PR = Sales?

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where we always win at home.

I saw a brilliant blog post today from Lauren Fernandez, a Twitterer I follow from the Dallas area (she's a packer fan, but we won't hold that against her). She makes the argument that there's more sales involved in PR than you'd think at first - and she's absolutely right.

Here's the text of her post (also at http://laurenafernandez.wordpress.com/):

"Most of the PR pros I know turn their nose up at being compared to a sales person - maybe it’s because the stereotype of sales people is that slick, used cars salesman that will tell you anything to buy a car. Isn’t that misconception, though, exactly the type of thing we fight in this field? The stereotype that we are party planners might apply to some, but doesn’t apply to us as a whole.

My dad has been in sales for 25+ years, and I can assure you that I would never make the comparison of some who was a national sales manager in the medical field to a used car salesman.

PR and publicity involves selling, and any salesperson will tell you that you have to analyze your audience before you even begin an approach. Well, I do that when I start a campaign. A sales person has a deep understanding of why people will be receptive to a certain message, or what type of audience they are talking to - it’s an act of persuasion. Don’t we as PR professionals “persuade” the media to run a story through the art of an effective pitch? And then, once the journalist is hooked, the information that we provide the journalist with needs to be enticing to their audience so they are receptive (there is that word again) to the message. Sounds familar…..

Everytime I pick up the phone, I am selling a client to the media - the organization I work for. You can call it pitching all you want, but it is a very similar concept.

A big part of both a PR and salesperson is to figure out who to sell your ideas to: whether its a product, a non-profit, etc. My dad knows just as much about the products he is selling as the doctors do - he actually scrubs in and has to explain to the doctor how to use the equipment. We, as PR professionals, have to know the ins and outs of what we are pitching.

In this field, you HAVE to be personable. In sales, you have to be just as personable, but you have an entertainment budget. So, it might be a different playing field, but you still have to put yourself out there. I’m not sure how many sales people PR pros have talked to, because all the ones I know are friendly, courteous and always hold me rapt with their conversation. They know how to step outside their circle and make contacts with people they might never have talked to before. They know how to build relationships through conversation, even with those that might not be a salesperson. My personality comes directly from two sales people (although my mom quit when I was born) the type that PR pros turn their nose up at. But guess what I am most complimented on? How approachable and personable I am, and how I am not scared to step outside the bubble and ask questions.

So, look in the mirror and you might see the salesperson within."

This is spot on. Comments/thoughts welcome.

I'm out like the Gopher basketball team. I swear they didn't even get off the bus tonight.