How to clean up messy client relationships.

by Pierce Mattie Pierce Mattie Public Relations

Recently, when meeting with fellow business owners in the service industry, we got into an in depth discussion about managing client relationships. 

We were discussing how to repair a client relationship, specifically those where things have gone wrong, for example, clients whose expectations are unrealistic, clients who are abusive towards the staff and those clients who, for whatever reason, have become dissatisfied with their service.
The Wall Street Journal had run an article on entrepreneurs a few years back where I was quoted as saying, “My New Year’s resolution as a business owner is to only work with people, places and things I really care about and that respect my team, work and over-all business ethics.”
If you have done all your work working with your clients and have defined what you can achieve and there are still insurmountable problems, then it is time to re-evaluate whether that client is appropriate to have.
Advice from the start:

• Choose clients carefully.

• Define the working relationship and set client expectations.

• Communicate, communicate, communicate and communicate some more.

• Live up to your own standards. Give what you expect. Set the example.

At one point we had a client call the office and demand that I get on a conference call. The brand was new to the market, had very little distribution and the consumer awareness was simply not there. The owner had worked with two other PR firms before us (our biggest competitors) for about two years who both did not secure the regional and national glossy press that the client was looking for. We were given about 3 months to change her entire media platform and correct the damage that the other PR firms had done during the course of two years.
While we had secured 18 confirmed hits in the top national glossy publications in 90 days, the client was not satisfied, instead looking for placement in Oprah and The Today Show. Although we had never promised these items and were very clear on the types of coverage that could be expected, the client had decided what appropriate placements they wanted.
I began to look deeper into her PR reports which indicated that she was inInStyle, Allure, Good Housekeeping and WWD that month. The report further revealed that there were pending stories in over 15 high-circulation publications. Then I had a revelation that no matter how well we performed or how wonderful her press was, this was a client that would never be happy with our services. I made the decision to terminate our relationship, wishing the client all the best.
When clients sign on we give them a “What You Can Expect” document and have them sign it. It educates them on the timeline of pitching long leads and the simple fact that your press usually reflects your distribution. I highly recommend that all PR firms do the same.
If your client:

1. Sees you as disposable and not a valued business partner 2. Makes unworkable demands on your team 3. Does not pay you the market value of your services 4. Is late in making their payments 5. Has expectations that are unrealistic

Then it is time to re-evaluate whether they are appropriate for your client roster. If not, be decisive and professional and release them from their contract. There are many wonderful clients who will be the perfect fit for your agency, but helping to communicate expectations from the beginning may help you further down the road if the client relationship goes bad. 

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Pierce Mattie is the CEO of Pierce Mattie Public Relations, providing creative and strategic ways to leverage new and emerging media, with an agency based on respect, teamwork and the highest ethical standards. http://www.piercemattie.com

QR codes—those odd-looking squares of black and white pixels that hardly existed a year ago—are now everywhere. From ads in magazines to product packaging and trade show booths, the codes have become the au courant tool in a marketer’s bag. For events, the codes (and similar 2-D barcodes) share information with an audience instantaneously and without paper. Here’s our guide to using QR codes effectively, plus six examples of how marketers are using them.

How to Read Them
QR codes are read by a camera on a smartphone. Many newer phones come with a built-in QR code reader, and there are also plenty of free apps that can be downloaded, such as Shop Savvy, Barcode Scanner, QR Droid, RedLaser, ScanLife, and many others. (Microsoft’s proprietary 2-D barcodes, known as Tags, require the free Tag app.)

The process of reading a QR code is similar to taking a photo. Open the app on the phone and point the camera at the code. Some apps will automatically scan the code, while others require the user to press the phone’s camera button. In a matter of seconds, the code is scanned, and the link is loaded into the phone and saved for future reference.

Unlike traditional bar codes made of just vertical lines (the kind on grocery products for years), the pixels of a QR code can be read both vertically and horizontally, so they can hold much more data. Most codes link to a Web site where the user might find product information, video, social media sites, discounts, giveaways, or a survey.
How to Create Them
There are a variety of options available to generate QR codes. Two popular URL shorteners—bit.ly and goo.gl—can instantly generate QR codes for a Web address. Simply add .qr to the shortened link, open that link in a new browser window, and the QR code appears on the screen. You can then print it, send it out via email, and add it to marketing and other materials.

There are also dozens of Web sites that generate free codes, such as Kaywa, QR Stuff, and Delivr. While the most common usage is to link to a Web address, these sites offer many other options, such as QR codes generated from text, a phone number, a map, even a Foursquare check-in. Just choose a site, type in what you want to be encoded and the code appears on screen.

For those looking to get a little more creative, companies such as Red Fish Media and ShareSquare can produce custom codes—you can embed a logo, for example—and also provide follow-up analytics to track when, where, and how the code is scanned.

Who’s Using Them
According to research firm Gartner, smartphone sales were expected to total nearly 500 million units worldwide in 2011 and jump to 1.8 billion by 2015. Leading code maker Scanbuy reports that its system processed more than 20 million scans in the first nine months of 2011, a 440 percent increase from the same period in 2010.

Research firm Comscore found that in June 2011, 14 million mobile users in the U.S. scanned a QR code on their mobile device. The study found that a mobile user who scanned a QR code during the month was more likely to be male (60.5 percent of the code-scanning audience), between the ages of 18 and 34 (53.4 percent), and have a household income of $100,000 or more (36.1 percent). The study also analyzed the source and location of QR code scanning, finding that users are most likely to scan codes found in newspapers or magazines and on product packaging, and they do so while at home or in a store.

Research firm Lab42 conducted one of the most recent surveys on QR code usage in July 2011. Lab42 wanted to find out where people recalled seeing QR codes, how they were using them, and why they were scanning (or not). Forty-two percent of respondents were familiar with QR codes, and 58 percent knew that QR codes meant a quick response.

Tips to Remember
The good news is that creating QR codes is quick, easy, and free. But that’s also the reason QR codes are starting to show up everywhere, some of them worthwhile and others just dull. In other words, just because you can create a QR code doesn’t mean you should. Here are some things to consider:

1. Define your goal.
Are you trying to lead people to a Web site? Show a video? Offer product information? Promote a contest? And more importantly, why would this be important and worthwhile to the person taking the time to scan the code?

2. Optimize for mobile viewing.
Most codes are scanned by smartphones, so make sure yours leads to a site that works well for those devices.

3. Size matters.
The more data you encode, the bigger the QR code will need to be. Tiny codes packed with data—which makes the pixels more dense—are more difficult to scan (when encoding a URL, using a shortening tool such as bit.ly is always a good idea). And in general, larger codes are more reliable, particularly in less-than-optimal conditions such as low light, uneven surfaces, or those that need to be scanned from a distance. A one- by one-inch square is the minimum size recommended.
4. Test the code. 
Test it with various devices and using various scanning apps before you promote it.

5. Be strategic. 
How will you track and use the data? QR codes provide information such as where the scans take place, whether people scan a code more than once, whether the codes are shared, and more. Creating the QR code is just the first step—it’s what you do later that can really make a difference.
6. What happens to the link?
A QR code on a T-shirt is going to live on long after an event. At the very least, make sure the link remains live; better yet, redirect the QR code to new information.

7. Add a URL. If you want to ensure that even those without smartphones can access your link, include a Web address just below the
QR code.

Everyone in the business world should have a crystal clear elevator pitch – a description of what you and your company offer that can be explained fully during an elevator ride.  It’s not always easy to sell yourself in such a brief amount of time; that brevity forces you to determine your most vital assets.

Here are some tips to keep in mind as you craft your pitch:

1. Know your business. What are the key offerings of your company? Who are your clients? Remember to include only the most important takeaways that you want a potential new customer or business partner to hear. Keep it succinct.
2. Know yourself. What is your role in the company? Be able to explain how you will be able to help and the service you provide. Give your listener a personal detail by which to remember you.
3. Be adaptable. Understand to whom you’re speaking and adapt your pitch to fit his or her needs. If you’re speaking to a potential client in the consumer space, he most likely will not be interested in the details of your B2B capabilities. Be ready for multiple questions or reactions.
4. Have a hook. Just like a pitch to a journalist, your first sentence for a prospect should grab the listener’s attention right away. Give her a reason to listen to you.
5. End with a call to action. Close your pitch with explicit directions for a next step. Whether that is scheduling a future meeting or promising to follow up in a week, make sure your listener knows what to expect.

Finally, keep your elevator pitch current, and remember to use it.

What’s your elevator pitch?

by Meredith Lepore

“I would never rep Versace. I can’t stand her. I think she makes disgusting clothes. Calvin [Klein] is like, snore! Who wears Calvin Klein? I’m not dissing him. I think he’s built an amazing, respectable business, but I would never want to work for Calvin Klein, ever.”-Kelly Cutrone

A few months back I wrote an article called “Are Women In PR Just Grown Up Mean Girls?” As you can imagine, it got quite a lot of attention from people who work in that industry, either rushing to defend themselves and their colleagues or agreeing with the mean girl assessment. But the overwhelming consensus from PR professionals seemed to be that it was the people that worked in fashion PR that were creating this not so positive impression of the industry as a whole. For example, Silvia Cadori commented:

“Having been in “the business” for many, many years, I know how we PR women got this reputation. I have dealt with many women from many different walks of life but the women in this business are the most ruthless, unethical people I have ever met. (Yes, even worse that lawyers.) I know of several that have started their own PR business by stealing their previous employers’ client lists. That’s not only morally wrong but also very unprofessional. Until the women in this business start treating each other with respect, the well-earned reputation for being “catty” will not go away.”

Most people admit a lot of the reputation has been created by inaccurate media portrayals in film and television, but the finger was definitely being pointed at the fashion industry. We decided to talk to fashion publicists to get their side of the story and see if the fingers should really be pointed.

Jessica Lieu, Account Supervisor  for Tyler Barnett PR told The Grindstone:

“Having discussed the piece [the "Are Women In PR Just Grown Up Mean Girls?" post]  in great detail with fellow publicists, I do think the media’s portrayal of fashion publicists has generalized the public’s view of the PR industry — that women who work in PR are glamorous, party-going, guest list-wielding gatekeepers who have a bad case of “mean girl syndrome.”

While the PR industry is incredibly competitive and not for the weak-hearted, the media tends to gloss over the fact that much of the work in public relations is often collaborative. While the dynamics of fashion PR are vastly different from those of, say, corporate communications, at the end of the day our job is to build relationships and create new opportunities for the clients or organizations we represent. Yes, catty tendencies exist, but they are not rewarded in the long run. Respect, professionalism, confidentiality and providing journalists and consumers with accurate information are what separates the good PR professionals from the “spin doctors,” and these are qualities that triumph at the end of the day.

While screaming at a PR intern makes for juicy reality TV, being a “mean girl” in PR will set you back more than it will help you advance. That’s not to say office meltdowns don’t exist. I hear we have the seventh most stressful job in America after all.”

But maybe it is just the nature of the industry that has caused this reputation to form? Fashion is very different than most other businesses.

Phillip Chang runs a PR firm for Talent. He told The Grindstone:

“Many PR professionals have a difficult time understanding fashion publicists. This is because the business of fashion is very different from other enterprises. What this means is domain knowledge is very important, more important than having a traditional PR background. In other words, if you want to work in fashion, a degree from Parsons is more relevant than a traditional college education. Also, part of the publicity business is providing expert counsel. So, there’s a general tendency to annihilate opinions which are different from our own. We have to believe in our own opinion, because bad counsel can be dangerous to clients. But, not knowing what you’re talking about is even worse.

That difference can make it challenging for people to understand what fashion publicists do, because they don’t understand the ‘why.’ I’ve found that most of the time, this kind of conflict is really about not understanding enough about what things are like from the other side. So – Fashion publicists do not give PR and fashion a bad name. People give people a bad name.”

To continue reading this blog go to http://thegrindstone.com/office-politics/do-fashion-publicists-give-the-pr-industry-a-bad-name-806/2/

PR pros Jessica Kleiman (left) and Meryl Weinsaft Cooper wrote Be Your Own Best Publicist to help job seekers get noticed, hired and promoted in a tough economy. The pair offered us some key advice from their book to help you stand out and shine.

How can a woman promote herself at her organization?  In her industry? What are some concrete things she can do?

First, have your key messages down. Know how to talk about your company and/or your accomplishments in a concise and engaging way.  Be prepared to make your elevator pitch anywhere — whether it’s in a boardroom or on an airplane. Next, forget the phrase “That’s not my job.” You can promote yourself by raising your hand and taking on additional responsibilities. Someone who goes above and beyond the baseline of what’s expected will stand out in a good way. Connect with people in person and online. Try to get involved in industry organizations and attend events to stay up on the news and remain familiar with the key players.

How can a woman give out the signal that she is ready for the next level?

Do your research — understand what is required to take that coveted next step. Then take the time to compile evidence as to why you deserve a promotion (i.e. pull numbers to show your positive impact on the business, collect testimonials from clients and colleagues about the value you add) before scheduling a meeting with superiors. Practice your pitch for the new position before walking into that room.

How important is tooting your own horn—how do you do it? What if you feel awkward about “bragging”? How can a woman overcome that?

Toot your own horn, just not too loudly. Strike a balance between passive and pesky. It’s tricky, especially if you feel awkward about touting your accomplishments. One effective way is not only to pat yourself on the back, but also to pat others harder. When working on a team, don’t just highlight the good work you are doing, include and promote co-workers’ contributions as well.

If you’re shy, how can you better assert yourself and put yourself out there?

It’s imperative to push through the discomfort. Networking online is all the rage — shy people can start by reaching out to others through LinkedIn, Twitter and the like. That said, industry events or cocktail parties are important for making face-to-face connections. Go prepared with key messages. We recommend making it like a game: when at a cocktail party, commit to getting three new business cards before leaving. Remember that most people are open to meeting new contacts — it helps them as much as it helps you.

What kind of paper follow-up do you need after an introduction or interview?

Send an email within 24 hours of the conversation; then a handwritten note within the week of the meeting; and make a follow-up phone call or email two weeks after the meeting if you haven’t yet heard back. If you opt for the latter, it’s always good to dig around for some industry news or relevant article tied to your conversation that you can share to show that you are still engaged.

More information about Jessica and Meryl and their book at www.beyourownbestpublicist.com.

This post was orginally on www.workingwomen.com

So, here I am at HMA!

But how did I get here, you ask?

As a full-time, working college student, I think it is safe to say that at times life can get overwhelming.  Between the late nights studying, papers and everyday demands of life, there are times I find myself thinking, “Can I ever just catch a break?”  But as I look around and see friends and fellow classmates graduating, I can’t help but wonder if I am working to my full potential, or if I was allowing myself to fall under the “senioritis” spell?

Approaching my last and final year, I knew I had a decision to make.  Am I going to work hard, or be someone who is hardly working?  Refusing to become a senior that just slides through my final year of school, this past summer I took some additional classes, including one led by none other than Abbie S. Fink, HMA’s vice president/general manager, who taught me all about marketing and promotions.  With my goal of one day working in the public relations industry in mind, I made it a point to work hard and learn as much as I could from the class.  By the end of the class, I found myself eager to learn more and excited to jump at every opportunity possible.

Finding the right opportunity was easier said than done.  When I was finally ready to throw in the towel on my search to find an internship, I remembered HMA and decided to reach out to Abbie about internship opportunities.  Lo and behold, my hard work in the class along with sheer determination landed me my first internship.

It is now the spring semester, and I am proud to say I am officially a member of the HMA family,as their intern.  Only having been here a week, I am anticipating the projects and things that I will get to do and learn while I am here.  Just some of the items on my internship wish list:

• Crafting effective story pitches
• Establishing and maintaining client relationships
• Enhancing my social media skills

I also sit here and wonder:

• Am I cut out for a job in this industry?
• Am I going to mess up?
• Will I be good at this?

As I close out my second week here at HMA, I look forward to seeing the progress my hard work will bring. I would also love to get some tips from you all in the blogosphere about how to best take advantage of this opportunity as well as hear about your own internships. I will even take the horror stories! Anything you care to share?

A Tip for Tuesday – Working Hard, Not Hardly Working at the Internship originally appeared onHMA Public Relations, Phoenix AZ, Full-Service PR Firm

Turning down a potential client can be hard, but in the short-term and long-term it will likely turn out to be a wise business decision that will save money and heartache.

To help make the tough call on when to say “no,” let’s review some established rules and less tangible ones that can be used before deciding to take a pass on a new client.

These are just few a red-flag rules, but if the client gets past these then the chances are better that you can create a successful relationship and do a better job of helping clients build—or rebuild—reputations.

• Insist on immediate results. PR is a long-term process, particularly in crisis communications. Building a reputation can take time and an investment. Quick-hit PR campaigns rarely produce desired results.
• Want to spin the news. Yes, the media landscape is fractured, but journalists can still smell when a company’s PR team is trying to spin the news. Plus, it’s just not a good practice. The truth may not get immediate results, but it helps build a brand reputation over the long-term.
• Rift in the executive offices. When there are divisions in the executive team, particularly as it relates to the PR team, it makes for an uphill battle. A successful PR campaign needs buy-in from all of the executives.
• Seek a service agency. Successful PR campaigns work better when a firm is part of establishing the initial strategy, instead of simply carrying out a campaign. PR firms do this work everyday and bring established strategies, and know when to say something is not going to work, and, what will be successful.
• Sketchy PR track record. There may be legitimate reasons why a company seeks to switch its PR direction and go with another firm. Take notice if the switch is a regular occurrence. It might be a sign the company doesn’t get PR or has unreasonable expectations.
• No cultural fit. This red flag is based on the unscientific gut check. While you may not want to hang out with your clients after work, you do need to like and respect them and their business. Plus, work styles and expectations should mesh not just on paper.

(This post also appears on Ragan’s PRDaily)

Whether you have breaking news or want to publicize an event, pitching a story to local media is a great way to promote your cause. Newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations count on receiving pitches. They’re often flooded with pitches, though, so take the time to make yours really shine.

Research the media outlets in your area. Make a complete list of the publications and broadcast stations that might be interested in covering your story.

Visit local media websites to obtain a good idea of which reporters cover the topic you are pitching. For example, if you want to pitch a story about your dog rescue organization’s adoption day, it would be smart to send the pitch to a reporter who has recently done a story on animal shelters.

Ask yourself questions about your pitch, so that you’ll be prepared to answer similar questions from the reporters you contact. Be prepared to explain why your topic or event is newsworthy and how it’s different from topics or events the media outlet has covered in the past.

Send a press release. By mailing, faxing or emailing the press release before you call with your pitch, you’re giving the reporter a chance to read up on the issue or event. This is both courteous and effective.

Call members of the media a week or two before your event, if possible. Media outlets, particularly magazines and newspapers, schedule their coverage days or even weeks in advance. If you have breaking news, direct it toward a daily newspaper, a radio station or a television station.

Sell the reporter on your idea. She receives pitches all of the time, so make sure yours stands out. Be thoroughly informed about the topic before you pick up the phone, and offer to put the reporter in touch with leaders and experts from your organization.

Give the reporter your contact information and assure him that he can contact you any time. When you establish a good relationship with a reporter, he is likely to get in touch with you about future issues and events.

If you are passionate about the entertainment industry but would rather work behind the scenes, consider working as a publicist. As a publicist, you will work with artists, musicians and actors, helping guide their careers by creating buzz in the media about your clients. Publicists are responsible for setting up interviews and other promotional appearances by their clients. Entertainment publicists tend to be outgoing people who understand how the media business works and how to get their client into the spotlight.

Do internship work with local musicians or artists while in college to gain experience. Practice writing press releases, getting your clients interviews in the school or local paper and drum up interest in their shows by creating posters and other promotional material.

Look for other internship possibilities with established PR firms or newspapers while in college. Create a portfolio of your best pieces to showcase later when looking for a job or soliciting clients. Clippings from your college newspaper are ideal for this portfolio as well as any press releases you have written.

Move to an entertainment hub, such as Los Angeles or New York. Look for entry jobs at PR firms or agencies where you can work your way up.

Network constantly with people in the industry. Build up contacts and solicit potential clients. Realize it is a competitive industry and becoming an entertainment publicist will take a lot of time and energy before you can even dream of A-list clients

By Marsha J Friedman

Why Free or Low-Cost Press Release Services Might Not Deliver What You Really Want

Since the early days of consumerism, there is one catchphrase that is still difficult to deny: You get what you pay for.

In the PR business, I’ve had experience – as have some of my clients – with the free or low-cost press release services that seem to have proliferated all over the Internet. In fact, if you Google press release services, you’ll find a wide variety of them. Moreover, a reasonable number of them can deliver on the promise of getting your press release picked up by a good number of Web sites with hits that will show up on your Google and search engine profile. And, once in a while, a release on these services may indeed garner the interest of one or two sizable news outlets.

However, the question you have to ask yourself is, “What does that really get me?”

My view is simple – good PR isn’t just about the numbers. That’s what advertising is about, and in advertising, nothing is free. You get what you pay for, so if you want a lot of eyeballs and impressions, you’d better have a big budget. In PR, however, numbers is only one part of the story. If it was just about the numbers, then why would anyone want to do PR? Where’s the added value?

PR delivers the one element advertising cannot – credibility. When a legitimate news outlet features you or your company in their pages or as a guest on their shows, it acts as a tacit endorsement of you. It’s third-party verification that boosts your brand, as well as your positioning as an expert in your field and a respected source of information. It makes you attractive as someone other people may want to engage in business, whether it’s to buy your product, buy your book or hire you as a consultant. So the next question is, “Do press release services deliver that value?”

First, let’s examine how it all works. Most of these press release services have content aggregation agreements with other search engine optimized Web sites that do little more than provide visitors with press releases. The vast majority of the placements garnered are not typically with highly respected news outlets. That’s not to say that on the odd occasion a press release service can’t deliver that kind of exposure, but rather, it’s not really set up to do so. You see, with most major media outlets, there is a level of follow- up and response necessary to bag the big hits. But, these services don’t provide a PR person to follow up with anyone. They simply take your press release and distribute it. That’s all.

Now, a PR professional would not only have the industry know-how to understand the needs of the media outlets who respond, but they would also write the press release in such a way as to cause a response in the first place. That’s something else the press release services don’t do – they generally don’t write the release for you. Some might offer that service, but it would cost a lot more than the standard distribution service, sometimes into the hundreds of dollars.

So when it comes down to it, these companies are not set up to serve the needs of the media. They exist to serve the needs of clients who pay them to distribute their press release, in the hopes of getting some media coverage. If it does, that’s great. But if not, then all that’s been achieved is the placement of the press release on a variety of Web sites that, by and large, wouldn’t qualify as legitimate news media. (I define “legitimate media” as media that generates revenue from advertising.)

For someone who has little to spend, it’s not a bad start. And, it’s not that these services are deceptive in their practices. They’re not — they don’t promise more than what they deliver.

But, don’t confuse their actions with that of a real PR campaign. A press release service is not comparable to engaging a professional public relations firm. PR is not about hits on a Google listing. It’s not about accumulating a lot of listings in search engines. PR is about penetrating the din of the media to become well-known and well thought of as a company, a thought leader or individual with valuable information, products or services to offer the consumer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marsha_J_Friedman