Working With Clients

Someone writes an interesting book and now wants everyone to know about it. Who can blame them? The author recruits a public relations professional for assistance. The author's initial request is they want to be scheduled as a guest on as many national talk shows as possible, ranging from "The View" and ""Fox and Friends" to "The Colbert Report" and "Piers Morgan." Without question, this is a tall order for any public relations worker, regardless of how much experience they may have. What to do? What steps can the publicist take to try and make this happen?

The first step is for the PR worker to take a step back and assess the request as objectively as possible. There are several initial factors to consider: (1) The book itself. How well is it written and researched? Is the topic timely and compelling? Is the topic of interest to a broad audience? (2) The Author. Is this person well known? What is their level of expertise? Answers to these fundamental questions tell the PR worker what they need to emphasize in their media advisories, pitch letters and press releases. The PR worker should not let the understandable enthusiasm of the author sway them from giving a disspassionate, realistic assessment of what they have been called upon to do. This, of course, means the worker may end up providing the author with feedback they do not want to hear.

One of the main points in the Public Relations Society of America's code of ethics is that public relations professionals should not make any promises they cannot keep. Unless one's client is an unqualified national figure, guaranteeing them a guest spot on a national talk show is a most definite no-no. But all is not lost. If the PR worker believes in the client and their work, there is nothing wrong with trying to book them as a guest on various national shows. More realistically, they should also consider second tier talk shows that may have a wide following though not on a national level. Working with clients is always a challenge. Being successful with them, however, begins with honest.