By Ryan Myers
One of the first things that drew me to the public relations industry was the opportunity to become a quick expert on unfamiliar trends, organizations, and industries. It’s a given that PR practitioners are skilled communicators trained in writing, pitching and strategy. However, working in PR requires you to apply those skills in foreign domains, each of which has unique jargon and culture. This is especially true in an agency setting, where every day bounces you from healthcare, to finance, to entertainment, to not-for-profits…the list goes on.
This process of becoming a quick expert, in my experience, is under-discussed, yet essential to PR excellence. Getting up to speed in the initial days of a client contract is not only beneficial to developing effective messages, but necessary to keep that client satisfied. After the immediate grasp of the basics, achieving quick expertise becomes an ongoing practice. The more well-versed you are in your client’s sphere, the more nuance can be captured in messaging, and the smoother internal communications become.
It can seem overwhelming to understand the ins and outs of a company and the industry it lives in. The strongest communicators can boil down the complex verbiage of government regulations and FDA drug trials into language and tactics that resonate with an audience. So how does one become a quick expert?
Start with the client itself. Converse with people who handle the technical areas to understand how their company’s piece fits into the industry’s puzzle. What problems does the company solve? How do they solve them? Through these conversations, seek to gain context for industry-specific terms and procedures.
The news is another critical source of information. Filter publications by industry-specific headlines and read about current trends, major sector players and future developments. Use the news to discover your client’s competitors, threats and opportunities.
Finally, dive into reports. Just as much as clients love data that provides measurable value of communications, communicators love data that paints a clear picture of a company’s margins, KPIs and the trends of an industry. Use reports to gain an empirically-supported understanding of your client and the world they live in.
Becoming a quick expert is a core tenet of unlocking the full value of PR for clients in any sector. By being a good steward of client conversations, the news and data-driven reports, you can become a quick expert time and time again.
Rising Stars is a series of thoughts, reflections and perspectives by the interns at Devine + Partners. Ryan Myers is a rising senior majoring in public relations and psychology at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Devine + Partners is a Philadelphia public relations agency . We offer a full range of communications services – from message and content development and media relations to issues management and employee and community engagement.
