I Wish I Knew

It's Who You Know

There is truth in the saying "It's who you know." Networking should be a part of your career plans.  But what does networking really mean? Going to your monthly PRSA meetings and handing out cards?Not so much.

According to Keith Ferrazzi, the author of "Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time," networking is about connecting. He writes, "I learned that 'real' networking was about finding ways to make 'other' people more successful."

Whoa! I'm a newbie in the field. Shouldn't the people I meet help ME become more successful? Successful networking goes both ways. Let's role play.

You've decided that to meet people, you're going to volunteer at the local Boys and Girls Club. One night, you meet *Fred (names have been changed to protect privacy) and he introduces himself and asks you what you do (always a safe question when making small talk). You introduce yourself and tell him you work at the Gurus Group and then reciprocate the question. Fred tells you that he works at AnimalsUnite, a nonprofit that lobbies for animal rights. He mentions during a friendly game of basketball, that they are having difficulties raising money, he's hired several consultants with no success and if he doesn't make financial goals by the end of the year, he'll be out of a job.

You think, "Sucks to be You." and gracefully exit out of the game by faking a sprained ankle to get away.

Replay. What you should do is say to Fred, "You know, Fred, my father's best friend, Al Allen, specializes in raising money for nonprofits online. He has had great success. Our agency hired him on behalf of one of our nonprofits and they are having their best year ever. Tomorrow, I'll forward you his contact information if you give me your email address. Another cool thing about him is that he doesn't charge for his service unless a company's financial goal is met or succeeded."

You follow through the next day, Fred hires Al Allen and success follows. His board considers him a hero. He keeps in touch with you and asks you what you need help with in your career.

This is an example of successful networking. You may not have a way to help someone you meet immediately, but if you stay connected with that person, over time, you'll be able to help them become more successful (and ultimately you will become more successful).

Ready to jump right in the networking game? The holiday season is ripe for meeting people. To learn how to take advantage of all the networking opportunities that will be coming your way, read an article from Ferrazzi called, "Seven Tips for Networking Through the Holidays" 

Good luck and don't forget to share your best networking tips and successes here...

The Gift of Giving

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season has officially begun and many of you are probably still trying to recover from your day after Thanksgiving early morning shopping spree. While you were seeking out the best gifts for the best deal, did you buy your boss a holiday gift?  No worries, you still have some time.....

Are you obligated to buy your boss a Christmas gift? I wrote about this topic last year in my December PR Tactics column and searched some PR blogs to see if anyone else has addressed this issue (so far, I've found nothing). Is there a hands down right answer? Debatable.

Here are a few options:

1) Buy your boss a gift from you.

2) Have all of your colleagues chip in to buy your boss a gift.

3) Get your boss nothing (and hope no one else in your office does either -- those brownnosers...). This may be what many employees lean towards, especially if they are broke, don't like their boss or both.

Seriously, many etiquette experts say that you are not obligated to buy your boss a gift. One reason, is that you might come across as trying to buy your way into he good graces of your boss.  Another reason is that the gift you choose may not be appropriate or actually offend the person.

If you feel obligated to say thank you in some way, then I (and many etiquette experts) recommend purchasing a team (or office) gift. Approach all of your co-workers and ask if they want to go in together. Next, determine how much you want to spend and then each person should pitch in. Keep in mind, you don't have to spend a lot of money to get her a great gift.

A few things to avoid, alcohol, intimate items, perfume, clothes, etc. Good suggestions, food or gift cards. A perfect gift would be a gift card to a local golf store if your boss' favorite hobby is golfing.

But what about my co-workers? Do I need to get them something? I've worked in offices where employees give everyone something and in offices where no one gets anyone anything. No, you don't have to get your co-workers a gift.

However, a few nice gestures include giving everyone a card and personally thanking them for something they have done to help you during the year. If you like to cook, make little cookie platters for people, or one large platter for the office. It is a nice gesture and doesn't cost too much (just a little time).

The holidays should be a fun time so don't let your decision stress you out. Just choose the option that you feel works best for you.

Enough Already!

I can't seem to get away from work. Between my laptop and CrackBerry (aka Blackberry) I'm reachable 24/7. People call. People email. And people call and email some more.

Businesses hit the big time with the advent of the laptop because people could work at home. Things got even better when wireless was invented and then, oh my -- cell phones that receive email. PAYDIRT. 

Hmmmm....not so much. These technologies are becoming the worst things to happen to America (and me). We already work too much and now we work even more. We're expected to be available all the time. Studies have actually shown that we are losing productivity with these technologies, not gaining productivity.

Last week I left for a business trip to California and forgot my CrackBerry. For the first few hours, I couldn't seem to function. I felt lost. Then, as the weekend progressed, I actually felt relieved to not have to continually answer the phone for nonemergencies and respond to emails that could wait until Monday. I even became annoyed with the passengers on the plane who couldn't turn off their phones and we're calling people as soon as the wheels hit the ground. Enough already!

Which segues me into my point. We as employees, need to curb our own work schedules -- set our own limits. If you're just starting in your career, set some limitations with your boss. After 5:00 PM, you're off duty -- unless there is an emergency.

So what constitutes and emergency? Your clients own a manufacturing facility where the employees go on strike. Your CEO is arrested for tax fraud. A senior level CEO is killed in a plane crash. These are emergencies. Your boss having a GREAT idea at 10:30 PM -on a Saturday night- this is not an emergency. Ask her to call your work phone and leave you a message and then you can capture the idea when you get into work in the morning.

Working less, will actually help us work better. To support my theory, I ran across an article in this month's Fast Company addressing this very issue. The article was called "An E-Tool Bill of Rights" and detailed how we could save ourselves from ourself. It is an expert from Joe Robinson who wrote, "Work to Live: The Guide to Getting A Life."   To read more about the book, (or buy the book) visit http://www.worktolive.info.

                    

"The line between work and home has become so blurred that the only way you can tell them apart is that one has a bed."

                                                                     --Joe Robinson

For all you work addicts, this should be a must read. And after you do, share your comments with us. Now go relax.....

I was checking out some other PR blogs today and found a good blog entry on Work Life Balance at the PR Divas blog. You can check it out at: http://blabbermouth.typepad.com/prdivas/2006/11/work_life_where.html

In The Know

Many people ask what they should read everyday. This is a tough question because you can’t read everything, but you need to read enough to be dangerous. And, you need to be up to date on your area of specialty or your clients.

Personally, I begin each day browsing the headlines of the New York Times and then quickly skim through USA Today and my local paper. Each week, I try to read Newsweek and BusinessWeek and read Fortune magazine each month.

When I had multiple clients, I skimmed through the trade publications that covered their industry as well as daily email updates (I still do this for my current industry). Then, I targeted what publications I wanted to see them in and studied those. You don’t want to pitch publications that you’ve never read, because the journalist can sense your ignorance.

Something you should keep in mind – if you work for an agency, you need to know as much or more about your client’s industry. How else can you positively represent them if you don’t know the ins and outs of their product and their competitors?

In Your Spare Time

What about business books? Each year, dozens of new business books are released and it’s hard to know which ones to read. I’ve read several lately and many don’t directly relate to the PR industry, but offer valuable insights. Here are a few of my favorites:

The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR, by Al Ries and Laura Ries. This book is already a classic in the industry and gives you a leg to stand on when fighting for dollars against the advertising and marketing departments. This is a must read if you’re in the PR industry.

The Tipping Point, by Malcom Goodwin. All products that become successful, such as the iPod, have a moment in time where they go from “another product” to a must have. Goodwin says, “Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do.” To learn how to make your product or idea or issue the next biggest thing, this book is a must read. Goodwin also has a blog at www.gladwell.com/tippingpoint/index.html

Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. Technically, this book has nothing to do with communications, but it is fascinating all the same. The authors take various problems, like crime, apply economic principles to them and devise solutions. Maybe the next time you’re struggling with your PR strategy and tactics, consider applying economics to your problem. You can learn more by reading the authors’ blog at www.freakonomics.com/blog

You’re Marketing Sucks, by Mark Stevens. Wait, I’m in PR. Why should I read about marketing? In an ideal world, marketing and PR work together. So if your company’s marketing plans are off target, your PR tactics will be off strategy as well. This is a great way to discover the principles of good marketing. Stevens also has an interesting blog which you can find at www.msco.com/blog

   

Happy reading and feel free to share books that you feel are a must.

 

You are your own brand equity

I’m fascinated with brands. Nike. Intel. Apple. As you’re starting out your career, you may not be working on some of the world’s most famous brands, but as a PR professional, you are representing the brand integrity of each company you work for or client you represent.

It’s not only products that make up a brand. People, are a brand. Michael Jordon. Lance Armstrong, Oprah Winfrey. YOU.  You are your own brand and your brand is an extremely important asset as you develop your career and areas of expertise. What do you want to be known for? Will you be the pitching maven? Are you the resident writer and editor? The better you develop your “brand” the more valuable you become to an organization.

I recently came across this concept in detail in “The Circle of Innovation” by Tom Peters. He offers what he calls a PBE or Personal Brand Equity Test (see below).  Take some time to answer the following questions. If you’re not sure what you’re known for or what you should be known for, then ask some of your colleagues. Next, create a mini plan on how you’re going to improve your brand over the next six months to a year. (BTW- your brand equity should always be evolving and worth more as you gain more work experience.)

Your PBE

1. I am known for (2-4 items); by next year at this time, I plan also to be known for (1-2 items). If you are just starting out, make a list of what you would like to be known for.
2. My current project(s) is provocative and challenging to me in the following (1-3 ways). If you don’t feel that your work has any challenges, then you need to identify some new projects or areas that you can experience. Are the new projects you want to work on not part of your job responsibilities?  Then volunteer for the new project.
3. New learnings in the last 90 days include (1-3 items).
4. My public (local/regional/national/global) “visibility program” consists of (2-4 items). You can improve your visibility program by participating in outside organizations, volunteering, working with mentors, and more.
5. Important new additions to my Rolodex in the last 90 days are (2-5 names). You never know where your next big break will come from so it’s important to meet as may people as you can (networking).
6. Important relationships nurtured in the last 90 days include (1-3 names).
7. My principal “resume enhancement activity” for the next 60-90 days is (1 item). For example, if you sign up for a committee with your local PRSA chapter, this not only gives you a new experience outside of your current work responsibilities, but will help you develop Rolodex additions.
8. My resume is specifically different than last year’s at this time in the following (1-3 ways).

For both newbies and novices, it is important to review your PBE every year. If you stop meeting new people and trying new things, then you’re limiting yourself and your career.