The secret of success in public relations

A public relations officer needs to be the kind of person who gets along with people easily and can hold their attention.

Looking a bit deeper into the job, a professional PR person is someone who can boldly and clearly talk about an event.

But the key point of the job, learned from my ten years of experience in the field, is that the information you give out must be "convincing". Otherwise, the customers can just glean what they want from the product's brochure.

So, to become a success in the PR field you should be able to make people see the benefits of the information you're giving out and it should also reflect and create a good image for your company.

To give you a clearer picture, here's a list of points you should look out for:

1. Know everything there is to know about your organisation. I don't mean digging deep for "inside" information, but learning about its working culture, what it presents, what it sells and its business goal.

2. Once you've digested all the information, you must try to link it with the product you're presenting. It would be a waste of time if you can't associate your organisation with its product.

3. Try out the product or the service before presenting it. If you don't test it, how can you tell anyone why your product is the best?

4. Never lie. If the product is weak in any way, be straightforward with the customer. Remember, nothing is perfect in this world.

5. Be positive and find a positive angle for your product. This will help you deliver your message to the customer successfully.

By Waralee Jirachaisri

Marketing PR specialist

Advance Info Service Plc.