Month: March 2016

[To comment: larry@larrylitwin.com]

By Lisa Arledge Powell | Posted: April 9, 2016

This story originally ran on PR Daily in April, 2015.

Not long ago, public relations success meant getting your company or client’s name mentioned in a local newspaper. For a PR pro, the clear path to making that happen usually involved writing a press release.

Things have changed.

Today the PR practitioner’s role has left the press office and has gone global. A win can mean anything from a media placement to a clever tweet to strategic content—plus countless other possibilities that amplify a brand’s message.

What skills do you need to thrive in today’s ever-changing PR world?

1. Ability to work a reporter beat. An essential skill for today’s PR pro is the ability to identify and evaluate stories within their brand. This is exactly what a beat reporter does for a news outlet. PR pros who can develop compelling stories within their market will be head and shoulders above their counterparts. As more and more content gets pushed out by brands, only the very best material will be embraced by the target audience.

2. Content creation skills. PR is built on a foundation of good storytelling. At the very minimum, PR practitioners should be able to write content in a variety of formats including news style, first-person blogs and listicles. More important, they should know how to produce rich multimedia content—such as photos, videos and graphics—so their content stands out in the age of scrolling social media feeds.

3. Strategic thinking ability. The days of high-level management handling strategy while staff members execute tactics are long gone. In today’s PR environment, everyone at every level of PR is expected to understand and help achieve their company’s business goals. PR pros who can think about the big picture while flawlessly executing their work will stand out among the rest.

As the public relations industry transforms, so should you. Find conferences, webinars and other learning opportunities to keep your skills evolving so you can stay at the top of your PR game.

Lisa Arledge Powell is president of MediaSource , a public relations firm that specializes in Brand Journalism, named Best Health Care Agency in both 2013 and 2014 in Ragan’s Health Care PR & Marketing Awards . She’s on Twitter at @LisaArledge .

[To comment: larry@larrylitwin.com]

[To comment: larry at larry litwin dot com]

This week’s blog comes from:

Dale Carnegie Training Newsletter

By Anita Zinsmeister, President — anita.zinsmeister@dalecarnegie.com
Dale Carnegie® Training of Central & Southern New Jersey 

• Word count for this issue: 454
• Approximate time to read: 1.8 minutes @ 250 words per minute

In the demanding and competitive business world, you need an edge that sets you apart from other workers. You must constantly develop new techniques to maintain your work performance. Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed by setbacks you may encounter – just stay in control of your level of performance by focusing on self-improvement.

 

Click Here for a Forbes article with more tips on how to improve your workplace performance.

 

5 Tips For Improving Workplace Performance:

 

1.  Organize Your Workspace (And Your Files):  It’s easy to let your desk space become cluttered with papers, files, and knickknacks.  Anything that won’t help your productivity should be put away or discarded.  Keep your family photos, of course, and clear out the rest.  This goes for your files, too!   Whether you use a filing cabinet or keep everything on your hard drive, there’s a good chance your files need to be decluttered and reorganized.  Your workspace reflects your mental state; if your desk is in chaos, your work might be, too.

 

2.  Set Your Daily Priorities In Order:  The first thing you should do to stay focused is to create a prioritized list of tasks you need to accomplish throughout the day.  Many people forget this incredibly simple and helpful practice.

 

3.  Resolve Problems Promptly:  When you encounter a minor problem, don’t put it off until later.  Unresolved problems can build up and become a big distraction from more important work, and this will affect your performance.

 

4.  Update Your Calendar:  One of the best ways to stay organized is to pick a time and date for this type of maintenance, then stick to that schedule.  Set aside time to keep your workspace organized, clear out your inbox, and keep your files in order.  Use your office calendar as a resource not only for meetings and projects but also for daily and weekly routines that will keep you productive.

 

5.  Know How To Cooperate With Coworkers:  To be an effective member of a workplace community, you must be able to accept tasks that are given to you, and also know how and when to delegate work out to others.  Many leaders fail to utilize the capabilities of their team members when there is a lot of work to be done, and this negatively affects workplace performance.

 

Executive Summary:  Take charge of your priorities in the workplace.  Get organized, know how many tasks you can take on at any one time, and be prepared to delegate.  Studies show that it takes 30 days to develop a habit.  Spend a few minutes every day on these tips — print them out, add them to your calendar, or set a reminder — and soon they will become second nature. 

To comment: larry at larry litwin dot com]

For more visit; http://rhondaonline.com/

This appeared in the Courier Post on March 13, 2016…

Proposals are both a sales document and the basis of what’s going to be your contract or agreement. So, you need to entice the customer without misrepresenting what you are going to be able to deliver. In summary, here’s how:

• Be clear on the client’s needs
• Ask if the client has a budget in mind
• Create a proposal template
• Cut and paste “boilerplate” content
• List all deliverables
• Be absolutely clear on fees and payment terms
• Consider a brief PowerPoint presentation

“Finally,” Abrams says, “be brief and make your proposal look good. Most proposals for consulting work need only be one to three pages long, and make your proposal and supporting documents look professional and polished. The quality of your proposal should reflect your quality of work.

To comment: larry at larry litwin dot com]