Shooting Pool and PR

One of the unique things we have at Eisbrenner PR is a pool table. We use it to not only have fun, but to also improve our PR skills. If you're like my fifteen year-old brother, you're probably asking me "How can a crazy game of pool make you a better PR professional?" But if you really think about it, it does run parallel with some important PR standards. When you play with a partner that's been assigned to you, you have to work together to reach the same goal—winning the game—regardless of whether you like him or her or not. Public Relations is the same way, only you have multiple partners from several major corporations, so the stakes are higher. When you shoot the cue ball, you have to be accurate enough to hit your pool balls into the holes. Projects from clients have to be executed in the same fashion. If you don't, they will fail; you and your firm will look bad as a result. And when you call for the eight ball to go in a certain pocket, you're asserting your confidence. You have to have that "swagger", as Jim Leyland calls it, when you're presenting yourself to a client. You have to convince them that not only can you perform well, but you're also reliable, hospitable and open-minded. So playing pool may seem like a mindless game, but in reality, it teaches you some important PR skills.

Brochures In the Making

Last week I was assigned to write an Eisbrenner PR overview piece for our new brochure. Our main goal was to have something for prospective clients that quickly explained who we are and why they should choose Eisbrenner PR. Since this was a new writing style for me, I went online to see if there was anything that could give me tips on what and what not to include in the piece. This website from the UK does a good job in explaining not only what messages should go in each section of the brochure, but it also gives tips on how to convey those messages effectively to prospective customers. So if you get assigned a brochure piece anytime soon, check this web page out before you begin. It will give you a clear understanding of what brochure writing involves.

Media lists are...interesting

Last week I learned how to complete one of the most interesting tasks an intern can be assigned: a media list. Now I say interesting because this process can be both frustrating and rewarding to the person that's drafting and updating the spreadsheet. It's frustrating in the sense that it requires a lot of time and energy in research, particularly in search engine sites such as MediaSource and Google. You not only have to research a reporter's beat assignment, but you also have to read a few of the reporter's articles to determine if his or her writing style best suites your client's needs. Media lists also require a lot of fact checking to make sure the reporter's name, office address, phone number and email address are all correct. They also involve the use of Excel, a program that can be a nightmare at times.

But creating a media list is rewarding, and here's why. When a client comes out with a new product it wants to promote, it's crucial that public relations professionals like us get its key message to the best media sources possible. The accuracy of a media list can make or break the success of a client's message to its audience. Therefore when you create a media list, you have direct control over a client's accomplishments–a sacred power in today's corporate America. So when someone asks you to draft a media list one day, remember that as menial as the task may seem, you are indeed making a huge impact on the well-being of a major corporation.

Mentors: Your Compass at Work

How do you address a Congressman during an interview? What's the best way to create a media list? Who do you go to when you quickly need a quote from a top official at the Pentagon? These are all questions that a standard textbook couldn't adequately answer. Where do you find these answers? With the people you trust most: Your mentors.

This is my third internship within the past year, and I can honestly say that I wouldn't be where I am today without the help of my mentors. When I read the article "PR Tactics and the Strategist Online" by Debra Miller on PRSA's website, Miller's thoughts about mentoring really hit home with me. A mentor is someone that not only supports you during the growth process, but also pushes you to exceed your own expectations. He or she can be jubilant for your successes and offer words of encouragement during your failures. Its a person that can be critical of a paper yet willing to shoot pool with you. Having a person that can be both your best friend and your worst nightmare is the greatest kind of mentor to have during your career.

Where do you find your mentors? Most of the time, you have to seek them out. Try to find someone that you can have fun with, yet isn't nice to you all the time. Make sure the individual is older and has a lot of experience in the career you've chosen, because you're going to need good answers to some very confusing situations. And lastly, make sure you can trust the person. If you feel that he or she isn't trustworthy, stay clear of them. They're the last kind of people you want to work with while you're trying to figure out your career path.

The New Kid On The Block

Hey everyone! This is the first blog that I've ever written, so this is a whole new experience for me. But trying new things is what an internship is all about, right?

Alright, you're probably wondering who this new kid on the block is. To satisfy your curiosity, I'll give you a little sneak peek of who I am. I'm an 18 year-old from Clinton Township who's currently majoring in Journalism at Michigan State University. I like to listen to music (especially Bruce Springsteen), work out at Lifetime Fitness, read books, and hang out with my friends. Once I graduate, I plan on attending law school for three years, and then sailing out into the scary, yet exciting, "real world".

I've only been here for five short hours now, and I'm already excited about this internship. This once-in-a-lifetime experience will hopefully help me develop my communication, writing and organizational skills, which will be essential in any career path I choose. I think this internship will help me decide whether I want to do PR in the future. Hopefully it'll point me into the right career path.

I believe this internship will be fun. I'll let you how it's going with my weekly updates. Hopefully my blogs will help you figure out if PR is something you would like to pursue.