Attend the Speed Networking Event

I wrote this for the Polk County Business Journal, but wanted to post it on my blog, too. I think this is a great idea and if you're looking to make some business connections, you should plan to attend.


LAKELAND- The Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of Polk County will offer a new spin to an old business activity on March 7.

Business networking will be done in speedy fashion during the “Rapido Networking” event held 8:30- 10:30 a.m. at Black & Brew Coffee House & Bistro.

The event is similar to speed dating, but with a business twist, said Ana Rivera, Chamber president and the event’s organizer.

“I attended a speed networking event in Brandon a while ago,” Rivera said. “It’s being done in larger cities.”

Just because Lakeland is a nice, quiet community doesn’t “mean we don’t have metropolitan people who live here” and could benefit from speed networking, she said.

Here’s how the event works:

Attendees pay a $5 entrance fee, which includes coffee and a coupon good for food discounts at Black & Brew.

Each person gets a name tag with several table numbers listed on it. Attendees go to their first assigned table and have two and a half minutes to introduce themselves and the company they work for and explain what they hope to get out of the event, Rivera said. After five minutes, attendees move on to the next table listed on their name tag and repeat the process.

“No one ends up talking to the same person the whole time, Rivera said. “Each person could get to meet up to 90 people.”

Rivera anticipates having 25 people attend the first event, which is open to everyone. For more information call Rivera, 863-838-2084 or visit the Chamber’s Web site: www.puertoricanchamberofcommercepolkcounty.org

Black & Brew is located at 205 E. Main St.

FPRA Breakfast & Brainstorming: Local Image Awards Workshop

You work tirelessly to generate good publicity for your company or organization year-round. Now it's time to stand up and be recognized.

The Dick Pope/Polk County Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association in Lakeland, Fla. has revived its Local Image Awards, and will host a workshop for interested entrants on Feb. 8.

The workshop is designed for groups seeking information on how to put an entry together and how those entries are judged?

Cindy Rodriguez, Polk County's public information director, will lead the workshop.

The Image Awards is a competition to recognize the outstanding public relations programs in Polk County and to encourage and promote the development of public relations professionalism in the community.

This event is brought to you by the new members of the DP/PC chapter: PRIME Class #4.

Here are the details:

When: Friday, February 8th at 8:30 a.m.

Where: United Way of Central Florida community room (5605 Highway 98 S, Highland City, Fl 33846)

Why: Learn how to put together your entry for the judges and share your own helpful tips.

How: Please RSVP to Katie Gernert at kgernert@bondclinic.com or 863-293-1191 ext. 3555.

To see the official entry packet for the 2008 Local Image Awards visit www.fprapolk.org. The deadline for entry submission is March 3, 2008.

Web Design, Public Relations and Building a Brand

Since I started Lorrie Walker Communications, Inc. last year, I have been incredibly flattered by the hundreds of compliments on my Web site and business card design. Receiving all those compliments made me realize that obviously there are a lot of boring business cards and Web sites out there that aren't living up to their potential. I thought I'd share my experiences in creating my brand, as well as my thoughts on branding in general, in hope that it will help other public relations professionals and those starting their own businesses.

I knew going into this business that the first two things I needed were business cards and a Web site. No matter how mighty the Internet becomes, I think business people always will need business cards for those face-to-face opportunities. And these days if you don't have a Web site, people just don't take you seriously. And I'm not sure they should.

I was blessed in knowing where to go for assistance in developing my brand: Barrett Creative in Lakeland, Fla. Michael Barrett gave me some great advice that I think anyone who works in public relations ought to practice and recommend to their clients. He said branding is everything. When someone looks at your business card, your Web site, your letterhead and your promotional brochures, it ought to look like everything was created by the same person. There ought to be continuity in the design, color scheme, look and feel. That's how you create your brand. If a business does this, Barrett is convinced- and I agree- that people will come to know and recognize your brand. And that, my friends, is good for business.


I think Barrett Creative has effectively demonstrated this formula with one Lakeland-based client in particular- Gate Arty, a Lakeland Realtor. The first thing most people will notice about Gate's promotional materials is the creative little "g" on everything. I notice it every time I visit his Web site or see his ad on a for sale sign or a bus bench. He's building his brand.



BUILDING A BRAND- WHERE TO START
When I met with Barrett to discuss my branding needs, I had an idea in mind. I wanted a retro look, and I wanted a design that would stand out from the rest and over time, be recognizable as belonging to me. I thinks its a good idea to have some idea of what you want. I had some specific requests when it came to the font used in my name, as well as the color scheme. I don't know if this helped Barrett or if I became a colossal pain in the butt during the design process. If I'm thinking like a true customer, I don't care whether it was helpful or not. What I did care about was the finished product, and whether it met my expectations.

In the end, Barrett's design exceeded my expectations. Who could ask for more?

When it came to creating my Web site, Barrett's job was easy. He designed a Web site that mirrored the design of my business card. I wanted the Web site to look professional and I wanted it to project me and my business as entities to be taken seriously. Basically, all I needed was an online brochure at this point. I needed people to be able to find me on the Internet and call or email me if they had questions or wanted additional information.

Barrett, in partnership with Jim Mosier and Lakeland, Fla.-based Mosier Information Services, Inc. recently created Donkasites, a company that designs Web sites to help businesses establish an Internet presence. That's exactly what I needed, and it's exactly what Donkasites has done for me.

A big misconception is that building Web sites is expensive, and doing little things that lend a more professional appearance are out of reach for small businesses. That simply is untrue. For example, a lot of people seem to think it's too expensive to have this as your email: lorrie@lorriewalker.com. IT'S NOT. Read this again. IT'S NOT. You owe it to youself to get with a Web designer and secure a domain name that accurately reflects your business. And there is no reason that if your business name is Lorrie Walker Communications, Inc., that your email address can't be lorrie@lorriewalker.com.

If your business card shows an email address that ends in "@yahoo.com" or "@hotmail.com" or "@aol.com," you don't appear to be invested for the long haul. You don't appear professional from a business or public relations standpoint.

My advice to public relations professionals and those who are starting small businesses is to do some research and find those companies such as Barrett Creative and Donkasites to help you create an Internet presence. They have made a huge difference for me. They have leveled the playing field and enabled me to compete on the Internet with public relations/professional writing firms that are much larger and more established than I am.

Public Relations- Training A Spokesperson

The Dick Pope/Polk County Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association hosted a Breakfast and Brainstorming session Tuesday morning on training spokespeople to talk to the media.

James Frankowiak, APR, a member of the DP/PC chapter, lead the discussion. He suggested a common sense approach to training spokespeople and offered a list of questions a public relations professional should ask themselves prior to beginning the training. Those questions include:

• Have I established appropriate media relationships?
• Do my media contacts have current information about my organization?
• Do we have policies and procedures in place for effectively handling media inquiries?
• Does senior leadership understand and agree with why we are engaging in spokespersonship?
• Who is the primary spokesperson? Back-up?

Frankowiak pointed out that the easy part is the training itself- the difficult part is making sure the spokesperson actually is ready to face the media. He said the most effective training is done on camera. When people are able to watch themselves on tape, they are better able to view how their clothing, mannerisms, facial expressions and body language translate on camera.

Spokespeople are more successful if they are able to get on camera three to five times during a training session, Frankowiak has learned. For that reason, it's best to keep training groups small enough to make that camera time possible.

The essence of media training involves knowing the audience being reached, establishing several communications objectives for every spokesperson opportunity and knowing the media person/gatekeeper for that opportunity, Frankowiak said.

Spokesperson training also involves preparing for the questions, situations and scenarios you hope never will occur. Be prepared to answer the toughest conceivable questions, he said. Finally, don't fall into the trap of using industry-specific jargon and lingo on camera. Speak on a topic as though the general public isn't familiar with it- they often aren't.

Spokesperson training also should teach people how to deal with extraordinary situations, Frankowiak said, such as the reporter with an "agenda," rapid-fire questioning, misinformation, or the reporter who simply doesn't have a clue. A well-trained spokesperson should be able to hold up under any of those circumstances.

Afterthoughts

As is often the case in informal brainstorming sessions such as this, as much good information came from the discussions during and after the session as the actual training. I like nothing more than getting into a room of PR professionals with much more experience than me. Often, they have so many great, real-world examples of training in action, and Tuesday's group didn't disappoint.

Lesley Corban of the U.S. Postal Service suggested that during training, those participating switch roles so that sometimes they are the person being interviewed and sometimes they are the interviewer. Being on both sides of the coin can help each understand where the other is coming from.

Jennifer Denham of the United Way of Central Florida gave examples of how being forthright with information to the media at all times can translate into future coverage opportunities for "good news" items, especially when reporters are desperate for something to cover. This happens more often than you might imagine, especially in smaller media markets.

Suleima Salgado of the Polk County Health Department gave an amazing example of how she recently dealt with a television reporter who kept trying to lead her into making a comment she didn't want to make. Salgado stuck to her guns and repeatedly returned to her communications objective during the interview. After becoming frustrated and angry, the reporter finally moved on.

Among the most important information I got from the training were these key points:

• A well-trained spokesperson should be comfortable, believable and sound honest on camera.
• Never let a spokesperson do an interview alone. A PR professional always should be waiting on the sideline, in the event the interview takes an unanticipated turn. The PR professional can work to ensure the interviewer stays on topic.
• Don't be afraid of dead air. Answer your question and then STOP TALKING.
• If you don't know the answer to a question, say so.
• Anticipate the tough questions you don't want to be asked.

Good PR Practices When the News is Bad

I read with great disappointment on Friday that Keep Polk County Beautiful's executive director, Janis Davis, was fired on Nov. 19. You can read The Ledger article here. You can read a sloppy and mildly inaccurate version of the story the News Chief published here.

This is a sad story, and not one that Keep Polk County Beautiful was anxious to talk about, I'm sure. But I think their actions in light of this unfortunate event are a good example of what to do when negative publicity comes your way: be forthright with information and don't avoid the media.

By all appearances, KPCB President Tom Parrotte provided all requested information to the media. He explained why the Board of Directors chose to terminate Davis, and he pointed out that despite Davis's judgment error, she was "a real go-getter" for the organization.

In a situation such as this, I think Parrotte took a good public relations approach by not bashing Davis in the media, but just stating the facts.

Earlier today, I stated in this blog that from a public relations standpoint, I don't think I would have issued a press release on this firing. An email I received this morning from James, a PR professional, brought up some good points and I have since changed my stance. This is what he wrote:

"It’s not clear from your blog or the media report who took the first steps relative to the media. My counsel would have been for the organization to seek meetings with its regular beat reporters and tell them what had transpired and why. Perhaps that is what happened. My experience has been it is far better to take that first step when there’s bad news to report. Hiding bad news is never a good strategy since it makes the media wonder what else is lurking in the background. Often this is a hard approach for senior management to take, but it is the right one.

Think about the Tylenol situation many years ago and how they handled the problem. That approach is still considered a sterling best practice."

Later, James responded with some additional comments that I also think are great ideas:

"Before initiating contact with the media regarding the termination, I would have recommended notification to employees and members, as well as any board members not involved in the matter. Also, any major funding sources like United Way or major supporting foundations. It’s never good to have employees or members of a non-profit or other stakeholders read about serious internal matters in the media."

Let's face it, this isn't news you want everyone to know, especially when you're a non-profit organization that relies on public and private funding to carry out your mission. This is the type of news that might jeopardize future funding.

If an organization chooses not to follow James' sound advice, and simply wait to see if the media inquires about a situation such as this, I certainly wouldn't recommend telling them, "No comment," or "This is a personnel issue, and we don't discuss personnel issues."

In response to James' statement about it not being clear whether the media approached KPCB or KPCB reported the firing to the media, the time frame makes one doubt that KPCB approached the media about this. Davis was fired on Nov. 19 and The Ledger reported it on Nov. 30. The News Chief reported it on Dec. 1, which makes it look like they saw it first in The Ledger.

To me, this news item drives home another important public relations topic, especially when it comes to non-profit groups. Leaders of non-profit organizations must maintain the utmost integrity and they should ensure that all of their actions are above reproach at all times. It might be an unfair truth, but the truth is that many volunteers and donors judge a non-profit organization by the actions of its leaders.

In the interest of full disclosure, I will tell you that I served as the executive director at Keep Polk County Beautiful for three years. Davis took my place when I resigned.

Best of luck to KPCB in its search to replace Davis. In spite of this misstep, her shoes will be tough to fill.

To all you PR professionals out there, I would love to get your thoughts and opinions regarding how this situation was handled.

Public Relations 101- Return A Freaking Phone Call

With a background as a journalist and as a public relations professional, I feel fortunate to have been on both sides of this fence that I currently straddle- albeit uncomfortably.

As a public relations professional, I make it a priority to be as cooperative with the media as possible. I want them to write about the companies I represent when these companies have something important to say. I also want the media to have all of the facts and information to write a fair story when they are writing about a less-than-flattering topic regarding the companies I represent. This is the dance you must learn in public relations. Sometimes the media will write about what you want them to, and other times they will write about what you wish they hadn't. But above all, keeping those communication lines open is paramount.

As a reporter at a daily newspaper, nothing was more irritating than to leave messages with people you needed to get comments from, and as your deadline loomed, the people hadn't returned your calls. In the back of my mind, I would find myself thinking that if it was possible to work around this person next time, I would do so.

These days I play the role of reporter and public relations professional, which makes this dance even more interesting. I am a freelance writer for several Polk County publications, and I've had two instances recently that to me, really drive home the title of this blog- return a freaking phone call!

Instance #1- I recently wrote an article about company Christmas parties, the reasons for having them and the potential liabilities involved. My husband works for Publix (I love Publix, so it pains me to write this), and I learned that the employees in his department had raised their own money to host a Christmas party. I wanted to speak to the organizers and make arrangements to get photos at their party to accompany my story. I called a fellow Florida Public Relations Association member involved in PR with Publix, and she referred me to the appropriate person I needed to speak with to obtain permission to conduct this interview. I called that person and emailed her. I called four times. I emailed twice. I spoke to another woman in her office. I never- NEVER- received a call back.

I was indignant. And, I said to myself, "Screw it. If they don't want good publicity, I'm certainly not going to force it down their throats."

Is this a professional attitude? Certainly not. But take note, PR professionals: this is how MANY journalists react when you don't do what they want, when they want it. It's an ugly truth, but it's the truth, nonetheless.

I went to this Christmas party with my husband and wound up meeting the organizer I had hoped to interview for my story. It turns out that she knew I had been inquiring about an interview. The woman who never returned my phone calls had been working behind the scenes to get me my interview. Here's the problem: I never knew that, so I moved on to other sources. The party organizer couldn't have been more disappointed to hear that I no longer planned to include the Publix angle in my story. She was apologetic, and was sure to tell me she had been seeking permission to speak to me through her chain of command. This is a concept I understand well. I would have been glad to hold off on the story, had I known that my requests were being addressed. Instead, I felt ignored and disregarded.

Incident #2- This is a story idea that isn't dead yet, so I'm intentionally being a bit vague. I've placed two calls to a source at Lakeland Regional Medical Center about a feel-good story I hope to do for a local publication's spring issue. The group within the hospital has an on-going complaint of never getting any media attention. I'm prepared to help change that by doing this story. The friend who told me about the story idea gave me a point of contact at LRMC. I've called this person twice, and she hasn't called me back. I spoke to my friend recently and told her I've made two attempts, to no avail.

The friend calls the contact person and finds out that she has received my messages, but she is going through the public relations representatives at the hospital to get permission to speak to me. Again, this is a concept I understand. So why not call me and tell me that, so I at least know you've received my messages?

Solution
So what am I getting at, dear PR professionals? Return a freaking phone call!!! If a reporter calls and wants to do a story, but you must first clear it through your internal processes, that's fine. We understand. But CALL US AND TELL US THAT. Don't leave us hanging, thinking that you're disregarding our requests for interviews.

And to those of you who include not returning phone calls in your day-to-day PR practices, let me share this with you: you are soooooo not doing yourselves any favors with the media. Reporters are avoiding people such as you like the plague. You are the ones on whom we hinge our hopes of getting those great quotes by deadline. And you are the ones who disappoint us. And then, you become the ones we put on our mental list of people not to call, because you refuse to return a freaking phone call.

I would love to hear from journalists and PR professionals on this one, so I welcome your comments. Don't hold back!

FPRA Meeting at Southeastern University

Southeastern University's student chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association hosted the local professional chapter (Dick Pope/Polk County) today and the meeting was wonderful.

I think I'm a bit partial, due to having worked at Southeastern until earlier this year, but I have to say this- one thing Southeastern University's Development Office knows how to do is to put on a function. The staff in the Development Office have done an amazing job of sharing that valuable skill set with the student FPRA chapter. The students were wonderful and President Leah Spellman was on the ball throughout the function.

More than once throughout the meeting, I heard fellow FPRA members talking about how beautiful the campus was, how helpful the staff and students were and how effortlessly the luncheon seemed to flow.

Several of the student chapter's 15 members were pinned today. I hope that they get all they can out of their membership. I am guilty of not using my membership to its fullest extent, so I hope the students won't follow in my footsteps in that regard.

Southeastern Vice President for Development James L. Davis was today's speaker, and he shared some fascinating information on the school's growth in recent years.

Fast Facts

• The school's budget has grown from $14 million to $40 million in the past eight years.
• There were 910 students enrolled when President Mark Rutland came to Southeastern in 1999. Today there are 3,069 students enrolled.
• New academic buildings and a new performing arts center are slated to be built.
• Off-site campuses are being considered in Europe, the Middle East and California.
• Efforts are in place to double the school's $5 million endowment within the next five years.
• Two more master's degree programs and the university's first doctorate degree will be offered in Fall 2008.

Davis spoke about the university's leadership and how they got the school from being within six months of permanently closing its doors to being a thriving Christian university with lots of growth potential.

All in all, the information was great for a public relations crowd, because most people in public relations have dealt with fundraising at some level. Going into the meeting, I worried that it might turn into a shameless plea for money. After all, Davis is tasked with raising large sums of money for the school each year. He bordered on going overboard toward the end, but overall, his message was good. Davis is a great speaker and he's very engaging.

For Journalism/PR Students

Today's meeting drove home once again how important it is, in my opinion, for students to get involved in organizations such as FPRA. These student organizations and their partnerships with the local professional organizations are an amazing way to make contacts within the profession, to open themselves up to valuable internship opportunities and to shadow professionals in the workplace.

I had a delightful conversation with two student chapter members today and we talked at length about internships, getting that first job, etc. They were nervous about it. They asked questions about their resumes. They wondered if their lack of professional experience would make it difficult to land a great internship or that great first job. I hope that by the end of our conversation, I had alleviated some of their fears, because they are in a GREAT position right now. They're in college, they're a member of FPRA and they have a ton of resources at their disposal because of that.

I gave them my business card and told them if they would email me, I would be happy to send them information on some great PR books I've read recently, as well as an idea for a resume when you don't have a lot of professional experience. I hope they take me up on my offer.

I also hope other FPRA members will extend similar offers to the students at both the Southeastern and the Florida Southern College FPRA chapters. We've amassed a great deal of knowledge in our careers, and I think we owe it to the younger generation to share what we can and help make them as successful as they want to become.

It's refreshing to see students so engaged in their education and in their plans after college. I want to do whatever I can to help them.

So for all you journalism/PR students out there: this is my open invitation to you. Ask me your questions. Share your concerns. If I can't provide answers for you, I will attempt to point you in the direction of someone who can.

In the mean time, I've written several blogs lately that might be of help to college journalism/PR students. Here's one on the importance of checking your work when writing and editing . There also are some blogs about a magazine internship, other internships and choosing those internships wisely.

Oprah's Brilliant PR Moves

Oprah's vast success in virtually everything she touches is no fluke. The woman possesses a great deal of common sense and obviously surrounds herself with professionals who do the same.

When she recently learned the heartbreaking news that girls in her South African school for disadvantaged girls had been abused by a school staff member, she reacted immediately. In my opinion, she did so in classic public relations style, not because it would make her look her best in a bad situation, but because it was the right thing to do. You can read a great story on this event here.

Here is a great example of a good, common sense public relations move outlined in the article:

"After hearing of the allegations, (Oprah) organized an independent investigation headed by Richard Farley, a Chicago detective who specializes in child abuse.

Winfrey said she flew to South Africa to speak with the students and encourage them to come forward with their complaints.

"It was a chance to break the silence," she said."

According to news reports, officials at the school delayed telling Oprah of the allegations. But as soon as she learned of them, she took action.

There was a period of time in which Oprah did not address the media on these allegations, at the request of South African authorities.

Good PR move: When Oprah couldn't comment on the allegations, she was forthright with the media in explaining why.

Good PR move: When she could comment on the allegations, she did so.

Good PR move: Although Oprah isn't directly responsible for the girls being abused at the school, as its founder and leader, she told the media the buck stopped with her.

It amazes me how many figure heads and companies go so horribly wrong when it comes to a crisis. Good public relations practice really shouldn't be something learned from college or from a PR professional. Good PR is just plain common sense most of the time.

In this case, Oprah admitted there were some kinks in the system that prevented these allegations from immediately coming to light. She fixed that in short order by cleaning house of the staff who failed the girls, by meeting with the girls' families to apologize and by issuing cell phones to the girls and telling them to call her if similar occurrences happen in the future.

In this case, Oprah made a textbook example of how to handle an awful situation properly.