More cowbell ... or how internal PR pros can build trust

Waiting for busy execs to magically understand internal communications/PR efforts is a buried, active landmine. Sooner or later, it will explode. A failure to communicate with executives (the good, bad and ugly) and set expectations on an ongoing basis damages PR programs - and the people in it - sometimes irreparably. Impatient executives who aren’t adequately kept informed will inevitably draw their own conclusions and decide it's time for change.
 
“Like the cobbler’s kids who go shoeless, more often than not PR folks are so busy we often forget to take time to do some equally crucial internal promotional work with our key constituents to keep them all informed,” said John Ricciardone, a PR veteran who has been providing top executives with clear, consistent communications for almost 20 years. 
 
“Proactively ‘sell’ your PR program, its progress and successes on an ongoing basis to all your internal stakeholders. These not only include the usual suspects such as “C” level executives, business unit heads, product marketing, but also the field sales organization,” Ricciardone said.
 
Here are a dozen tips on how to keep your PR program at the forefront of your organization:   

1. Be intuitive – the best place to begin? First, figure out what type of communication works best within your company. If busy executives won’t read your e-mail then this isn’t the way to go. Second, determine who needs to be kept in the loop; think cross-functionally within your organization when working up this list. 
2. Meet regularly – get together in person with all your key internal PR stakeholders - either individually or as a group - at least once a quarter. Review the progress and compare against the PR plan. If a standalone meeting doesn’t work, see if you can make yourself a regular attendee at an already scheduled management meeting that runs consistently. 
3. Don't whine – executives are used to dealing with problems, but are impatient with unfocused complaints. If you've got an issue, tell them, discuss it and make sure you offer specific recommendations on how to fix it. 
4. Anticipate – don't wait for execs to ask you questions ... proactively think through their hot buttons without them having to ask you. This mindset gradually brings you into their inner circle.  
5. More cowbell – Consistently demonstrate how PR is moving the ball downfield in the areas of attitude transformation, social media, SEO, lead gen, online community building, traditional editorial coverage, visibility traction vs. key competitors and growth of positive “buzz.” Lay down a consistent beat.
6. Manage expectations – know what you're talking about, be straightforward, and tell them what they need to know, even if it's a difficult conversation. This breeds trust over time. 
7. Fill black holes – create a pattern of regular PR-related communication with all your key PR stakeholders. Tell them what's going on, ideally even before it occurs. And once something happens, don't forget the recap. 
8. Consistent updates – provide two types of consistent updates: (A) specific PR activities (i.e. 'the latest word on our Tech Crunch interview opportunity') and (B) the PR program as a whole (i.e. "here's the progress we made last month"). 
9. Make new friends – Don't just 'hang out' with marketing, communications and PR... get out there and meet consistently with operations, engineering, manufacturing, HR, sales & service. Seek their perspective, brainstorm new ideas and tell them what's going on. Don't become insulated.
10. Be visible – public relations is viewed as the “face of the company.”  Be where you need to be, even if you don’t feel like it or don’t have the time. To build widespread internal trust and support, you have to be perceived as someone who cares about the company, not just PR. 
11. Share the credit – if someone has played an instrumental role behind the scenes, publicly acknowledge them and their contributions. Not only is this the right thing to do, but the resulting goodwill will pay huge dividends down the road.
12. Chill out – remember that while public relations is your world, it's not everyone else's. Be patient and understanding. An issue for you may not be an issue in the grand scheme of another person's world. Keep your perspective, and remember to pick your battles carefully lest you lose the war. 

Heed the advice of Ricciardone, “Don’t take it for granted that everyone you work with knows and understands the PR process. A few years ago, for example, I had an initial phone conversation with a blogger and was asked immediately afterwards by our anxious sales VP if that particular person was going to post a story about us soon. Instead of responding yes or no, I asked him – in a non-confrontational and non-defensive tone – whether he and his team always closed a deal after making only one sales call to a prospect. He said, no, that would be a very unrealistic expectation to which I replied, ‘same for me.’ He looked at me for a moment, nodded his head, smiled broadly, and said he understood,” Ricciardone concluded.