Are You a Salesman of Ideas?

Last week, I explained How to Pitch the Media. My discussion focused on the mechanics of the pitch itself, from conceptualizing to following through with the reporter. One aspect to successfully pitching stories is being an advocate. You have to be a “Salesman of Ideas.”

Do You Know Your Client’s Product?

A good friend of mine was a major accounts executive for Cisco. His territory covered Michigan Avenue in Chicago. That was it. He could walk up one side of the Mag Mile and then down the other and never leave his sales territory. And he knew—knew—his client’s products.

He bought the product, whatever it was. He used it if he could. He purchased a few shares of stock so he would get the annual report. He knew the name of the guard in the main lobby.

He also followed his client’s major competitors just as closely. Obsessive? Not on your life.

Being an Advocate

Such immersion in his client’s business sector allowed my friend to anticipate needs before his client’s even realized they had an opportunity or threat. When you have ten clients, you have the time to do that. In public relations, you do too. Yes, you may juggle tons of deadlines, but you still work with only a handful of clients directly. If you know your customers well enough, you become a partner in the success of their business. You bring value to the relationship both professionally and personally.

What Do You Sell?

No, you don’t sell widgets. As a public relations professional, it is your job to influence your client’s brand identity in a positive way. Brand identity is the space a product occupies in the mind of a consumer.

• Coke is refreshing, not just a drink
• Allstate is peace of mind, not just insurance
• Disney is imagination, not just entertainment

So what identifier does your client own? When you become an advocate, immersing yourself in the details of his trade, you can influence that identifier—or even develop one if it is missing.

You become your client’s salesman of ideas.

Here are other articles I have written on this topic:

• Writing a Strategic Communications Plan: Key Messages
• Why You Should Be Proactive with Bad News
• What Twitter’s DoS Attack Can Teach Us
• Three Things People Want to Know in a Crisis
• What Credit Unions Should Be Telling Their Members
• Can a Nation Rebrand Itself?
• Cessna Rises to the Occasion
• Facebook Caves on Usage Agreement
• How Do You Respond to Online Criticism?
• Executives Discover Online Reputation Management