knowing your organization—namely the mission, vision and values it holds near and dear—and being committed to defending them is what makes companies authentic. There is a cost to standing firm in the face of aggressive opposition, but there’s an even greater long-term cost for failing to do so.

Understanding what makes your critics tick is vital, which is why it’s important to learn all you can about them by discerning their perceptions of the company, understanding what motives them and gaining insight into their beliefs.

With this information in hand, it’s time to consider how an organization can effectively deal with its critics.

One of the best pieces of public relations advice I’ve ever received came early in my career from a vice president of corporate communications. His employer, a large international business, was routinely the target of criticism, so he had a lot of experience in this area.

• His advice was simple yet spot-on: Divide your critics into two groups, the reasonable and the unreasonable.

GROUP ONE, the reasonable critics, are people who have legitimate concerns and make constructive criticism in an effort to bring about improvement. Work with them.

These are people with whom the organization should try to find common ground and accommodate whenever possible, provided the organization doesn’t compromise its values. If it has made a mistake, apologize and take corrective action. Sometimes, reasonable critics can even be won over to become allies and ultimately fans. They can make us better if we listen to them and work with them to find win-win solutions.

GROUP TWO, the unreasonable critics, are never going to be happy no matter what you do.  Ignore them.

These critics will be suspicious of your motives if you try to work with them, and any action you take will be found to be deficient in some way. Regardless of what they might say, they have no interest in having a dialogue about the issues and working with you. Their operative word is “more” – and ironically, no matter how much “more” your organization offers, it will never be enough. These critics thrive on attention and intimidating those with whom they disagree.

You can waste a lot of time and energy dealing with unreasonable critics, and at the end of the day nothing will have changed.

Plus, by trying to dialogue with them, you risk elevating their profile and giving them more credibility than they deserve. This is especially true in the age of social media, where critics can be relentless and exceedingly nasty online. They tie up company resources with endless debates and accusations, and no matter what you say or do, they’ll still criticize you.

An initial response to a complaint or inquiry is appropriate, especially if it is made through social media where anyone online can see what has been said. Being unresponsive makes a company look bad and uncaring, and silence can give the perception of guilt. At the same time, there are advocacy groups and bloggers who relish yanking corporate chains and putting companies in a spin.

Once you have attempted to engage a critic and found that person to be unreasonable, the best thing to do is simply ignore future criticism from that individual or group. Not only will you save a lot of time and grief, but posting a rational response that is rebuffed by an irrational person may actually help your organization.

Handling the situation with a courteous reply that doesn’t gloss over the complaint is likely to give reasonable readers a favorable impression of your company and help them see the unreasonable critic for what he/she really is—unreasonable.

Don Beehler is a public relations consultant in Franklin, Tennessee.

Image by Niek Verlaan from Pixabay