It’s nice to be nice

This morning on Twitter I “re-tweeted” or RT’ed if you will, a post about “9 PR Rules” which made think about what I’ve learnt about PR from my experiences in the real world. Here are some of my thoughts.

No one likes a liar….

No one likes to be told something, when the opposite is true, no one likes to find out that when dinner is cancelled, it wasn’t – the invitation was just reneged.

Same goes for PR; don’t oversell, over promise or say anything until you’re 110% sure that it’s all correct, set in concrete and good-to-go.  Ultimately, you’re not only wasting your client’s – or a journalist, writer, whoever’s time. You’re wasting your own.

Big noting only goes so far…

Sure we all like talking about the time we had drinks in the bar with The Black Eyed Peas and the time we walked the red carpet at the Australian MTV awards… but does everyone need to hear these stories on high rotation?

I understand that one of the most important parts of PR is making sure the mass audience knows about your client, but make sure you’re telling it to the right audience – an audience who’ll be interested.  Don’t go over old ground. Once you’ve told the story move on – it’s not news if it ain’t new.

Manners rule…

Remember when you were younger and the adults smiled and looked upon you approvingly when you used your manners at the dinner table? Can you remember a time when a thank-you note could arrive in the mailbox for your parents, from a family friend thanking your parents for a lovely dinner party?

Times may have changed. Manners haven’t.

It’s always nice to remember your pleases and thank-you’s when speaking to clients, media and your co-workers.

A thank you letter to an editor or journalist after running a story doesn’t have to cost the earth. If you’re really stuck for time a thank-you email will suffice. It’s the thought that counts and trust me, they’ll remember the fact that you’ve taken the time to write a couple of lines to thank them for their hard work and efforts in making your job easier.

Now it’s your turn… what life lessons have you learned that can be used in the work environment? Leave your ideas and comments in the box below.

– Brooke Simmons