Guest article: Matt Baldwin, Coast Communications
There has long been a phrase used by professional services marketers to define their fee-earning colleagues – the finders, minders and grinders.
It’s a crude way to describe those that win work, those that keep clients delighted and the technical specialists working largely behind the scenes.
It is the same with PR and comms.
There are those who are happy to jump on a call or turn out a brief punchy line in response to a journalist’s question. There are those that love to write articles yet left cold by the suggestion they speak to a journalist, and then those with all the ideas but little time or inclination to follow them through.
Those that are quick with a line are journalists’ best friend. They know instinctively what will land and what won’t. But they need support and sometimes reining in. Because ultimately you don’t control the message, and that brings risk.
The writers are the PR’s best friend. The lawyer or accountant happy to put pen to paper and turn out readable copy time and again is an asset to be treasured and nurtured. Both can rest easy knowing they control the message entirely. The risks are low and the rewards high.
Your ideas people are the gold. Yes, they will drop the idea and then walk away. But the talented PR will know what to do next – how and who is best placed to move that idea forward.
It’s important that PR teams – whether in-house or in agency land – quickly recognise these individuals.
The colleague who is quick with a comment but goes quiet when asked to write will likely leave a journalist disappointed. Asking someone comfortable in writing and explaining detail to produce three short paragraphs may leave everyone frustrated.
It is the right ask of the right person.
Build and nudge
PR teams need to play to the talent a firm has. But they should also nudge PR stars gently into the role you want them to play.
Whilst those comfortable writing articles may shy away from an interview with a national newspaper, they may with a little handholding be persuaded to share written comment with a journalist. Those with ideas may not be bothered by a trade title, but with gentle pressure perfectly happy to meet and speak to a journalist from a national media outlet.
Matching the stars to the ask builds confidence. And that confidence will help the PR effort soar.
Get it wrong, well, that frustrates everyone.
Matt Baldwin is the joint managing director of Coast, a media relations agency.