Eleven13

As the voice and often the face of our company and/or clients, it almost seems counterintuitive for us to be pessimistic, especially in an environment and a culture that expects and thrives off optimism. If being pessimistic translates into negativity, how exactly can it be an asset?

Food for thought.

In a brief talk with my colleagues when re-ordering business cards I felt the air leave the room.

Why you ask?  

Business cards are not extinct.  I have always been one who feels handing out my business card was one step shy of giving out a credit card number.  It should only be given out to a trusted source and with the utmost discretion.

Although I will agree digital technology has enhanced socializing and business to an incredible extent, and nowhere is this more noticeable than when the two overlap.  So it stands to reason that the days of paper business cards, while not quite over, are most certainly numbered.

Technology has made business cards EASY for smart phones here are a few we recommend:

In order - 1. Cardflick  2. My Facecard  3. Worldcard

The challenge of time management is not new. Increasing pressure to “do more with less” is the hallmark of modern life. At some point everyone faces issues about how much to do or how to prioritize the items on their to-do-list. And the resources we need are all around us. There’s a wealth of information on the internet (much of it free), thousands of self-help books and CD’s and legions of gurus willing to tell us how to get it all done.

So, what’s the problem?

Often we merely give into our excuses. It’s time to confront those ideas, thrash them and move on.

Excuse #1 – I work better under pressure.

Uh… no you don’t. The science simply does not back this up. Intense pressure and worry, like what you feel when you are about to miss a deadline, triggers the body’s limbic system. This is the part of your brain that sets in motion the famous “fight or flight” response. Once the body and brain get focused on survival you can forget about creativity or systematic organization. The fact that you sometimes manage to scrape by does not mean you are turning out quality work or managing your time effectively.

Excuse #2 – I shouldn’t have to do this.

I call this “magical thinking”. Many people resist learning to be more efficient because they feel they are being over worked or treated unfairly. It’s hard to get things done when you feel that “it’s not my job.” Not making an effort and waiting for the system to change is totally unrealistic. However sometimes people think they can out wait a boss, a client or a policy they don’t like. They refuse to try time management strategies because they are hoping and waiting for the rules to change.

Excuse #3 – I HAVE a system; I know what’s in all these piles.

If you find yourself defending your mess or your methods, that’s a sign of trouble. True, we are all individuals and have different personal styles for work. However, when you start making this excuse ask yourself who you are really trying to convince. Do you really know where everything is? Try giving yourself a test. Make a list of four to six important pieces of information you should be able to find (tax returns, client numbers, vendor contract, sales letter template etc). Now…try to find them within 15 minutes.

Excuse #4 – I really don’t spend THAT much time watching TV, surfing the web, snacking, texting, chatting  or posting to Facebook.

There’s a reason almost all time management books, seminars and workshops begin with some type of “record your typical day” exercise. Most of us simply do not realize how much time we spend in mindless activities that contribute nothing to our personal or professional success. If you’ve never done this, it’s time to give it a try. Social media and the arrival of smart phones have made this an even more attractive excuse. Think about it. If you are never, ever disconnected from information input and you’re constantly interacting with your online community, how do you have time to do anything else?

Excuse #5 – I’m too busy putting out fires.

Emergencies happen, but for most of us our jobs or businesses do not revolve around crisis control, or at least they shouldn’t. If you are constantly in emergency mode then either you or your staff needs to review prioritization. Not everything is urgent. Ask yourself if you’re addicted to the rush of saving the day. Be brutally honest. Unless you are a first responder (police officer, fire fighter, EMT) then you should not be too busy with emergencies to improve your time management skills.

It may seem harsh to strip away our favorite excuses, but in today’s competitive environment no one can afford to waste time.  Pour yourself a cup of bravery and confront these excuses and put them in the past.

I’ve always considered Memorial Day the unofficial start of summer, especially here on the East Coast.  Though it has been very rainy thusfar, with the holiday weekend approaching, I’m mentally and physically preparing myself for my favorite season to start.  Here are a few things we are doing to prepare:

• Purchase tickets for Summer special events, including the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic and Electric Daisy Carnival
• Perfect the weekend outfit, including lace shorts, beach tees, neon necklaces and flat sandals (I like Joe Fresh, Zara and J.Crew for all of the above)
• Keep the refrigerator stocked with favorites, like A’s Skinny Girl Margaritas and M’s mini Moets
• Make plans for travel to Jersey Shore, Montauk, Cape Cod, Boston and the Finger Lakes
• Scare away winter pale with a few beauty tricks (here are some of my favs from last year)
• Master three recipes for rooftop entertaining on a whim (I’m thinking a summertime risotto, cucumber avocado spring rolls, and a fresh salad)

How are you looking forward to warmer weather?

Power networking is not about how much time you spend networking, but about the results you’re able to get. In other words, rather than inputs, it’s more about the outcomes. Is your network responsive? When you ask for help, do you get it? Are your contacts sending you great opportunities on a regular basis? Do you have the confidence to pursue any goal you want in your business – whether it’s to write a book, speak internationally, expand into other markets, etc. — because you know you’ll have access to the right people to make it happen?

You don’t have to network 24 hours a day to be a power networker, I sure don’t. Small business owners are busy. If you’re strategic about how you spend your time, the kinds of relationships you build, and the tools and strategies you use, you can get great results without a great deal of effort. And that’s really what I help my clients figure out. What exactly is the right mix of strategies and activities they should be implementing that would be most effective for them? What should they be doing and what should their teams be doing, because networking should be a part of everyone’s job in a company.

Leverage

Paradigm

Synergy

Do those sound like words we use in everyday conversations? No. Do they even sound like words you use in the workplace? Not really–from time to time maybe.

So, why do the folks of corporate American write like this? (Keep in mind, I’m not immune here–I’ve worked for plenty of organizations where I’ve written materials with these words and phrases included)

I’m not really sure. I think it’s a combination of corporate leaders wanting to portray a professional voice–and very risk-averse cultures.

But, the problem isn’t the “why”, it’s the “what do we do about it.”

Weren’t we taught to “write like we speak” back in high school and college? Why does that fly out the window when we start writing on a company’s behalf?

And think about the people we’re writing for: customers, media and other key “stakeholders” (see, I slipped right there!). Do those people use the kinds of words you’re using in your release or marketing materials? Do they talk like that?

Chances are, the answer is no.

But, why not ask them?

Here’s a radical idea. Next time you write a release–write two.

Write one in the typical corporate voice you would normally.

And, write the second in a more human voice. A more conversational voice. Write like you speak.

Then, post both to your corporate blog (if you have one) and ask your readers (hopefully a mix of customers, employees and shareholders) what they prefer. After all, isn’t the heart of writing to communicate effectively with your reader? You can’t do that if you’re using so many corporate buzzwords that the meaning of your messages is watered down or miscommunicated completely.

Gauntlet thrown down. Who’s up to the challenge?

 PR agents would do well to tread lightly around the toes of bloggers. However, there’s no reason why public relations professionals cannot use blogging for their own benefit. There are a variety of ways in which PR managers and representatives can utilize blogging. The following are different ways in which PR agents can take advantage of blogging:

Relationship Management:
Any PR manager worth his or her salt understands that relationship management is a key component of good public relations. When a bad event or unfavorable event gets out of hand, the bad press may get out of hand, spreading all over the Internet. While there are a variety of strategies to handle such a situation, one of the most common strategies is relationship management. Blogging is essential, as bloggers play a major role in the proliferation of news.

Contact bloggers within your business’ industry or niche and ask if they can write an article on your business. However, this can quickly turn into a tricky conversation, as bloggers are extremely wary of placing promotion-based articles on their site. However, a mutual agreement may prove to be more fruitful for both bloggers and businesses. Another useful strategy is to utilize relationship management through search engine optimization. By making your site rank highly for certain keywords, you can play an active role in reducing the chances that bad news appears in results when individuals search your businesses’ name.

Viral Marketing:
Every business hopes that their advertisement for a new product or service will go viral, spreading rapidly throughout the internet. Blogging plays a major role in the propensity of news to go viral, as it spreads from blogger to blogger. With luck, a hoard of bloggers will be talking about your business, drumming up interest and excitement among readers and various individuals. With a mixture of creative marketing and PR, businesses can garner a fair amount of attention for their product through blogging.

Direct PR:
Another way to manage PR is to maintain a blog of your own. By keeping your blog consistent with news and fresh content, you can play an active role in promoting good PR.  Not only you be able to control your news, but will be able to speak in front of a potentially large audience. In addition, blogging allows you to keep your site updated with content, maintaining a constant flow of information. However, in the process of writing for a blog, it is vital to make sure that your blog stays away from shameless promotion. Too much self-promotion will turn away visitors, leaving them with a poor impression of your business.

Learning your “productivity schedule” is something important to every young professional, but to the PR girl it is essential.  Our days can easily be filled with internal meetings and check-ins with the client, not to mention pitching, administration items for team, and monitoring that are daily necessities.  We could easily fill 10 hours a day just doing the bare minimum needs.

No one is going to grow in their field that way, so it’s important to figure out when you are the most productive with which tasks.  When I can, I plan meetings around when I can focus and I know there will be nothing pressing on my plate.  Here are a few items you should take into consideration when planning your productivity schedule:

What time of day are you most social/on your game? This is when you should be PITCHING -Though it would be great to get to media in the beginning of the day, I am admittedly not a social person in the morning.  I take my time to organize myself and get on the tasks that were left unfinished the day before.  I’ve never had luck pitching in the middle of the day, so I choose to do the majority of my pitching after 4pm.  I catch a lot of editors at their desks at the end of the day, and they’re checking their emails before they go home.

When are you most able to concentrate? This when you can WRITE PLANS or PRESS MATERIALS -After 10:30am, when the caffeine from my green tea has kicked in and I can blast music in my ears, is my sweet time for writing.  If I procrastinate and leave it to the end of the day, my writing usually feels rushed.  Starting a writing project this early also allows me to outline my work and take time on format as well as quality of writing (always important).

Have a moment to breathe? Take time to do some MONITORING – Though it’s a no-brainer to check the news every morning for breaking headlines and mentions of any clients, I can get super distracted if I do all my monitoring first thing in the AM.  I choose to do a deeper dive at lunch when I have a break at my desk.  That way, if I find any new outlets I want to pitch, I can save them for my personal pitching party later in the afternoon.

Have you figured out your productivity schedule?

In order to succeed in public relations, you’ll need a wide variety of skills and traits, ranging from confidence, communication and listening skills. However, if you take a sample of the best public relations professionals in the business, they all have one thing in common – emotional intelligence. The ability to perceive emotions of others and make wise judgments make the difference between a good and great professional. 

Defining Emotional Intelligence

First of all, what is emotional intelligence? Emotional intelligence is the individual’s ability to identify, assess and control the emotions of themselves and others. There are two main components to emotional intelligence: personal competence and social competence. Each of these two components are thus broken down into two skills, related to the ability to manage behavior, handle social complexities and make personal decisions.

Traditionally, IQ was seen as the main determinant for the individual’s potential for success.  However, there was a missing connection between success and high performers. Recent studies are showing that emotional intelligence was present among successful individuals and was the critical factor that set them apart from others.

What’s the Connection between Emotional Intelligence and Public Relations?

In its core, emotional intelligence is comprised of four traits. These four traits, important for successful public relations professionals, are as follows:

• Self Awareness

Self awareness determines the individual’s ability to perceive emotions and stay abreast of his or her own emotional state. It would not do if the individual in charge of public relations lost control of his or her temper, as they may reflect poorly on the company. Even worse, this may lead to a major PR disaster, fueled by angry voices on the Internet. As a result, self awareness is a critical skill for PR professionals, as it helps them stay calm and in control.

• Self Management

Self management is a key skill for personal competence, and involves the ability to control emotions and adapt to changing circumstances. As mentioned before, it is vital for PR professionals to be able to maintain his or her temper. But in addition, they must always be flexible to the changes that arise in the industry. Public relations is an active, changing environment, and requires the individual to be highly organized and efficient in order to succeed.

• Social Awareness

Emotional intelligence is more than just understanding emotions – it also determines one’s actions regarding those emotions. Social awareness is the ability to pick up on the emotions of others and understand their connection to social networks. Public relations professionals are interacting with clients, media members, and others on a daily basis, and must survive in a constantly changing environment.

• Relationship Management

Finally, relationship management is the ability to use the awareness of emotions to manage interactions. This skill is especially important for public relations professionals, whose entire livelihoods depend on relationship management. They must be able to connect with a wide variety of individuals, ranging from media members to customers. A high level of relationship management will allow them to keep track of different connections and maintain the image of their company.