October 26, 2016
I hope you found my last post about building customer support to make your PR program a success useful. But wait, there’s more!
- Start small and build. Once you get the client to do something (anything!), you have the door open and can start to expand from there. Maybe there is no way they will do an interview about your new product, but maybe they will be open to presenting a mini-case study at your user conference. Maybe they will only do a blinded case study to start. Once you get that first thing though, it’s a lot easier to expand. Try this: “Our PR firm mentioned your user conference presentation to one of their media contacts and she is really interested in your story. Would you feel comfortable sharing a couple of those slides?”
- Pay them. Why not? It’s certainly very valuable to you and if they cannot accept gifts, maybe they can accept some first class travel to the speaking venue or the user conference, or maybe you have a program for making charitable donations on behalf of your clients that participate in marketing projects.
- Base the request (or offer, see #3 ) on their goals. Are they trying to get credit internally for this project? Is the organization trying to make a big deal about its modern technology? Know what the customer’s drivers are and do what you can to make the PR opportunity align with those goals.
- Bond with their marketing team. Internal marketing at the client’s organization may be your biggest hurdle. If they balk, you better have some high-level support in the organization to overcome the resistance. Alternatively, reach out to them before that release lands on their desk and try to make friends. Ask what their goals and messages are and how you can help. Maybe you have a great PR firm (hint hint) that will make the whole process so easy for them it won’t feel like extra work. If you do, put them directly in touch with your clients internal PR, they will speak the same language and should have good cajoling experience.
It’s never easy and it always takes time, but if you keep trying these tactics in different combinations you should start to reach a higher success rate. Some client organizations are never going to do anything with you unless it is totally strategic (I’m looking at you, Mayo Clinic), but you will be surprised how many initial ‘Nos’ can be turned around with the right approach.
As always, please email, tweet, call, or even stop by if you want to learn more about how to make your PR program a success – or better yet, if you would like Aria’s help in doing so.
