Ah, yes, my quest to examine why PR people are generally considered hacks and flacks and trying to shift that perception continues into 2010!
Sometimes I am asked what makes a PR person good. As in, really, really good? The truth is, I’m still trying to figure that out myself. I can, however, spot the difference between PR people who have a sales personality and don’t have a clue about messaging, and those who can write razon sharp pitches that end up fantastic placements. PR is a process that requires true skill.
The guru wears the smile and shakes hands and talks, talks, talks your head off about their client whether or not the reporter cares. Gurus go to nearly every event there is just to make their presence known. They have mastered the art of working a room like you don’t believe and as soon as they are done bombarding guests about their clients of the month, they are out! Don’t get me wrong, there is value in that form of PR and working a room is certainly a skill. Their personality comes out in the writing, overusing those poor exclamation points, and choosing words that offer an unnecessary sense of tremendous urgency in the pitch.
Pros are more reserved and choose carefully which events to attend, and strategically think through the message. If attending events, they are not concerned as much with the message, because they are already strong writers (a skill which many gurus lack). They are preoccupied with how to communicate the message so it has impact. This earns them source credibility because they truly value their relationships with the press. In fact, there’s tremendous psychology involved within PR, and pros understand that. Most importantly, pros’ powerful writing skills create newsworthy stories.
So, where gurus master the art of presence, pros have mastered the art of anticipation.
There’s a lot to argue here, but it boils down to developing the right skill set that will influence trends and subsequently news cycles: Good PR people know when to pitch and how to answer media questions well. Great PR people have already anticipated those questions, so reporters don’t even have to ask.
Gurus fit in somewhere, too, I guess. Actually, I don’t like the word guru at all.