Pirozzolo Company Public Relations

Do you Need A PR Degree to Get a PR Job?

Just a small town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere
"Don't Stop Believin'" ~ Journey

LinkedIn discussions go on and on and on about whether you need academic training in PR to be a PR pro.

The paths to a public relations career are enormously varied -- some PR people studied journalism, others got English degrees and still others fell into it because no one else in the office wanted the job. Sans a PR degree, I got my first job and the best training one could imagine as an Information officer with the US Air Force. 

 Now with Labor Day looming and the prospect of living in your parents basement looking bleak, what can you do if you lack the academic credentials in PR and want to get your first PR job?

Professional organizations, such as Public Relations Society of America, offer seminars. Media Bistro seminars are another way to get some formal training. Or you can start taking graduate-level courses and earn a degree in Public Relations -- putting off work for another year.

Basic character and common sense aside, what do PR firms and PR department heads look for in an emerging professional besides academic training? 

Here are a few core competencies and personality traits that could help you beat the competition for an entry-level job in public relations.


* a broad base of interests and curiosity -- you can talk about inter-league play between the Red Sox and the Mets or the Met's new production of Carmen with equal enthusiasm.



* participate in a range of activities, especially those that involve organizational skills and communication such as managing a charity event or performing in a community theater.



* basic understanding of business disciplines such as marketing and finance and how corporations, government agencies and not-for-for profit organizations are structured.

* a really high level of skill in a sport, music, art, fashion, carpentry or other activity that can make you a shoe-in for working in a field related to your respective passion.



* use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and blogging, etc. to build a professional image or "brand."



* you've sold something -- even if it was your old bicycle to buy a new one -- it counts.



* inquisitive -- with a big reading list that includes news, novels and poetry, as well as magazines that value great writing such as The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, TIME and international magazines such as The Economist.



* critical thinker -- can spot faulty logic or twisted facts in an argument.


You can write something. This does not take a journalism degree, but an emerging PR pro ought to be able to write a breaking news story in less than 30 minutes -- not perfectly, but getting most of the basics such as determining what facts are important, spelling names correctly and grammar. If you have to learn on your own, copy articles from The New York Times, USA Today and other newspapers. Copying will help you focus on what the reporter was thinking  when he or she wrote the piece.

And, Don't Stop Believin' 

"Houston, We Have a Problem." BP's PR Mess.

When a crisis impacts your company, it's tempting to use advertising to get out your side of the story. 

 With advertising, so the reasoning goes, you control the image, the message and the timing. Even if world opinion is against you, advertising allows you tell your side of the story unfettered by impertinent questions from the mainstream media, who aren't your friends anyway.

 Even though ads seldom persuade detractors, advertising, will give your most ardent supporters -- shareholders, senior managers, employees and contractors -- some degree of comfort and valid talking points to help defend your company.

 Then comes the BP mess in the Gulf of Mexico. 

 Sure lots of Americans depend on BP for employment. BP stock values and dividends fund the pension plans of those we depend on and admire -- cops, teachers and fire fighters. BP ads should be able to win some points with these folks. After all, no one likes to see their pension investments lose 30% of market value because of a corporate screw up. 

 Notwithstanding, is there a public servant alive who can see oil soaked pelicans on CNN or the front page of The New York Times and can then switch gears to feel better about BP after watching its CEO apologize in a paid ad? This is cognitive dissonance personified.

 There have been other monumental cases of corporate malfeasance in the past -- Union Carbide's 1984 gas leak in Bhopal, India, made news in early June when, after 25-plus years, several managers were sentenced on convictions relating to the deaths of residents and workers in India (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8725140.stm). 

 To be sure the BP disaster will rank right up there with Bhopal as well as Hooker Chemical's Love Canal, Three Mile Island, Pacific Gas & Electric made famous by Erin Brockovich, and A Civil Action focused a sharp eye on toxic waste from W.R. Grace that polluted Woburn's water supply.

 But the mess BP created in the Gulf puts a new spin on spin. It seems never ending and people are further maddened by the fact that the only people who can solve the problem are the people who caused it. It's a little hiring the embezzler to unravel his financial treachery after he is caught and then finding out he is still ripping off the company. 

 In the aftermath, what did BP CEO Tony Hayward do wrong? His, "I want my life back," comment was the death knell to an already flawed strategy.

 Doling out $5,000 checks to fishermen and shrimpers at the very beginning and asking them to sign financial waivers backfired. Expectations were badly managed and the gusher never ceases while BP has been minimizing the quantity of the oil and its impact all along.

 In frustration BP turned to advertising "The Gulf spill is a tragedy that never should have happened," Tony Hayward says with furrowed brow in commercials that began airing recently on national television.

 President Barack Obama shot back at BP, for spending money advertising and announcing a dividend distribution. "What I don't want to hear is when they're spending that kind of money on their shareholders and spending that kind of money on TV advertising that they're nickeling and diming fishermen or small businesses here in the Gulf who are having a hard time," quoted The New York Daily News.

 What could BP have done right.

While criticism mounted over President Obama's inability to muster sufficient empathy and indignation, Admiral Thad Allen, US Coast Guard Commandant, emerged as the take-charge guy. Bit-by-bit the public grew comfortable with this 61-year-old Coast Guard officer and who doesn't love the Coast Guard anyway. Allen built trust. He is straight-talking, stuck to the facts and didn't sugarcoat anything. He told Americans we are going to be here for a long time. And, when it comes to impressions -- TV is after all a medium of impressions -- he looks the part, appearing one day in summer uniform, another in his flight suit. He's everywhere too -- on a helicopter, delivering briefings, making the Sunday talk show rounds. That's who you want in charge when disaster strikes.

 In contrast, BP's CEO just looks silly appearing in his hardhat with the corporate sunburst-daisy logo. Some CEOs just have it and media exposure turns them into folk heroes. Lee Iacocca, Steve Jobs, Jack Welch, Bill Gates, are all very different personalities ranging from everyone's dad, to mild-mannered, to tough guy to intellectual-geek. But every one of these CEOs can get in front of a camera and deliver a message with conviction, credibility and incredible impact across a broad spectrum of audiences. Hayward is wrong for the job.

 Houston we have a problem

In BPs case, America needed the guy with the white short sleeve shirt and pocket protector. The kind of guy who could actually do something when the Apollo 13 crew radioed, "Houston we have a problem." We also wanted content -- how many gallons, how long, where are the boats, where are the booms being deployed. And he needed to be seen on TV as involved -- directing the activities from a command post, out on the rig when each new attempt to stop the gusher was made, delivering press briefings at 4 PM every single day. 

 BP blew it.

 The lesson

 Get the right spokesperson right away -- a few CEOs can pull it off, Tony Hayward -- even though he is a geologist -- could not. His advisors didn't recognize this until it was too late. BP needed to create a new leader and fast, but it never happened.

 Maximize exposure and access -- set up a schedule and stick to it. Invite reporters in. Imbed them on the oilrigs and with the cleanup crews. Set up a firm schedule and give a daily briefing. Bring in other technical experts to respond to reporters' questions. Get surrogates on the ground to deal with local leaders and provide local press access, for as House Speaker Tip O'Neil once so famously said, "All politics is local."

 Get the facts and get them out -- if you deliver bad news honestly, the press will be more accepting of the good news when you can eventually deliver it. Lie and reporters will tell the public how hard they had to work to uncover the truth.  Much better to have that airtime spent telling people your side of the story -- what you are doing right.

 End with a brightener -- No matter how grim the news, try to end every press encounter with something positive. Be warned, the positive information has to be relevant and in keeping with the severity of the situation. BP needs to keep making it clear that it is in it for the long haul, that it is focusing new resources on the problem, that the company is gaining the cooperation of leaders in the oil industry and that it is encouraging new safety standards. And...that it is getting the checks out to the people who have suffered both financially and emotionally.

 

 

How Long Does it take to Write a News Release?

Everyone -- from clients who pay by the hour, to PR agency newbies who are under the gun to produce, to profit pressed agency owners -- How long does it take to write a news release?

Worrying about how long it takes needs to be a few pegs down on the priority scale. And besides, If someone tells you he or she can write a news release in an hour, someone else will say 45 minutes, and someone else still will say 20 minutes. 

Instead of speed, worry about how good the news releases is. It is getting tougher and tougher to pitch an editor by phone, where you can revise the angle, highlight key points, clarify information in the original written release. 

Without phone follow-up, the news release really has to do all the work -- tell and sell! 

To make every release really sing, really the leap off the page, the "writing" has to start long before you hit, "New Document" in MS Word and begin to stare at a blank computer screen.

Ask these questions beforehand. What is the news value?  Who really cares? Why does it matter? The audience for an upgrade on an existing application used by a specific industry -- say hospitality -- is a lot different than a new operating system used by everyone who owns a PC. Trying to stretch esoteric, industry-specific information into the second coming leads to ponderous, pretentious releases filled with computer jargon.

Ask what's different from the expected? How does this personnel appointment differ from others in the industry. A Home Depot CEO being named CEO of an auto manufacturer is a lot more newsworthy than a lateral move from one car company to another. 

What is the personal impact? Can the reader make more money, save money or make his or her life easier, safer, better? Get at the emotional consequences too.  For example, how will using this new product make the reader feel -- more relaxed, improved status in the company, more hip, the envy of friends? 

Reporters have lives too. They have to get their work done so they can pick up their kids at soccer practice, buy groceries, mow the lawn, you name it. Be considerate of their time. Get to the point and don't waste words.  The reporters have seen thousands of releases in which Ms. CEO announces the appointment of Mr. Executive VP.... Then Ms. CEO is quoted as saying how "thrilled" she is to have "Bill" onboard. Then the next quote has Bill saying how "excited" he is to be there and is, "looking forward to the challenge." Sometimes you have to go along and include this claptrap. But for the most part, journalistic writing has become more expository -- get rid of mindless attribution and quotes. Just say it!

Does the release build brand equity? Does the release reinforce the brand. If you are writing a release about Maytag -- does the message reinforce the iconic Maytag repairman positioning. Does every Maytag release contribute to the company's unique  trouble-free position in the market? How does this release contribute to corporate goals? Does it build the company's reputation? 

Does every word in the release have specific meaning? Read a release about a new software product and replace the product with the word "piano" or "canned soup." If the release still makes sense, then the language is not specific enough to have much impact on the journalists.

Use plain English. "New Spider ETF launched." Huh? "DASD Blade Server for VOIP." What? Lots of releases are destined for technical media, where the jargon is well understood. Nevertheless, it only takes a few words to explain insider terms. The Wall Street Journal does an excellent job of defining unfamiliar business terms in its articles, even though its readership is largely made up of business and financial professionals. Techie journalists won't be offended if the release describes a "blade server" in a few words.

Does your subject line grab attention in the first four words? Since the majority of news releases go via email, the only shot at many editors is within the first four words of the email subject. "Texting kills careers, study shows," is a release subject line we used that generated press for the writing software company White Smoke.

Look outside the company. What is going on in society that relates to your news? By now we all know the economy stinks, so stop sending out releases that start with, "To help consumers during the economic downturn XYZ is selling coffee for 10 cents a cup...." What else is happening that's new? Find some demographic information to tie into. For example -- if you produce weather-resistant ceiling fans, include statistics from the National Association of Home Builders on the increase in porch and patio additions or the increasing number of homebuyers who list casual home entertaining as a favorite pastime. 

Does a third-party opinion leader support or shed light on your new product or service? If you are offering investments for seniors, then point to supporting information on the subject by AARP, or if it is a new technology, find an industry analyst to quote on the subject. 

So how much time should a release take? 

We once spent a month on a single news release -- endless meetings, research and interviews. The release was rewritten and revised more times than I care to think about. When we finally had the version ready for release, some new and powerful research on the subject emerged and we rewrote it AGAIN and AGAIN. But... that one release launched a story that generated coverage in Vogue, Martha Stewart Living (Magazine & TV), the cover of TIME magazine, hundreds of major daily newspapers and was  even plugged on the hit dramatic series Numb3rs for over TEN YEARS. 

The impact of that one release came from thinking about what we wanted to say, not how fast we could say it. 

What's the ROI on Your Public Relations Investment

In a marketing PR campaign, greater awareness, a shift in brand perception and increased qualified leads/store traffic or sales are among the factors one can use to measure return on investment or ROI. 

Of course everyone wants to invest X and get X + Y in return. But doing so takes planning, identifying goals and agreeing -- between public relations professional and client -- on both the goals and objectives. 

In defining goals and objectives, "Increase sales and profit," won't do. The client and agency have to spend some serious effort on specifics. We are helping to establish an operation in Dubai. We have an agreed upon strategy, specific milestones and targets. 

In other cases, a client may want to change the perception of the organization or its products from X to Y. For example McDonalds is redefining its value proposition with its new high-quality Angus Burger, which is 2-3 price points lower than a quality sports bar style  burger

Once the PR program is implemented, how does one measure ROI or results? The best way to get actionable quantitative data is through market research -- pre-campaign and as milestones are reached throughout the program. Some large advertisers will test their overall branding. However, few clients are willing to invest in formal research to test PR effectiveness. And, as with any measurement in a business environment, the scientific method only goes so far -- one cannot isolate a single variable or create a control group to test the effectiveness of the PR program. What is more, the company lives in a fast-changing environment -- solve a problem that existed yesterday and a week later the world changes -- new problems, new solutions needed. Dubai's credit crisis occurred right after we launched the campaign, for example.

Nevertheless, there are some informal and low cost ways to measure the ROI of a new PR campaign. For example:

Does the sales team spend less time introducing and explaining company and product details and benefits, once a prospect hears the brand? 

Is brand perception accurate, based on interviewing customer service people? 

Is the Website getting more hits and click throughs.

Does the company have a blog? if so, are stakeholders engaged, has the level of comments increased, is there a development of community? Community is something Amazon prides itself on. 

Ask employees about perceptions of their company in their community using a simple survey done informally during work hours. 

Ask managers for feedback on their impressions of changes in company perceptions at social and business events.  

Has the level of enterprising media coverage increased -- are journalists calling the company more often rather than the other way around? 

If the company receives phone inquiries, are employees trained to ask, "How did you hear about us?" This is becoming a less accurate measure as most people will probably say, "The Web." even if they read about the company in a New York Times article.

And what about news clips and using the ad cost to value column inches or minutes on TODAY to determine ROI? It's a crude measurement at best, fraught with numerous inaccuracies and becoming more so. With the advent of the web and the changing business model for broadcasting and print, much more PR communication is focused on communicating directly with customers and other constituents and establishing direct relationships -- largely using the Web and social media. 

Likewise, the print and broadcast media gatekeepers are channeling more of their content to the Web. an article that had to fight for a few lines in the Boston Globe, now gets a full page in the Globe's Website www.boston.com. Check out new media too such as Examiner and Global Post, or indeed the Christian Science Monitor that went totally Web-based. The media landscape has changed greatly -- publishers and network CEOs still don't know how to measure he value of their Web content. Let's not expect PR professionals to have all the answers when it comes to determining ROI in our new Web World.

However, do not dismiss the value of traditional media entirely. Every now and then we and our PR colleagues pull off a big coup in the traditional media. We've gotten our share of articles in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and BusinessWeek that have propelled our clients into the stratosphere. 

There are also other functions of PR that defy measurement such as issues management, events management, speechwriting, community relations, internal communications, communication with the financial community of other "jobs" the PR professional performs daily. Public relations is after all still about building relationships.

So don't get too hung up on proving your ROI. In many cases, our day-to-day work increases our familiarity with the company and the trust we build with the press and company stakeholders. This pays huge dividends when trouble occurs -- ROI in those instances? Priceless!

Dick Pirozzolo

www.pirozzolo.com

How do you pick a PR Firm?

If you are a company chief looking for a public relations firm, you might have a lot of criteria in mind to evaluate prospects. Some are relevant to the quality of work and results you can expect, others, based on decades of PR firm management -- not so much. 

From time-to-time, we find ourselves in need of hiring PR firms -- especially in cities where we have a client need to manage a coordinated national campaign at the local level and do not have "boots on the ground." 

Here is what we look for to determine how the agency we are considering distinguishes itself from the pack of other qualified candidates and whether the chemistry will be right for us and our client.

Authorship of articles and books that are done outside client service. These can be about your business, related-businesses or the marketing and communication profession. The writing and publishing  shows the agency people are both thinkers and doers and go the extra mile. 

Leadership in PRSA and Accreditation (APR) -- it shows dedication to the profession. 

Two to three career-building, mega-accomplishments, showcase clients or issues-management achievements. It demonstrates big-picture, big job capability.

We Google the agency's name as it will turn up numerous news releases sent out on behalf of clients -- this is a good way to tell if the agency people send out ho-hum, jargon filled releases or ones that have pizzazz, punch and perspective. 

Perspective -- does the agency deliver something in terms of outside perspective, for example broad industry knowledge and insight or an ability to integrate your message with current affairs and the timely interests of the media.

How does the agency manage accounts -- do agency principals vanish once the contract is signed. Do they bring 12 people to "The Meeting," when only two of them will be involved in your business relationship. 

Does your budgetary framework mesh with the agency's billing levels AKA -- will your account be important to the agency?

Strategic planning -- do agency principals demonstrate problem-solving capability and creativity or are they implementers and supporters of an existing corporate strategy and messaging. Either is fine, just make sure everyone involved knows what you want and the agency can meet expectations.

There are some dubious criteria that we tend to avoid in our searches.

Expertise in a very narrow industry sector or product line. If you are introducing a new smart phone, it is not always advisable to hire a PR agency with Droid or iPhone experience. You have this knowledge in house -- look for a PR firm with broader industrial category experience such as consumer electronics or telecommunications. Their people will more likely see opportunities that fall outside the corporate paradigm. 

Media Contacts -- if you are in public relations for any length of time you have contacts. The more important criteria is whether the agency people can develop new relationships outside their core "press list." I've seen agency people hired because of their contacts with the PC press and they bang away at the same five or six reporters, whom they know, with story pitches all the time. They fail at reaching reporters outside their inner circle. But editorial staffs are fluid, reporters move around or, in this economy, are laid off and not replaced. Rather than ask about "contacts" present a problem such as: "We are developing a new  line in a different product category,  how would you approach the media in this area?" Look for answers that touch on meeting the reporters needs by reading the publications, researching previous articles and learning about the reporters backgrounds through LinkedIn and other research tools. Look for people who establish and build relationships because they deliver on deadlines and promises.

Main Stream Media versus Social Media. Today's Public Relations consultants have to be savvy in all existing media outlets and those that might emerge in the future. Beware of PR pros who create an artificial barrier between traditional media and new media. You want a pro who understands your brand, your message and your consumers and tailors your message all the communication outlets available. Also look for PR people who focus on two-way communication -- public relations is about relations and that takes listening to the needs of your customers. Anything less would be like rowing across the Atlantic with one oar.

Tax Credits Save Some Green, Natural Home Magazine

Understanding the environmental and financial impact of the 1,400 page Carbon Credit Bill before Congress may seem a bit daunting. 

The environmental and financial impact of the Administration's Stimulus Package however is clear –- cut energy consumption at home and you cut your taxes. 

In most cases, a $5,000 energy-saving home improvement will knock $1,500 off your Federal Income taxes. There are often state, local and utility company incentives one can piggyback onto the improvement to save more money. In some areas of the US, the incentives add up to point where the cost of installing solar hot water is about on par with the cost of a gas or electric water heater.

Going green has never been greener. For further details, check out Tax Credits Save Some Green, by Dick Pirozzolo, Natural Home Magazine.Download GreenTaxes.FF

Social Media? What Every Public Relations Professional Must Do!

Delivering PR Value to our Clients and Employers in the Web 2.0 World

Like most communication and marketing professionals, we're on the Social Media learning and implementation fast track -- educating ourselves and clients who say: "I understand blogs and LinkedIn, but Twitter? What's that all about?" 

To be sure, the inexplicable Twitter is emerging as a valuable communication tool with clients and communication professionals who are starting to "get it." Much credit goes to the celebrity power of Ashton Kutcher who launched a competition with CNN to see who could reach one-million "followers" first. 

Now think back a few short years -- during pre-browser days of the Web -- when early adopters -- like us -- were using Byzantine systems to access the Internet, just so we could pull up some useless bit of information like the card catalogue from the Munich University Library. During that time, savvy PR pros were teaching themselves the technology and the value of the Web. Those who jumped in early, put themselves in a position to advise clients who were beginning to ask: " Do I need a Website? What do I put on it? What's the potential?" We discovered that the Web could help our clients do more than publish brochures online -- The Web gave our clients a way to educate, entertain and build community like never before. 

With the advent of the second Web Explosion -- the Age of Social Media and the redefining of News Media --  we continue to rely on the five enduring rules we have always lived by, no matter what medium emerges. 

1. Content is King. Regardless of the medium, we must always communicate information that is of value to our clients publics (stakeholders) in words and images. 

2. Beware of the "Stogies." Our agency started out representing WBZ-TV when broadcast TV ruled. Over the years, we have gone from having clients who did not understand television -- dismissing the medium as being too fleeting and not in-depth enough for their "serious" message and clientele. These CEOs would tell us, "I only watch sports and Public Television." Yet they knew Archie Bunker, the Smothers brothers and the Fonze! So despite client protestations about this emerging medium or that emerging medium not being right for their message, we take the lead. We educate our clients -- and encourage them to see the value of understanding and learning how to use the tools at their disposal to achieve their goals and objectives. 

3. There is no such thing as "X Writing." Banish the adjectives agencies put before the word "writing" such as, "Technical Writing," or "Web Writing" or "Copy Writing" or Collateral Writing." As Public Relations professionals we must be able to understand the potential and limitations of a wide range of media. Likewise, we must remain curious and open to learning eclectic subject matter. We need to push our skills and learn every day. We are no longer "reverse journalists" who only have to be able to write news releases and feature articles. We must get well beneath the surface of our clients activities and business. Look at it this way, we really understood the astronaut culture and the NASA space program from reading, "The Right Stuff" by Tom Wolfe, and everything we know about the American whaling industry came from reading "Moby Dick" by Herman Helville. Now Tom Wolfe was not a "technical" or "aerospace" writer -- he was an art major. He is, however, a keen observer of American life. Herman Melville, was a bookkeeper who went on one whaling voyage and didn't like it much, yet he wrote the definitive work on an entire industry and era. The lesson for PR professionals: observe, learn and push the limits. 

4. Don't become a solution looking for a problem. When corporate video was hot, everyone -- including PR firms -- was out selling 20-minute documentaries to their clients, even though no no one watched them. Now that Social Media is hot, PR firms are selling and using Social Media, for the sake of seeming hip. As a public relations firm, we are communication managers who either perform the entire public relations management function for a client or we augment the capability of the in-house public relations professionals. In either case, we proactively look for trends and situations that impact our clients and either help or impede their ability to achieve their objectives. We then look for solutions and Social Media is simply among solutions that we can now turn to help our client achieve its objectives.

5. Read everything. It may seem fundamental, but PR pros can't just fall into the trap of absorbing the world around them from blogs and 24/7 Cable. Read the newspaper. While the Web is great for getting right to information that you are interested in, reading the newspaper pulls one into new subjects and expands ones area of interest. Likewise read fiction even poetry, for in every case we still have to grasp the skills needed to tell a compelling story in a compelling way.

"I wrote the book on it!" How-to advice for business owners who want to write a book.

When a new business prospects asks:

"What do you know about my industry?" 

There is no greater joy than to be able to respond with:

"I wrote the book on it!" 

Even better. Make the grand gesture of presenting a signed copy right then and there.

A lot of entrepreneurs and company owners have been asking Pirozzolo Company (www.pirozzolo.com), 

"How do I get a book written and published, particularly a nonfiction book about my industry?" 

Since I've done corporate bios on the media and books that have been key to promoting our firm's expertise in residential design and construction, I'll share a few pointers to help you get started. 

1. The first question to ask is, "Do I want a book to augment the marketing of my business, or myself -- my brand --  or do I want the book to stand on its own financially?" The former is very beneficial to generating sales and income for your business and doable.  If on the other hand, you want to be the next Robert B. Parker, and create the next ace-detective Spenser, then give it your best shot. But don't spend the royalty checks before you get them. 

2. Self-Publish or Trade Book Publisher? Either way is okay, especially in our Web 2.0 world. Some business topics and industry sectors have broad market potential and lend themselves to the trade book route  (Dutton or Little Brown). The more crowded subjects are small business strategies and personal finance, with personal finance being dominated by celebrity authors such as  Ali Velshi and Suze Orman.  

If you do get a trade book publisher interested, make sure you get a decent advance -- based on anticipated sales for the first year - 18 months.  Read your contract carefully before signing. Most publishers are honest and ethical, but they do not give away the store. A lot of what are now called subsidy publishers (or the more dated "vanity" press) run the gamut -- from ego-strokers to professional. Warning signs are poor editing and proofreading, packaging, design and overall quality. Check out the subsidy publisher with other authors who are working in a similar industry sector before you sign a contract. 

Beware of subsidy publishers that latch on to a single industry and specialize in me-to books that differ little from one to the other. The idea of doing all the work that goes into a book is to make your company stand out from the competition, not blend in. Producing what amounts to nothing more than a hard-bound sales brochure with no theme or point of view does little to promote your brand identity. 

Small point, make sure you get an ISBN number, without which no bookstore or online seller will stock your book.

When it comes to publishing images, if your book involves photos, art or materials from others, make sure you establish ownership and usage rights in writing and reinforce usage righs in a conversation to make sure that a. the person providing the photo owns it and b. they understand that it IS going to be published and c. whether they will get paid and how much. If the person giving you a picture is not the photographer -- get a release from the photographer too, just to be on the safe side. 

3. Write a strong proposal, whether you self-publish or want a to get a publisher to take on your book. A proposal will include a vision for the work, your credentials for writing it, an introduction and one or two chapters, plus a marketing plan that addresses the competition and tells the publisher how your book differs and why your book will stand out. A proposal will crystalize your thinking on subject, direction, vision and MARKETING -- even if it is only for your own benefit. (You may discover that you have two or three magazine feature articles in you, but not a book of 25,000 - 30,000 words.) 

4. Publicity is all over the ballpark in terms of what to expect from the publisher including subsidy publishers who do offer promotion for a fee. Remember, publishers live in the world of books, book wholesaling, book stores and literature. Their focus will initially be on promoting the book among booksellers and at book-buyer fairs. If you are Boston Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy and are writing Watching Baseball, you know the baseball world and will have a much better chance of getting Dan Shaunessey to write a review in the Boston Globe than the publisher. Publisher Globe Pequot Press, however, will do a great job at getting the trade media that covers books to do reviews, and possibly local book reviewers at major newspapers. 

5. Marketing -- if you self-publish, start promoting your title when the book is in the galley stage (before binding) and also ask the publisher to provide a "blad" -- a few sample pages in a booklet to promote your book. Industry trade shows often have a "bookstore," on the show floor and are an excellent venue to boost sales.  A book also gives the trade show organizer a reason to put you on the dais -- which gives you exposure to a large number of potential clients and customers. When these opportunities come up, the publisher may be willing to design and print a one-page "sell sheet" for you to pass out at the show, drop off at the press room and mail to trade media reporters.

6. Consider your time -- how much do you want to do yourself? How much do you want to budget for professionals, who can help you with overall concept development, proposal, ghostwriting, marketing and negotiating with the publisher. 

Look at it this way: royalties are around $2 a book. If I go to an event to talk about my book -- and I can talk about my expertise among to people who are likely to retain my professional services -- the time spent is invaluable. If I do a book signing or bookstore event among people whose only interest is in buying the book, it takes some serious thought to justify the time. BUT -- if the bookstore event draws press attention, or if I can tie-in my bookstore talk with a media interview that reaches 30,000 readers, then the time spent is worth it. One of the best bookstores in the nation for getting a crowd is independent bookseller R.J Julia in Madison, Connnectcut (www.rjjulia.com). 

7. Since this blog is meant for active participation, please share your own experiences in writing and publishing books that have promoted your expertise, business or services. 

Dick Pirozzolo

dick@pirozzolo.com

Laid off or Sacked! Don't Look For a Job. Look for Work.

If you get laid off or sacked, try looking for "work" in your field instead of a "job". This can be a big boost to your ego, networking success and income.

 Jump in with both feet. Establish yourself in business. Print business cards and stationery with a simple logo using your name and what you -- or rather -- what your business does. Run a small ad in your leading trade magazine. Get a Web Site and URL fast. Maintain membership in the trade group that your employer was paying your dues for... in my case PRSA. Get a business telephone.

Here is what networking to promote your business instead of networking for a job, can do to enhance your relationship building program.

1. You can now legitimately ask your previous employer for assignments, which keeps you in the game and money coming in if you do get some project work.

2. You get to contact all your friends and associates you know from your previous job without having them feel threatened or uncomfortable. You are no longer, "poor out-of-work Sally," who wants to have lunch, you become the CEO of Sally Forth Enterprises, Inc. You are now inviting another professional to share knowledge and industry information. Starting a business is in the American DNA -- be it a steel mill or plant watering service. Your associates will admire you and want to help you.

3. Make a meeting with your accountant, interior designer, cousin who owns a shoe factory and offer to trade your services in exchange for using their business address and conference room now and then. This puts you in a professional environment, face-to-face with people -- including salespeople who call on the company. By just being there contacts will develop and ideas will emerge.

4. Depending on your contract with your previous employer, call clients you worked with and offer to continue your service to them seamlessly -- not for less money mind you --  just offer to continue their service so they don't get bounced around your old company. If you can't work for those clients, say NBC, ask them to give you the names of their counterparts at the competition -- CBS, ABC, FOX. They will.

5. Do something controversial -- take a position involving an industry issue be it FASB rules in accounting or ethics in journalism or public relations. Blog about it, write an op ed piece, etc. Once you get something published, send it to all the people in your network. Remember, word of mouth advertising is the most powerful advertising in the world. Now get the mouths moving.

6. If you offer professional services, join  http://www.raintoday.com. It is one of the best groups around for small firm marketing advice and making contacts.

7. Seek out speaking and teaching engagements. I teach a course on Public Relations with www.mediabistro.com in Boston. In addition to meeting a lot of young professionals, who keep my knowledge fresh, I build my network with people who will one day become business owners and will need some Public Relations help, hopefully from Pirozzolo Company.

8. Write articles on timely subjects. I just wrote a piece for Rain Today on Social Media and its value as a marketing tool. I learned more about Social Media by writing the article and got to network with a number of colleagues who I quoted in the article.

9. Join LinkedIn -- it is one of the most powerful ways to build relationships and learn about what's happening in the industry. The groups are particularly helpful and I can directly attribute income, new associates and professional expertise to my involvement with LinkedIn.

10. Stop selling. Whenever you take part in an organizational meeting or social event -- including family functions -- put the emphasis on what you can contribute rather than what you can get out of the networking meeting.

Worked for me. I never did get a job -- or really wanted one -- but I did plenty of work and have been keeping a successful business going for decades!

Dick Pirozzolo, APR

Pirozzolo Company Public Relations

Greater Boston

Here's to the Class of 2009!

Dear Mom and Dad

Please send money, I'm so broke that it ain't funny,

Well I don't need much, just enough to get me through ...

Love, your baby girl.

Jennifer Nettles

"Baby Girl"

Boy did we hand ya'll a mess ... the worst recession in our lifetimes, wars, foreclosures, college loans to pay back, plus your grandkids will probably have to start chipping away at that trillion dollars everyone talks about.

Take heart, you're not the only ones. Our parents handed us a mess -- Cold War, Vietnam, segregated schools, etc., etc., and their parents handed them a mess -- Great Depression and WW II.  Go back a few more years to the class of 1909 and college grads were facing the Spanish Influenza or the Great War.

Anyone trying to land that first professional job right after college, has never had it easy -- even during the dot-com boom. 

I don't believe the enormous changes taking place in Public Relations today, however, have any real impact on young careerists.  There is growing impact of the Internet and decreasing impact of local newspapers -- folding -- and the audience share of local TV news is shrinking. 

 Likewise, automated news release distribution and database services, cut both ways for the newbie.  Not having to stuff envelopes or run the Gestener Machine, does not mean that fresh college grads get to develop strategy for clients or write position papers and op-ed pieces. 

Despite technology changes and the current groundswell of interest in Social Media, young professionals in public relations get to start on routine matters -- news releases, assist with events management and work their way up. During the process, they get to sit in on strategy and new business meetings and learn the ropes, all the while doing the routine jobs that need to get done. Same as it ever was.

But if you are frustrated looking for that first job, consider these suggestions to get you through.

1. Try to freelance for a weekly newspaper covering town meetings. It will give you practice writing and thinking like a reporter -- essential PR skills. And you will learn a lesson in making a dull zoning board meeting sound interesting. You will also learn how to find the issue and see both sides of it. Plus you will get paid for writing something, that first $25 check will be a big ego boost. 

2. Cable companies all have studios and local news operations, where you can volunteer and learn basic TV news production skills -- from camera operation to floor manager to editing on Final Cut Pro. 

3. Write one article for the school paper before you graduate -- at least you will have a news clip to show prospective employers. 

4. Join the US Army, US Air Force or US Navy. Talk to a local recruiter about getting into Armed Forces Radio and Television (AFRTS) or becoming part of the information operation of a military branch -- best training you will ever get in PR, News and Life! And, despite all the misconceptions about "having to take orders," you will get more responsibility, respect for your position and have more authority a lot faster than in any civilian job you can get right out of school -- whether you are a young officer or enlisted person. (There are also reserve slots available, so you can combine work with military experience and training.)

5. Volunteer for a social action or church group -- take the organization on as you would a client and promote them like crazy. 

6. Find an aunt, uncle or neighbor who owns a business and offer free PR services for the summer. Then ask a local PR agency to give you some guidance... most pros will share their knowledge. Even a tiny business needs a news release now and then. 

7. Go to graduate school in public relations or journalism. Go to a university near where you want to work -- e.g. BU for Boston, NYU or Columbia for New York. You will make old-school-tie contacts that will pay off for years. Take Media Bistro courses to hone your skills in various aspects of PR and writing -- www.mediabistro.com.

8. Go to law school -- and forget the whole thing! 

9. Produce your first feature film or documentary -- pay for it with your parents' credit cards and enter it into film festivals, hoping for the best. If your film gets selected you will meet a lot of interesting, creative and media savvy people.

10. Don't sweat it -- get the folks to buy you an SLR digital camera and a really good flash for graduation, and travel on the cheap to Asia, The Middle East or Europe. Keep sending your pictures out to magazines and your local paper... just get something published! 

And to continue with the Jennifer Nettles theme...

.. I know it's worth all the dues I pay,

When I can write to you and say,

Dear Mom and Dad

I'll send money, I'm so rich that it ain't funny ....

http://www.cmt.com/videos/sugarland/37164/baby-girl.jhtml

GOOD LUCK CLASS OF '09