Comments on: The Biggest Mistake PR Pros Make Every Day http://www.davidwmullen.com/2009/04/16/the-biggest-mistake-pr-pros-make-every-day/ David Mullen on PR, Integrated Communications and Social Media Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:15:53 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Brad Marley » Blog Archive » Weekly Grab Bag – May 1, 2009 http://www.davidwmullen.com/2009/04/16/the-biggest-mistake-pr-pros-make-every-day/#comment-4362 Brad Marley » Blog Archive » Weekly Grab Bag – May 1, 2009 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 17:54:07 +0000 http://www.davidwmullen.com/?p=1243#comment-4362 [...] The Biggest Mistake PR Pros Make Every Day (David Mullen): PR pro, David Mullen polls his followers on Twitter to get a sense of what what they think is the biggest mistake PR pros make.  Topics range from talking at your stakeholders, to not listening. [...] [...] The Biggest Mistake PR Pros Make Every Day (David Mullen): PR pro, David Mullen polls his followers on Twitter to get a sense of what what they think is the biggest mistake PR pros make.  Topics range from talking at your stakeholders, to not listening. [...]

]]> By: DAvid Wicks-Lynch http://www.davidwmullen.com/2009/04/16/the-biggest-mistake-pr-pros-make-every-day/#comment-2887 DAvid Wicks-Lynch Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:36:30 +0000 http://www.davidwmullen.com/?p=1243#comment-2887 The biggest and most noticeable is not spending enough time prepping an executive for a press interview and not actually monitoring it yourself. The second is not speaking to the reporter before hand on what the interview is going to be about. I can't stress enough the importance of media training to save key company people from themselves. And, of course, listening as already mentioned. The biggest and most noticeable is not spending enough time prepping an executive for a press interview and not actually monitoring it yourself. The second is not speaking to the reporter before hand on what the interview is going to be about. I can’t stress enough the importance of media training to save key company people from themselves. And, of course, listening as already mentioned.

]]> By: Deborah H. French http://www.davidwmullen.com/2009/04/16/the-biggest-mistake-pr-pros-make-every-day/#comment-1414 Deborah H. French Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:55:07 +0000 http://www.davidwmullen.com/?p=1243#comment-1414 Your post and all of these comments make excellent points that we in PR would do well to heed. Laurie Duffy's observation -- that we often "take orders" to make our clients happy instead of drawing on our knowledge and experience to offer them good advice -- is right on. And yes, we need to listen better to the real needs of our clients,then seek out the tools and strategies that are best suited to helping them accomplish their goals. Your post and all of these comments make excellent points that we in PR would do well to heed. Laurie Duffy’s observation — that we often “take orders” to make our clients happy instead of drawing on our knowledge and experience to offer them good advice — is right on. And yes, we need to listen better to the real needs of our clients,then seek out the tools and strategies that are best suited to helping them accomplish their goals.

]]> By: Jared O'Toole http://www.davidwmullen.com/2009/04/16/the-biggest-mistake-pr-pros-make-every-day/#comment-1179 Jared O'Toole Sun, 26 Apr 2009 03:27:28 +0000 http://www.davidwmullen.com/?p=1243#comment-1179 Its all about listening. I think in any industry this is one of the biggest mistakes people make. You have to listen to the clients. Dont get set in your own ways but listen to your clients and work together to achieve a goal. Its all about listening. I think in any industry this is one of the biggest mistakes people make. You have to listen to the clients. Dont get set in your own ways but listen to your clients and work together to achieve a goal.

]]> By: swelstead http://www.davidwmullen.com/2009/04/16/the-biggest-mistake-pr-pros-make-every-day/#comment-1084 swelstead Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:09:05 +0000 http://www.davidwmullen.com/?p=1243#comment-1084 I'm client-side now, and PR is only part of my larger 'brand management' jobs, but... In the past few months I've worked for, with and alongside quite a few PR professionals here in Toronto, and I always come away kind of gobsmacked at their lack of understanding of social media and other online channels. While other communications professionals have been busy crafting cohesive, 'platform-agnostic' messages, the PR types are still stuck in the 'distribute press release, leave a bunch of voicemails' model. (It's entirely possible that my frame of reference is too small, of course.) I’m client-side now, and PR is only part of my larger ‘brand management’ jobs, but…

In the past few months I’ve worked for, with and alongside quite a few PR professionals here in Toronto, and I always come away kind of gobsmacked at their lack of understanding of social media and other online channels.

While other communications professionals have been busy crafting cohesive, ‘platform-agnostic’ messages, the PR types are still stuck in the ‘distribute press release, leave a bunch of voicemails’ model.

(It’s entirely possible that my frame of reference is too small, of course.)

]]> By: ryost http://www.davidwmullen.com/2009/04/16/the-biggest-mistake-pr-pros-make-every-day/#comment-1082 ryost Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:21:53 +0000 http://www.davidwmullen.com/?p=1243#comment-1082 Thanks for including my thought, David. Great ideas and thoughts in the comments, as well. One of my best clients' CEO is always asking how my efforts are helping and aligned with their business objectives. It's a great exercise to actively lay out how every project/ idea drives their ultimate business goals, and a practice that I've begun with all my clients. Of course, it helps when your clients can clearly articulate their goals! @ryost Thanks for including my thought, David. Great ideas and thoughts in the comments, as well.

One of my best clients’ CEO is always asking how my efforts are helping and aligned with their business objectives. It’s a great exercise to actively lay out how every project/ idea drives their ultimate business goals, and a practice that I’ve begun with all my clients.

Of course, it helps when your clients can clearly articulate their goals!

@ryost

]]> By: Danny Brown http://www.davidwmullen.com/2009/04/16/the-biggest-mistake-pr-pros-make-every-day/#comment-1077 Danny Brown Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:34:38 +0000 http://www.davidwmullen.com/?p=1243#comment-1077 I get really frustrated with those that want to *be* the story, as opposed to just telling it. The ones who rattle off all their achievements in the boilerplate of a press release while offering little of their client's details. The ones that pontificate on how their way has always been right so there's no need to change. The ones that refuse to let interns or juniors have a voice because they're "just kids". Basically, the arrogant PR type that thinks God created the world as their own personal sandbox. And there's a lot of the buggers... I get really frustrated with those that want to *be* the story, as opposed to just telling it.

The ones who rattle off all their achievements in the boilerplate of a press release while offering little of their client’s details.

The ones that pontificate on how their way has always been right so there’s no need to change.

The ones that refuse to let interns or juniors have a voice because they’re “just kids”.

Basically, the arrogant PR type that thinks God created the world as their own personal sandbox.

And there’s a lot of the buggers…

]]> By: Daria Steigman http://www.davidwmullen.com/2009/04/16/the-biggest-mistake-pr-pros-make-every-day/#comment-1069 Daria Steigman Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:39:53 +0000 http://www.davidwmullen.com/?p=1243#comment-1069 Great post, David, and I completely agree with you about the danger of operating in a silo. But sadly this isn't so much a PR problem as a business / organizational challenge. And thanks, Starr, for raising one of my pet peeves: that comms. folks want a seat at the table but don't operate with an understanding that communications is a core business function. Have a great weekend, Daria Great post, David, and I completely agree with you about the danger of operating in a silo. But sadly this isn’t so much a PR problem as a business / organizational challenge.

And thanks, Starr, for raising one of my pet peeves: that comms. folks want a seat at the table but don’t operate with an understanding that communications is a core business function.

Have a great weekend,
Daria

]]> By: Chuck Hemann http://www.davidwmullen.com/2009/04/16/the-biggest-mistake-pr-pros-make-every-day/#comment-1068 Chuck Hemann Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:12:00 +0000 http://www.davidwmullen.com/?p=1243#comment-1068 David - I think you stole mine, but it was not aligning communications goals with overall business strategies/objectives. My sense is that PR is seen by many C-Suite executives to be a black hole for cash. If the overall business strategies aligned with the PR strategies I think that perception would likely disappear. Of course, that's all fine and good, but you need a PR practitioner with the ability to speak at that level. As we well know, there aren't many of those folks walking the earth. So I suppose my advice to pros would be to understand the nuances of the business and then try and craft communications strategies around them. I don't think it works the other way around. David – I think you stole mine, but it was not aligning communications goals with overall business strategies/objectives. My sense is that PR is seen by many C-Suite executives to be a black hole for cash. If the overall business strategies aligned with the PR strategies I think that perception would likely disappear.

Of course, that’s all fine and good, but you need a PR practitioner with the ability to speak at that level. As we well know, there aren’t many of those folks walking the earth.

So I suppose my advice to pros would be to understand the nuances of the business and then try and craft communications strategies around them. I don’t think it works the other way around.

]]> By: Brad http://www.davidwmullen.com/2009/04/16/the-biggest-mistake-pr-pros-make-every-day/#comment-1067 Brad Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:01:13 +0000 http://www.davidwmullen.com/?p=1243#comment-1067 Generic buddy mail. You know what I'm talking about - the template e-mail that starts "Dear, XXXXX." I think reporters can see right through this, and quickly dismiss our outreach. In my humble opinion, taking a few extra minutes to personalize it to the interests of your reporter makes all the difference. Generic buddy mail.

You know what I’m talking about – the template e-mail that starts “Dear, XXXXX.”

I think reporters can see right through this, and quickly dismiss our outreach.

In my humble opinion, taking a few extra minutes to personalize it to the interests of your reporter makes all the difference.

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