Trending
I’ve often thought about the many parallels in the world of psychology/psychotherapy to PR.
PR is about analysing, addressing negatives, focussing on positives and monitoring the ongoing health and state of a business. It’s about ‘laying it bare’ and being brutally honest about all aspects of your business to move on in a positive, constructive and productive way.
It’s about being constantly aware of areas of weakness and amplifying your strengths. It’s about reaching out to people that can help you. It’s about looking at your business from all different perspectives. You may see a psychotherapist if you ‘can’t see the wood for the trees’ I think often when you’re so emerged in a business, it’s just the same. It’s hard to see things objectively or from other peoples perspective.
PR helps you see these perspectives. It helps you see your business from all angles, therefore highlighting areas that you had perhaps overseen or were unaware of.
A good PR consultant will give you an honest view on your business. They will show you how to view your business in 3D, seeing the business as a model. Pick it up, turn it over, see it from your clients POV.
If you see a therapist you are open and willing to change. You are reaching out to them for ways to improve, to see a different view on things, to see a way forward. However by not accepting certain facets of yourself change will be very hard. This is the same in PR, you have to be willing to accept constructive criticism and you have to be willing and open to change.
Don’t be afraid of change. Change is inevitable. If you’re company is stagnant or isn’t moving forwards then there’s clearly a blockage somewhere. This needs clearing, just like seeing a therapist for a personal concern or blockage. The therapist will talk with you and together you will be able to pinpoint the area that needs addressing. It’s the same with PR. In PR it’s just as important to really understand the company. I have written a lot about the importance of P>P (Person to Person) in marketing, PR and in business in general. Whatever the brand or the product, unless we have started interplanetary commerce before this blog is published, the likelihood it that you’re dealing with another human being. We all have the same fundamental needs, we are all roughly made up in the same biological way, we all have emotional and physical needs and an ego. Every company started with an idea, a passion, a dream, and whether its a start up or a century old company the chances are it takes up a large part of your time and time is one of our most precious commodities. So the importance of making a success of your company is deeply important, not to mention the financial implications.