Develop Your Networks Before You Need Them

I recently attended a workshop on social networking (Facebook, Linked-In, Twitter, and the like). My takeaway: go ahead and develop social networks now even though you may not currently need to use them. And when you do need them, they will be there for you.

It's the same way with real life networks.

When do we really need to have our professional networks come through for us? When we are developing business, looking for information, and, uh, yes, when we are looking for work. And when we do, it sure is a lot easier to have those networks in place so we are not starting from scratch.

Okay, I will be real honest here. I can't begin to tell you how many people I meet who introduce themselves to me for the first time and then promptly ask for job leads or even recommendations. I am always happy to share leads. But recommendations for someone I just met? Not so much.

I typically recommend people who I know well and can vouch for their work in some manner. And who are those people? Usually fellow PRSA-NCC members.

I have a high comfort level with the PRSA-NCC members that I've known for years. I've followed their careers closely so I know about their successes and, yes, their missteps. I know what they do well, their work style, and their personality. So it's easy for me to recommend them when the right opportunity presents itself.

So that's why I recommend you continually develop your networks (and PRSA-NCC is the best place for that in DC PR circles) even though you don't think you need them right now. And when you do need them-and that's inevitable-they will be there for you.

Sincerely,

Jeff Ghannam
2010 PRSA-NCC President

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Grab the Glory; Apply for a Thoth

Special Election for PRSA-NCC President Elect

PRSA-NCC President-Elect Samantha Villegas, APR, has resigned from the NCC board and has taken a job in Lexington, KY.  The chapter will hold a special election via email to select a new President-Elect.

The Nominating Committee, with the consent of the NCC Board, has nominated Brigitte Johnson, APR, to run for President-Elect.  If elected, she will become chapter president in January 2011.  Brigitte is currently serving as a Vice President of NCC.  The election ballot will be emailed to all NCC members within the next few days, so please be sure to vote. 

Mentors Needed for Mentor-Protégé Program

PRSA-NCC's mentoring program is expanding to include current and newly graduated PR students as prospective protégés. To accommodate the expansion, potential and existing mentors are encouraged to sign up for next year's program. Even existing members need you sign up again to update contact information. Upon completing a mentor profile, you will be assigned a protégé.
 
This is a great opportunity to share your knowledge of the PR and job searching without taking much of your time. Protégés look for career guidance and suggestions for finding their first or second job through an occasional phone call or e-mail message to their mentors.  To sign up as a mentor, go to http://www.prsa-ncc.org/mentoring and click on and fill out the Mentor Profile form
(http://www.prsa-ncc.org/option,com_forme/fid,5/).

Save the Date! Membership Mixer at Nationals Baseball Game on June 10

What it Takes to Write a Winning Proposal

Dr. Rochelle Larkin Ford, APR, spoke at the Independent Public Relations Alliance (IPRA) luncheon in March where she discussed the latest trends for landing new business in today's more competitive environment. In a lively discussion, Dr. Ford defined the two main types of proposals (solicited and unsolicited) and gave recommendations for how best to proceed.

With solicited proposals, before responding to an RFP, Dr. Ford recommends asking the following questions:
- Can I take this on?
- Am I interested in this project?
- Do I have the expertise to solve the problem or can I hire a team?

If you decide to pursue the RFP, Dr. Ford recommends, "reading the RFP over and over again and get to know it inside and out." She also recommends:
- Make sure proposal is clearly lined out and that it has the same tone as the language in the RFP
- Avoid use of acronyms
- Put up or shut up: Firms need to be able to back up recommendations with specifics, not claims
- Proof, proof and proof the proposal again

On the subject of unsolicited proposals, Dr. Ford explained, "they are all about the relationship. You must really get to know your potential client and develop a unique approach to help them solve their problem." Finally, Dr. Ford discussed the key components of successful proposals:
1.    Description of challenge
2.    Strategic recommendations
3.    Scope of project
4.    Specific deliverables
5.    Personnel, emphasizing benefits clients can get from your firm
6.    Timetable
7.    Clear statement of fees
8.    Details of when payments are due

Starting a Pro Bono Program

C.Fox Communications, a Silver Spring, MD-based PR and marketing agency, has worked with various clients on a pro bono basis in the past.  This year, however, C.Fox decided to formalize the process for choosing the next pro bono client to involve more members of the agency in the selection process and to get a better sense for the depth and range of organizations in need. 

Open to any mission-driven organization in the country, the 2010 it Award (short for inspired thought), offers $20,000 worth of pr and marketing services free of charge through the end of the year. After a three-month call for entries and one-month review process that included application scoring and finalist interviews, C.Fox selected DC-based nonprofit N Street Village. 

Formalizing the process is a great way to learn about mission-driven organizations all around the country. Be sure to start the planning process early - writing the application, designing it, and preparing for outreach takes time. To get the word out, don't just rely on a few tactics, use direct mail pieces, e-mail blasts, funding alert databases, social media, etc. Lastly, setting up a formal process for reviewing applications is not only necessary to keep scoring fair, but a great way to involve staff and gain their support for the future client.

Traci Otey Blunt
SVP, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs
The RLJ Companies

1)    Why did you join PRSA? 
PRSA is a tremendous resource for public relations and communications professionals who want to get the most from their career. Being a member will provide me with the opportunity to network with the best and brightest trained professional minds in the field.

2)    How long have you been in the PR field? 
15 years

3)    What skills are required to do your job? 
Being proactive; remaining true to your word i.e. always responding to media inquiries even if you don't have an answer for the reporter; patience; creativity; and the ability to think quickly on your feet and keep your cool/poise under pressure no matter what the situation.

4)    What's your greatest career achievement? 
This is a hard one. Each employment opportunity has advanced my career. I have worked on local, state, and national political campaigns; at every branch of government (local, state, federal); have worked at a political action committee; at a national association; leading PR agencies and now in a corporate office. I believe every job has been a stepping stone for me and has allowed me to have and maintain a solid foundation for each new experience. I wouldn't be where I am today if not for each opportunity. One of my most exciting career moves was being asked to serve as a deputy communications director/director of African American media for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign - that was an exciting, historic and unforgettable experience and I'd do it all over again.

5)    Where would you like to see yourself in five years? 
I truly enjoy working at The RLJ Companies (it's every job I've ever had rolled into one) and see myself here in five years working with Bob Johnson and the portfolio company executives to promote the RLJ brand and the innovative and cutting edge work being conducted across the companies.

6)    How do you begin each day? 
I am truly a morning person. I am up by 5:15 a.m. and most mornings I try (emphasis on try) to get in a work out or a run; walk my "best bulldog" Brutus Warfield Blunt; have a cup of hazelnut coffee loaded with vanilla-flavored creamer (very sweet); while watching "Morning Joe" and scanning the newspapers for any stories that may have an impact on my boss or one of the industry sectors where our portfolio companies lie.

7)    What's your dream job?
I am an avid NFL fan and the Tennessee Titans are my favorite football team (I'm from Nashville). My "dream" job would be to oversee the team's communications and community relations department. But that's just a dream. I am living my dream job now and am fortunate to be exposed to opportunities that challenge my skills and allow me to continue to grow and learn.

8)    Who's your role model, and why do you admire him/her? 
I have a few … my grandmothers, my mom, my Godmother, and my sister. Each of them has exceptional strength, courage, and wisdom and I am the woman I am because of them… (but it wouldn't be fair to not include my Grandfather, Dad, Godfather and husband too!) I have an amazing family!

9)    What's the last book you read or movie you saw?
Game Change by John Heilemann & Mark Halperin

10)    Tips for maintaining the elusive work/life balance? 
I am able to maintain both because you have to define your own balance and determine what the trade-offs are and I think I do a pretty decent job with it.

Have you or someone you know joined the Chapter within the last six months?  If so, would you like to be in our spotlight?  Just contact newsletter@prsa-ncc.org for a copy of the questionnaire. To view past new Member Spotlights, visit the membership section of the Web site.

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(Q.) What suggestions can you give a professional who is interested in someday teaching PR?-JS, Bethesda

(A.) Sooner or later, most public relations professionals want to "give something back" to their profession, whether it is through a professional association such as PRSA, mentoring other PR pros, or even teaching.  I speak through the prism of having done all three. 

Having taught as an adjunct at the University of Maryland, George Washington University, American University and Hood College, I have learned that students want to be prepared for the PR world of the future, not the past. They are less interested in writing press releases for newspapers than they are in utilizing new technologies, such as social media, to communicate ideas and influence people. And they need guidelines to help them make decisions in cases where it's not easy to determine how to "do the right thing."

So I would suggest that if you're interested in teaching someday, be sure to have a grasp on best practices in the field. Make the connection between communications theory and the practice of PR. And have a firm grounding in ethics. That is the heritage I would like to leave to the next generation of public relations professionals. 

Regards,
Fred

Fred Whiting, APR, is an adjunct professor at Hood College in Frederick, MD.


Do you have a question concerning the practice of public relations that would be of interest to others? Ask a PRofessional! Visit our Ask a PRofessional page to pose your question and receive a personal reply. Your question and the answer may appear in a future issue of the PRSA-NCC Chapter newsletter.

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