Face Value In Public Relations

It is uncontested that technology and social media has made the job of a PR professional easier and more diverse. It has gone on to redefine everything that was supposed to stump companies and clients by making things accessible easier from customers, consumers and providers. One of the reasons is the convenience it offers, varied, myriad and always opening more options. The system of cloud computing via Google and interlinking onwards to different personal pages makes the flow of information smoother or transparent. Communication via email or real time chat makes time management a piece of cake by getting or dispensing information at the opportune moment. This also does away with the necessity to be physically present where one has to lose time on irrelevant details like driving around, parking, being on a formal lunch or dinner. With the time saved, more can be get done. It is relevant to acknowledge the importance of increased presence by optimization of resources and time. An active social presence while being able to tap potential customers while doing justice to the present ones gives credibility to enhance image in similar professional circles. 

A PR agency cannot always cater to one client at a time.

Indirect communication in direct consequence gives one time to review and formulate the best responses while ensuring minimum faults, thus the online preference. The idea is to remain connected without any real strings. Often people prefer such medium because face-to-face meetings requires an amount of honesty/clarity that many cannot convey, and often stumble.

While all this is the reality of today, one has to take a step and evaluate the future of such a practice, and how long can one go conversing with the screen about Public Relations which has private/personal connotations. The corporate world is structured on the habits of a generation that evolved with technology catering to just about every aspect of life. Some relationships run their full course in the universe of the web, never really touching the factor of existence, just an e-mail id. No matter how much one values the boon of technology, the spirit of human connection need not be forgotten.

 There are a few instances/situations where human interaction trumps digital communication especially in PR where the manipulation of public sentiment is required through collaboration. The most important thing one can gain is the transparency of human emotions, actions, voice, body language, tone etc., which is unfortunately the thing one runs away from to hide behind the veneer of white screens or soft copies. However, these are the following situations where one must buckle up to face it head on. The mastery lies in being confident, comfortable and prepared.

1.      Negotiations: The action of springing ideas back and forth by tabling all issues at once makes both the parties involved, and aware of ideas or intention of the other. It speeds up the action of forming sentences, modifying them over e-mails and one often loses track since a lot of time is spent thinking, writing, editing and then delivering. Once the issue gains momentum, both parties are free to voice their concerns and reach a solution catering them both. Same goes for arbitration, conciliation etc., albeit in different procedures. In the end, it’s faster and yields quicker results.

2.      Showing Gratitude/ Thanking: Everybody likes appreciation, especially one that is well deserved and long overdue. A problem, or a long-overdrawn deal that had clouded the work circles for months finally comes to a close, requires a moment of celebration. If someone goes out of their way, whether company or client undertaking something to benefit you, it’s only human that a personal thank you be extended, which goes a long way in strengthening relations. If the entire process happened over the internet, it’s all right to thank one in the same fashion. But that’s what makes a difference, the weight of human presence.

3.      Apologizing: It’s understood in the PR world that apologies are as necessary as thank-yous and sweeping under the rug habit is akin to creating traps to stumble upon. Every once a while this happens and some usually cower away from accepting responsibility or prefer a template-style apology. It’s imperative to recognize how much it means to be able to comfort the client and apologize stating the fact that somethings are beyond one’s control. A well-typed apology might not be received as it has short memory, whereas human presence lingers even after one is gone, thereby showing the level of dedication to the project.

4.      Selling/Pitching: In order to successfully execute a sales pitch, there is no better way than to do it in person. This ensures that the client is made to understand everything about the idea. Written text often leads the targeted business to over-analyse everything wherein there’s nothing to stem their fears either and the idea is dumped in the first stage. A face-to-face meeting instils confidence in the client about the severity of the idea and what one brings to the table can be better explained.

There are no hard and fast rules to be a good PR agent. However, the core values mustn’t be ignored in favour of comforts that would eventually fail their own purpose. The mantra is to go back to the basics and use technology to make PR easier rather than relying on it blindly.