Insights Into Marketing: Be A PR Master

Robin Hensley

July 1, 2008

A s the audit committee chair of a publicly traded company and an executive coach, I advise C-suite executives and their attorneys that understanding how to work with the media is critical. For the remainder of company executives, I recommend they should understand how public relations integrate with sales and business development.

In general terms, PR encompasses media relations, speaking engagements and other communications tactics that spread a company’s message to internal or external audiences.

Let’s look at the media relations aspects of public relations.
• Have you ever read about a business solution in the newspaper and saved the article?
• Did you notice the buzz created by the rush to obtain an iPhone?
• When you read about the sports teams owned by Arthur Blank, do you associate them with The Home Depot?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you’ve identified media relations at work.

Beyond the general campaign to build awareness, companies use media relations to avoid takeovers. Remember Delta and USAir? Likewise, media relations is used for job satisfaction, pride and recruiting. It’s used to target new markets and prospects. Press clippings often are listed on a Web site or newsletter.

So just how does integrated public relations help close deals? Consider the following:

• Touch your contacts. In the sales cycle, qualified prospects should be “touched” at least seven times per year. The media relations tactics include press releases; bylined articles; columns; op-ed pieces; editorial board meetings; surveys; glossary cards; media contact cards; e-mail industry newsletters; expert positioning on breaking news; trend story pitches; profile pitches; journalist introductory lunches; seminar or other events; journalist seminar participations; and media sponsorships, among others.

These tactics can cause multiple contacts during the sales cycle. For example, targets may read an article or watch a television interview and view stories on Web sites. Sending these to a target list is the simplest form of direct mail.

• Key client planning. All key client programs center on communication. A company should regularly strategize what PR clippings and other information it sends to key clients. Meanwhile, the best PR practices will give them “something of value for nothing.”

Ideas to enhance growing potential customer relationships include asking top clients to join the firm’s executives in public relations interviews arranged by public relations counsel; inviting key clients to co-byline an article with executives once an opportunity has been secured; sponsoring magazine roundtables at well-known publications and secure seats for key clients in the discussions; and putting media on panels or seminars sponsored by the company.

• Close the deal. Each sales call is unique and will require unique strategies. Media relations can turn cold calls warm and make warm calls hot. It can help close the deal in subtle and overt ways. For the customer or client who has been pitched but doesn’t have a sense of urgency, a news clipping shows what action should be taken to buy a product or service – pushing prospects down the sales funnel.

Perhaps an objection is revealed concerning the product or service? Having written about or been quoted on that issue may help overcome the challenge.

If a high-level decision-maker is blocking a purchase for lack of awareness of a company or product, the endorsement from a major national or trade publication might be able to address that concern.

Calling on your sales force to fully integrate PR into the sales process must be endorsed by company leadership.

To capitalize on the effect of media relations, keep track of all media efforts and analyze their results. As media relations techniques garner positive client satisfaction and new business, you must offer sales staff training, define new message points and provide encouragement on integrating media relations into the overall sales effort.

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Robin Hensley is the exclusive executive coach for Business to Business. Her "Raising the Bar" podcasts can be found on btobmagazine.com.

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