Conflict is Key

A PR person explains why in a letter to her clients.

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Of all the outside firms that entrepreneurs employ, PR firms probably have the toughest time getting--and staying--in their clients' good graces. Some companies feel they aren't getting as much media play as they deserve, while others think they're garnering the wrong kind of attention. Meanwhile, the cost-benefit analysis for public relations is pretty hard to calculate. We thought it would be interesting to get a sense of what PR people think about the companies they work for. So we asked Geri Denterlein, the founder and CEO of Denterlein Worldwide, a Boston-based PR agency, to write a letter to her clients explaining how her company can work with them to be more successful. We also asked her to dish on what client habits are, well, annoying. Here's her letter:

Dear clients, past, present, and future:

I've been in public relations for 15 years, and I started my own company seven years ago. Like most entrepreneurs, I really love my clients. Many of them are experts in health care, real estate, and legal services, and I am routinely impressed by how smart they are and how interesting their work is.

They don't all start out as great clients, however. I have sometimes thought that if I sent them an instruction kit before we began to work together, the whole process would go more smoothly.

Let's stipulate at the outset that when entrepreneurs hire public relations agencies, their goal is to use PR to enhance their credibility, brand recognition, and bottom line--as fast as possible--rather than, say, vanity. Right from the start, however, many entrepreneurs make a mistake: During almost every introductory meeting with a potential client, halfway through my pitch, I'll be interrupted. "Cut to the chase," the CEO will say. "Can you get us on the front page of The Wall Street Journal (NYSE:DJ)?"

The short answer may be yes--we can work to get you mentioned in a major newspaper, although the front page is a long shot unless you are truly unique. But you must understand that those pitches take a lot of time and are never a sure thing. PR is not advertising. Even if your publicist has top-notch newsroom contacts and is armed with a defined, disciplined message, it's impossible to control the news. This fact, of course, is exactly what makes a mention of your company on the local 6 o'clock broadcast so valuable.

If you want to make headlines, you have to be interesting, and it helps if you are easy to interview. Heed our pep talks on how to interact with reporters. Be mindful of deadlines, return calls quickly, offer pithy quotes, and don't fidget on camera. Avoid descending into industry jargon, embellishing your credentials, or betraying irritation at a reporter's questions. Never, ever ask to review an article before it is published--that makes you (and your PR firm) seem like amateurs.

When it comes to pitching stories to the media, please believe your PR firm if it tells you that the theme you propose to build your PR strategy around is just plain dull. For example, a successful real estate developer once asked my firm to pursue a news story on the basis that, in his words, all the condo owners in one of his buildings "really liked him." Trust us, we said, this isn't enough to capture a jaded reporter's attention. But he wouldn't be dissuaded. Reluctantly, we agreed to make some calls to reporters on this clear nonstory. Not only did we waste our time--for which we billed him--but the reporters with whom we spoke certainly didn't take us seriously. And guess what will happen the next time we call these reporters on this developer's behalf?

When it comes to making news, you have to recognize that one of the key elements of a compelling article is conflict. Businesses that are willing to acknowledge adversity can reap enormous PR rewards. Being covered in the media--even if the portrayal isn't exactly perfect in your mind--always confers more credibility on your business than even the most clever ad. Unfortunately, companies often shy away from making a pitch that reveals their vulnerability. That can be a big mistake.

Several years ago, the computer system of one of our clients crashed. That client happened to be Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard-affiliated hospital that on any given day cares for thousands of patients. The server meltdown forced the hospital's staff to return to pen-and-paper charting for the first time in years. One could imagine a newspaper article or a TV news segment describing this as a crisis that threatened the lives of numerous grandmas and premies. Instead, my team and the hospital's management decided to contact a health care reporter at The Boston Globe (NYSE:NYT) and offer her a scoop on how the staff of Beth Israel Deaconess pulled together to ensure great patient care while technicians resolved the IT problem. The resulting article did just that--and applauded the hospital for its commitment to transparency.

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