How to Give Your Client a Competitive Edge

The sexy side of public relations focuses on big press conferences, exclusive interviews on national television, and six-figure book deals for four-figure clients. In this world, sizzle justifies the retainer.

But the best public relations professional—the business communicator—brings his or her client something more. They bring a competitive edge you won’t find in Hype Shops.

Marketing is from France; PR is from the Bayou

If Public Relations and Marketing were languages, Marketing would be French while PR would be Acadien, a French dialect spoken by a significant portion of the people of Louisiana. Parisians can understand their Cajun brethren, but they don’t hold them with great regard. Such is the love-hate relationship between the marketing staff and the public relations staff.

In companies where these two departments have less-than-productive relationships, it is difficult to maximize the customer relationship. Press releases churn out at odd intervals without correlation to sales objectives. Advertising campaigns break in markets without sufficient soft support.

In the end, the customer may or may not understand who you are and what you do—a big problem no matter how big your company is or what your company does.

Giving Your Client the Competitive Edge

I recently sat down with a new client, a non-for-profit, to discuss their budget planning cycle. The goal was to get them thinking about how their mission intertwines with their fundraising efforts. Rather than agree to a certain number of press releases and media interviews to expose key events, we are discussing how to explain their mission and its successful track record in helping people in the community.

A strong public relations plan will complement marketing. The charity will produce its fundraising material, just as a sales force will bring in business. It is the face of the company prior to the sale that gives the sales force (or development force) the competitive edge going into the client meeting.

When your public relations team can influence the key decision maker before the sales team tries to close the deal, you are maximizing your relationship with the customer. You are developing a strong brand identity that will generate stronger (and larger) sales orders. This is a competitive edge against your rivals when executed by professional business communicators.

Here are other articles I have written on this topic:

• How to Promote Your Experts Within Their Niche
• Crimson Tide Scores Marketing Touchdown with A-Day Game
• Help End WeFollow Abuse
• Stocking Up on Heinz Ketchup
• Do You Think Like Your Market?
• God Wants Me to Purchase Baseball Tickets? Really?
• What Is Strategic Communications?
• Could the Comcast-NBC Deal Spur More M&A?
• New Campaign for Will County Health Department
• Chicago 2016: The Biggest PR Failure in a Generation