I remember my first attempt into the public relations (PR) world. I was working as a social media executive and my boss at the time thought it was a good idea to put me up for a new challenge; so it started with a big event I had to attend on behalf of the company. I was so excited but deep down inside, I was absolutely mortified. Me as a brand ambassador? What was I to do at this event? Will people actually talk to me? And how do I even start a conversation with all these successful people I had never met before? Thankfully I faced the fear and did it anyway. When in doubt, smile and live up to your expectations, regardless how much you need to fake it in the beginning. Eventually, it will all become a part of you.
That’s the thing about PR; it is really all about connecting with people. In most other fields, you are told to engage with like-minded individuals who share the same passions and aspirations as you. In PR I look at it differently and take it one step further. You need to connect with people from all walks of life, regardless how much you actually share in common.
Speak to everyone
To be a good public relations professional, you need to actually be open to speak to everybody. When attending an event, don’t just speak to the “very important people” there. Go and introduce yourself to absolutely anyone and everyone. You never know who they are and how you might help each other in the future until you actually speak to them. To me, everybody is a very important person. Behind all individuals, there is an interesting story worth hearing. It’s always good to make a list of people you want to connect with to introduce your ideas to and create a possible business collaboration. But don’t cut out other possibilities for yourself. In fact, you might be in for a surprise. I attended a press launch once where I knew who I needed to speak to. But as I was there mingling with these people, I noticed there was a man in the corner all to himself. So I went to introduce myself. Rule number one is to never forget how you felt when you were a novice and remember to help others too. So I started speaking to this man who was far from being a novice; little did I know he was actually the founder of a very important publishing company. I had no idea who he was and he didn’t have a clue about me. But by speaking to one another very naturally, we got to know each other and it was one of the most inspiring and stimulating conversations I had ever had. By doing this, I also gained another business connection. Turns out that many people who are right there at the top on the success ladder don’t actually like to parade about it and prefer to stay behind the scenes. To find this out, you need to get out there and engage with everybody.
Communication skills
The most important quality in PR by far is your communication ability. To create a network of contacts, it is not enough to just speak to people. You first need to learn how to communicate effectively. I’m sure you’ve all heard that communication is only 7% verbal, 38% tonal and 55% non-verbal/body language. This means that what we say doesn’t really have as much of an impact as it does about how we say it and most importantly how we are positioned physically when we say it. My biggest lesson in life so far has been to master my body language. You need to create an open, mutual vibe in order for somebody to fully understand what you say and to respond to you. When standing, do it straight with equal weight on both of your legs because this shows you have a strong foundation. When using gestures with your hands, don’t go all over the place, but instead create an open and inviting image for the listener. Never point at anybody, it’s simply rude. But the biggest secret to effective communication in my opinion is actually your smile. This is the most comforting and contagious physical reaction. Everybody likes to be around happy people, so start smiling more and stand tall.
Be genuine
We have established that public relations is all about networking and building contacts. I truly believe that to build long lasting professional relationships you need to be completely genuine. Until you gain the confidence you need in the field, you can fake it until you make it. But there comes a point when you realize you are not a robot and that your true personality wants to come to the surface. And this is a great thing, because we are all unique and we all have amazing qualities about ourselves that attract others to us. Public relations is not so different from being socially active in your everyday life. The only contrast is that its main objective is for business and not pleasure. So go about it as you would when you are socially out and about and making new friends. Be yourself, speak confidently and get to know the other person. Learn to be a good listener and remember that everybody has a great story behind them that deserves to be heard.
Miriam Indries is a public relations professional and writer living in Melbourne. She has an academic background in psychology and she is also a certified NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) practitioner.
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