Underestimating the Power of In-house PR

Written by Carolyn Moncel


Continued from page 1

Researchrepparttar reporters who cover your company's industry and studyrepparttar 104974 types of stories that they like to write.

Learn their deadlines and how they prefer to be contacted. Introduce yourself by phone and make it a point to speak with them regularly -- not just to talk about your company, but also aboutrepparttar 104975 industry in general. Use those conversations to offer up source materials that will help reporters write terrific stories. If you are able to do this successfully, you will become a trusted source that reporters return to repeatedly, and you will significantly increase your chances of gaining coverage for your company.

Always Return Media Phone Calls Immediately.

Keep yourself and your organization atrepparttar 104976 ready to receive phone calls fromrepparttar 104977 press. Make sure that reporters know how to reach you in a 24-hour cycle. This means they should have your office, cell, home, and pager numbers, as well as a contact e-mail address. If you still happen to missrepparttar 104978 call, return it ASAP. Always prepare yourself or members from your organization to conduct interviews from anywhere, at any time.

Conduct proper follow up afterrepparttar 104979 interview.

This is not a call to find out when a story will be published, but rather a call to make sure thatrepparttar 104980 reporters have everything they need in order to write a favorable story on your organization.

Whenever our company executives were interviewed by reporters, one team member would always accompany them torepparttar 104981 interview to take careful notes. Alternately,repparttar 104982 other team member would remain inrepparttar 104983 office on standby. If, duringrepparttar 104984 interview,repparttar 104985 reporter indicated a need for specific information, an urgent message would be relayed back torepparttar 104986 office so thatrepparttar 104987 team member had time to gatherrepparttar 104988 information. Without fail, we always hadrepparttar 104989 requested information waiting inrepparttar 104990 reporter's e-mail inbox before they arrived back torepparttar 104991 office. This may seem like a small task, but getting it right could really decide whether or not a reporter selects your story, or moves on to a new one.

The important point to remember here is this. Never underestimaterepparttar 104992 power and dedication of your in-house staff. Before you makerepparttar 104993 investment in retaining a PR agency, look at your internal talent first. What you find just might surprise you, and their drive to succeed will become contagious throughout your entire organization. And whenrepparttar 104994 time comes to hire a PR firm, you will have a ready-made collaborative team in place to work with your outside agency. Your in-house team knows your company better than anyone and that's where you, as a small-business owner, have an advantage overrepparttar 104995 "big boys" atrepparttar 104996 large PR agencies in gettingrepparttar 104997 media's attention.



Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondave Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her at carolyn@motiontemps.com or by phone in the United States at 877.815.0167 or 011.331.4997.9059 in France.


What to Say When the Media Calls

Written by Carolyn Moncel


Continued from page 1

Anticipaterepparttar types of questions that that reporter might ask, and prepare truthful answers for them.

Assume that everything you say to a reporter - jokingly or otherwise, will be used inrepparttar 104973 story. Always be aware of what is being stated, and if an awkward silence develops, don't feel obligated to keep talking if you have no more to say onrepparttar 104974 subject matter.

Avoid speculation or hypothetical situations. It could lead to being misquoted. You arerepparttar 104975 expert so stick to what you know.

Admit when you don't knowrepparttar 104976 answer to a question. However, make it your top priority to findrepparttar 104977 answers and deliver them torepparttar 104978 reporter immediately. It is also fine to take a moment to think before answering a question.

Avoid using technical terms or jargon. You must be able to explain your ideas simply and concisely.

Take notes and don't be afraid to askrepparttar 104979 reporters questions as well.

Make yourself available by phone or e-mail in caserepparttar 104980 reporter has additional questions or wants to do a final fact check before completingrepparttar 104981 story. This will help give clarification to something you've said or give an opportunity to fix something if you've misspoken.

Thankrepparttar 104982 reporter for selecting you forrepparttar 104983 interview.



Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondave Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her at carolyn@motiontemps.com or by phone in the United States at 877.815.0167 or 011.331.4997.9059 in France.




    <Back to Page 1
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use