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Wednesday, October 6, 2010 / Published in Uncategorized

What’s the best PR advice you ever received?

That was the question put to me by a friend and colleague during an interview last week. And, it stopped me dead in my tracks.

Why? Not because I didn’t have a singular answer–but because I had too many answers.

Over the years, I’ve been extremely fortunate to have outstanding and generous mentors. People who were willing to take me by the hand, show me the ropes and point me toward opportunities.

I’ve never forgotten that, which is why I spend an inordinate amount of time “paying it forward.” It’s what inspired me to help Scott Hepburn and Sonny Gill last year. It’s what inspired me to create HAPPO with my friend, Valerie Simon. And, to be perfectly honest, it’s become quite a passion of mine.

So, back to the question: What’s the best piece of PR advice I’ve ever received? I have a few, but I’d also like to share a number I’ve heard from friends, colleagues and fellow PR bloggers. And, I’d love to hear yours. I’ll start with mine:

* Never, ever burn a bridge. I’ve taken this one to heart. Sure, will be times when you want to walk away mad. Go out in a blaze of glory. Don’t. You will regret it. Every. Single. Time.

* Work smarter–not longer. This was a lesson I learned from my former colleague and friend, Nicki Gibbs. And it’s been a huge boon to me this last year as I’ve started my own business. Working longer hours isn’t the key–in fact, it’s almost ridiculous to even think that could lead to long-term success. That’s exactly what I was trying to get away from when I started my business. Working smarter is the key. Using resources effectively. Focusing on the right work–not just busy work. I’m convinced this is one of the huge keys to success for most people in today’s world.

* Hard work is the bedrock of success. I know, what a basic piece of advice, right? But, you know what? I don’t know one successful person who doesn’t bust their tail every day of the week. It just doesn’t happen. So, to learn the value of hard work–really hard work–at a young age is imperative. Don’t let anyone fool you.Those who get to the top don’t get their by accident. Behind every PR executive, agency owner or senior vice president is a mountain of time, energy and blood, sweat and tears. There are no short cuts in this business.

Here are a few more pieces of advice from a number of friends, colleagues and thought leaders in the industry:

Deirdre Breakenridge: “The best PR advice that I ever received came from a senior vice president at my first agency. He told me that if I listen closely, I will do well.  I took this advice as an opportunity to listen closely to my peers, supervisors, clients, partners and the market.  Now, today, we are “listening” in web communities to better understand the groups of people we want to reach directly.  Listening is key and if you listen closely you will be able to offer great counsel, solve problems and be more proactive in everything that you do.”

Kellye Crane: “Best lesson in PR: the customer isn’t always right. It’s our job to counsel clients and convince them of the best course of action.”

Todd Defren: “We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next 2 years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next 10.” via Bill Gates.

Jeff Esposito: “Personalize everything and never use blanket emails. Building relationships is more important than numbers.”

Kelly Groehler: “You’re only 70 percent right about anything. That’s why it’s important to understand what people are ready-willing to hear before you speak.”

Mark Ragan. “Learn how to write better than anyone else in your organization or market, whether you’re tweeting or writing a press release.”

Jenny Schmitt: “Write simply and directly. use common language and write for your target audience (not for you or to prove you’re smart). And, answer the question you wished you’d been asked.”

Valerie Simon:  Via Sally Falkow in an interview with Johna Burke:  “First and foremost, I think you have to listen. Before you even start doing anything else, you have to listen to the conversations.” And, via Deirdre Breakenridge at our special #PRStudChat Class of 2010 graduation ceremony: “Listen, learn and practice, then give back to the community!”

Elizabeth Sosnow: “Rehearse your disasters. I use this piece of advice every day. What could go wrong? What’s the Achilles heel of this “_______?”

Sean Williams: “Start with your business objective, your aspiration, not your tactic. And, facts and data win the day.”

What about you? What’s the best PR advice you ever received?

Note: Photo courtesy of laughlin via FlickR Creative Commons.

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50 Comments to “ What’s the best PR advice you ever received?”

  1. Keith Trivitt says :
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    Best piece of advice I ever received: Be curious … constantly. This business, like many others, moves at warp speed and if you’re not asking questions, reading everything you can get your hands on and observing trends and attitudes around you, you’re going to be left out of the big picture.

    Another good one came from one of my first agency bosses, who always told us to think beyond how our client or a product/service fits into a reporter’s/blogger’s beat. Think of a trend that fits into, and you will reach a far broader audience, which will have a greater impact on building a business.

    Fantastic topic for today’s post, Arik!

  2. Christian Betancourt says :
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    Don’t promise more than you can deliver. If anything, set more achievable goals and exceed them for your clients. – Almost every mentor I have had 🙂

  3. Newsbusters: CBS’s Greenfield Offers Step-by-Step Campaign Advice to Dems | Katy Pundit says :
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    […] PR advice: What's the best tips you've &#1… […]

  4. Sherrie Bakshi says :
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    Best PR advice I received was from one of my mentors and now good friend. She once told me, “Don’t get stuck in the weeds, and if you feel like you are about to, then take a step back and remember what you are trying to accomplish here.”

  5. Anonymous says :
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    Great compilation Arik. Something that should be bookmarked and shared with others.

  6. Anonymous says :
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    If you don’t think it’s interesting, then neither will the reporter. Find out and include what would make it interesting for you, THEN send the pitch/email.

  7. Seth Pederson says :
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    I received this piece of advice during my first interview at an agency and try to pass it along during every interview that I give now: Don’t be dazzled by flashy clients. Seek out work with people you respect and enjoy — they are the ones who will greet you in the morning, celebrate your successes, counsel you during failures and be there for the momentous occasions of your life. Work with people who can become your friends.

  8. Worob says :
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    The way to earn power and respect is to give some of it up along the way.

    @Worob
    PR at Sunrise

  9. Sean Williams says :
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    Thanks Arik – good stuff!

  10. JGoldsborough says :
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    Solid post as usual, Arik. For me, two come to mind. First, much like Keith said, always be curious. Never turn down a project. Each one is an opportunity to learn.

    My second one came from a post you wrote a while back actually: Everything good that comes about in life stems in some way from a relationship. Get out there, meet people, make the effort. You can never meet too many people.

  11. Anonymous says :
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    The little things ARE the big things. From PR original Charlie Brotman.

    Doing the things you don’t HAVE to do means a lot. Keeping a clean media workspace, providing some snacks, anticipating questions, treating people like people – all of these things make you and your clients shine.

  12. Nikki Stephan says :
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    It’s tough to pick just one piece of advice, so here are my two:

    Always be honest, no matter how difficult it is to share the truth. Counsel your clients about the importance of honesty, too. People are more willing to forgive and forget when you accept responsibility and take action to correct your mistakes.

    Do whatever you can to show initiative. Don’t just show up and do what is expected of you. Go beyond the confines of your traditional duties. If you want to grow at your company and in your career, always give 110 percent.

  13. Becky johns says :
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    Learn to listen. And then learn to speak up.

    Advice from my boss in my first post-college internship. It’s been invaluable. I think about it every day. Listening and speaking up are two very different things and it’s crucial to know how and when to do both.

  14. Jim Mitchem says :
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    Always tell the truth, there’s less to remember.

  15. Bruce R. Mendelsohn says :
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    Tell the truth. Tell it early. Tell it often. All the rest is commentary.

  16. Louie Yan says :
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    Great post! Thank you for synthesizing so many professionals’ thoughts.

    My little bit: If you can’t condense your message, you don’t know it well enough. Learn it so you can hone it.

  17. Katrina says :
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    You’re going to make mistakes. The key is to learn from them.

  18. Adam Vincenzini says :
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    The way it’s always been done isn’t always the way to do it.

  19. Erik Deutsch says :
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    These aren’t just tips, the’re commandments. Great post!

  20. davinabrewer says :
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    Was gonna leave this one, you beat me to it.

  21. davinabrewer says :
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    Exactly. Had a college professor who liked concise answers and papers; his advice, which I use everyday: “warm up on your own time.”

  22. davinabrewer says :
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    Echoing much of above: research, edit, target, write well .. and be as prepared as possible. Oh and devil’s in the details, little things matter. FWIW.

  23. Frank Strong says :
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    When I was in college, I had a professor tell me to write letters to the editor. Demonstrates I’m current on issues, have the capacity to engage media, and quality of writing to be published. Today, if I had one piece of advice to offer it would be a single word: blog.

  24. Adrians Cleveland says :
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    The best advice I’ve gotten was to not be afraid of doing great things or taking great risks.

  25. AbbieF says :
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    As a practitioner — you are only as good as your last project. Always look for ways to improve.

  26. Vikki Mioduszewski says :
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    In a crisis, show compassion; talk to your employees before you respond to media; don’t be defensive; speak human, not legal; tell the truth; be available to media even when it’s very uncomfortable to do so; talk about how you’re going to “fix” the situation. Apologize if it’s warranted.

  27. 1680PR says :
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    Never say “no comment.”

  28. Ricardo Bueno says :
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    Formula for success: 1. Clear Goals, 2. Hard Work, 3. Unwavering Focus!

  29. Arik Hanson says :
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    Challenging the status quo is something I learned early in my career. Hasn’t made me a lot of friends at times, but it’s been incredibly beneficial as far as shaping my thinking.

  30. Arik Hanson says :
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    Easy to say–very hard to do. Which is why you see very few people take truly big risks in their careers. Usually, too much to lose. Good tips Adrians!

  31. Arik Hanson says :
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    That’s one I share with college students when I speak to them. Have a voice. Form an opinion (the stronger the better). So many benefits to blogging for college kids in PR/comm/mktg right now. Thanks for stopping by, Frank.

  32. Arik Hanson says :
    at

    Very good point. In internal and client meetings, this is absolutely critical. I’ve seen so many people try to railroad a client meeting and you can just see the client getting upset. Meanwhile, the speaker isn’t reading the client’s cues and continues to railroad. Lot to be said for “active listening” in our field.

  33. Arik Hanson says :
    at

    You know I love #2, J 😉

    I would actually take your first tip a step further. Volunteer for projects. I found that to be extremely useful early in my career. Probably would not have wound up in PR if not for that approach, actually.

  34. Arik Hanson says :
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    I might argue, you need to give up A LOT of it in order to get to the top. Don’t know too many successful senior leaders that don’t have outstanding teams. The higher you go, the more you delegate.

  35. Worob says :
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    i’m just quoting the person who told me it 🙂
    Either way, good advice from her perspective and yours.

  36. My Top 5 Social Media Stories of The Week « says :
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    […] What’s the best PR advice you ever received? Arik Hanson complied a great list of advice that he has received over the years. Be sure to read the comments too! (Source: Communications Conversations) […]

  37. Ronnie Manning says :
    at

    One of the best pieces of advice I received was that PR is a marathon and not a sprint – although with SM growth, the pace has definetly picked up a good amount…

    Ronnie Manning
    @RManning_Mynt

  38. Top Five: October 10 – Jessica Malnik says :
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  39. This Week in PR Articles and Blogs – October 8 | Desiree Writes says :
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    […] What’s the Best PR Advice You Ever Received (from Communications Conversations) […]

  41. Jeff says :
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    Best advice I ever got was from my father though I share it liberally with staff and colleagues: “Don’t just bring me problems. Bring me solutions too!”

  42. Weekly Review of PR Blogs and Articles | Desiree Writes says :
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    […] What’s the Best PR Advice You Ever Received (from Communications Conversations) […]

  43. Rebecca says :
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    Love this post, Arik. I’ll throw a couple in…

    1. Always ask “so what?” and “who cares?”. Challenge yourself/your client to find the news value or the value to the customer.
    2. When you make mistakes, be humble. Learn from them. Then MOVE ON.
    3. Know when to push back. “Yes” isn’t always the right answer.

  44. Arik Hanson says :
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    Awesome–LOVE these, Rebecca. See, I knew there was a reason we were friends 😉

  45. Limping to the finish line says :
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  46. Margaret Molloy says :
    at

    Great post and comments. My favorite: Keep your promises; always do what you say you’ll do, follow up. This is so basic, yet so overlooked.

  47. Remco Janssen says :
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    Think like a journalist, always. What’s the story, really?

  48. Cynthia Pmevents says :
    at

    Nothing will go JUST as planned. Roll with the punches and move quickly.

  49. My Top 5 Social Media Stories of The Week | Anna Woodlock says :
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  50. PR lessons from “Saved by the Bell” « Cheap and Easy Marketing says :
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