If you have never used public relations to attract customers, then you are losing money every day
Prospecting, or looking for potential customers, is one of the most arduous parts of the sales process that an organization’s sales area must carry out constantly. Without customers interested in a given product or service, failure can be imminent.
This task, repeated every day, can be as exhausting as it is challenging. However, what would you think if I told you there is a “miraculous” tool that makes customers come on their own. Yes, without thousands of daily calls and fruitless negotiations. With only a well-studied, segmented communication strategy, those customers you watch walk past you into your competition’s arms can stop right in front of your company, convinced that it is the option they need.
That hidden diamond is called Public Relations (PR) and it is nothing other than: “All those communication actions that an organization carries out strategically, coordinated and sustained over time; whose main objective is to strengthen ties with its different audiences, listening to them, informing them and persuading them to achieve consensus, loyalty, affinity and their support in present and/or future actions.”
Bill Gates stated: “If I had only one dollar left in my budget, I would invest it in Public Relations.” The owner of Microsoft knew that investing in PR meant securing free mentions in the media around the world, with a level of credibility four times higher than if he had placed a full-page, full-color ad in the most prestigious newspaper of any city.
Implementing PR actions in a company, under the guidance of a communication specialist or a public relations agency, means immersing yourself in the heart of the organization, getting to know its mission and vision and aligning with its goals to project the best image that serves as a springboard to build a good reputation, keep existing customers and win potential ones. The road is long, but keep in mind that: “What is not started is never finished.”
Carry out a diagnosis of the company.
What do a doctor and a public relations professional have in common? Believe it or not, there is a certain similarity between these two professionals. When a patient visits a doctor it is because they have an ailment and need a diagnosis and a medication. When a manager or CEO seeks out a public relations professional or a Public Relations company it is because they need to communicate something or need to solve a communication problem. To establish the right strategy, the public relations professional must get to know the organization fully, listen to its executives, analyze the problem or need and provide the right solution.
Set a calendar.
Drawing up a public relations plan requires foresight. Whether annual, quarterly, or if you will implement a campaign, planning will help organize all the steps to follow over time, and thus anticipate situations or dates that can be used to build brand presence for a good reason. For example, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Internet Day, Independence Day, etc.
Carry out or take part in networking activities.
A representative of Business Network International (BNI), a local business networking organization, stated that: of almost 2,000 contacts generated in a district of Galicia over eleven months in the networking network, almost 50% end up in business.
Taking part in fairs, events and meetings with decision-makers or strategic people who may be interested in your product or service is a very practical way to generate new business. In this way, networking is aimed at creating a wide network of contacts to make your company or business known. To achieve this, keep in mind that first impressions do count, and you must take the utmost care with presentation, attitude and courtesy. No one would like to do business or establish a commercial relationship with someone disheveled or who does not pay attention to the person they are speaking with.
Media relations.
One of the best ways to position yourself in the minds of the media and influencers as an expert in your field is to build relationships with them. Generate topics of interest around your product, but thinking about the target audience; avoid making your topic the center of the message and try to offer figures or market data that go hand in hand with your information. Journalists give interviews or attend relationship-building meetings when the information is interesting and even more so if it is a scoop. Before a meeting, prepare through media training, plan your speech, study the profile of the journalist and the outlet, and assess the critical or sensitive topics that might arise.
Watch your budget.
Surely your organizational chart includes a marketing area that stands out for activities with a heavy stress load and a high demand for results. For that reason, it is not always possible to invest in an in-house public relations professional, even, if your company continuously carries out media activities or requires a permanent media presence. In this case, it is most advisable to hire a public relations agency to take charge of designing your communication and public relations plan and assign you a team of specialists who listen to your requirements and provide tailored solutions aligned with your communication goals, while you focus on your business.
Depending on your needs, the agency will provide solutions so you get the best cost-benefit, whether you want to do just one project or a sustained strategy that supports your brand positioning and strengthens your reputation.
Remember that a company that communicates, and does so strategically, is destined to endure over time; and whoever never speaks simply gets lost along the way. The opportunity to prove it to you is just a click away.
