The death of the Yes Man: 4 times ‘no’ is the best answer in PR
In PR it can be really hard to say no to clients since, from your first Saturday job, the phrase ‘the customer is always right’ is drilled into you. However, as consultants we need to have the confidence to say no sometimes if we feel this would be the right course of action. For example, if a client suggests creating a hashtag to promote a message, the PR should advise if it will likely be used positively or if it could end up backfiring and cause more damage than good. The best PRs know their job is not just about blind promotion, but about achieving the best results for the client and to achieve this honesty really is the best policy.
Where’s the news value?
Sometimes in PR clients ask their agencies to do things in order to create a ‘buzz’ but haven’t asked the question ‘will this actually lead to coverage or meet our goals as a business to engage with a particular audience?’ While press releases without hard news can be useful for marketing collateral or for SEO purposes, writing a release for a new appointment or a new office opening does not necessarily always resonate with journalists. Given that I try to avoid saying no, (there is nothing worse than a whingey, negative PR person) I will write the press release, but only once I’ve confirmed that the client is sure it is what he or she really wants. I’ll also make them aware of the results that will be achieved and advise against pushing the story too hard as it could annoy the very journalists that the client is hoping to influence, which brings me to my next point.
Don’t burn bridges
We’ve all been there – an interview takes place with your spokesperson, an article is written and the client has a point of issue with a word or message and wants it to be changed. While it is fine to ask for corrections for factual errors such as incorrectly spelt names, we can be asked for corrections just because the coverage isn’t exactly what the client expected. In this case it could often be the right thing to say no to requests to change the article to avoid damaging the relationship with the journalist. If we take the long-term view, in time and with further briefings from the company the journalist may become one of the client’s best advocates, which would never happen with pestering them to change every story they write.
The best bang for buck
As PRs we should also be comfortable saying no or steering our clients on specific campaign tactics if we feel they are missing the mark. We love Infographics, we really do, but sometimes they might not be the best way of engaging with the relevant audience for a B2B technology brand. Sometimes tactics are suggested for their own sake without thinking what the intended result would be. Similarly, a flash-mob or take on the Ice Bucket Challenge might not be the best way to sell accounting software. While we need to keep ahead of the times and think laterally about the best way to promote our clients’ message, quite often a series of lunch briefings or finding some hard statistics can yield much better results.
Getting controversial
While a little controversy can be useful to elevate an issue or create a debate, it is not necessarily a good way of promoting a message when used for its own sake. Taking a little dig at competitors in a light way on social media can resonate well with your followers and show a sense of humour, while a little bit of controversy in a news story can make the article more compelling for a journalist to write. However, it is far better to praise the competition faintly and use them as a platform to promote one’s own message, as this will often be viewed as more mature and professional by existing and potential customers.
While we should try and act positively in our clients’ interests and saying no should not become second nature, we should have the confidence to say no when needed. The best value we can offer clients is through providing our insight into how the media works and the best way to convey their message, not just being a yes man/woman.