Did you know that February is International Boost Self-Esteem Month? Your self-esteem, or how you perceive yourself, is always changing. As you go through life, there will be times when your self-esteem is high and others when it is low. If you’re feeling like your self-esteem could use a boost, check out the six tips below!

1. Avoid negative self-talk

We tend to spend so much time thinking about our flaws that we forget about our strengths. This way of thinking can have a negative impact on our self-esteem. So next time you start having negative thoughts, take a moment and recognize what you’re doing. Challenge these beliefs by finding evidence against them. This will alter your way of thinking and make you view yourself in a positive light.

2. Stop comparing yourself to others

People do not always show their true selves on social media. So when you’re looking at your Instagram feed, try not to compare yourself to others. Clinical psychologist Linda Blair states, “You’re comparing yourself with a fantasy, and that will lead to either excessive striving or disappointment.” When you catch yourself wishing you were someone else, take a step back and think about everything you have accomplished. Remember, the successes of others don’t take away from your own.

3. Accept your flaws

No one’s perfect. We all have things we wish we could change about ourselves. To prevent these flaws from having a negative impact on your self-esteem, you should separate your flaws into two categories: flaws that can be worked on and flaws that can’t be worked on. Once you’ve learned to accept yourself for who you are, you will start to find peace within yourself and spend more time focusing on your strengths rather than your weaknesses.

4. Set manageable goals

Blair suggests setting short- to mid-term goals for yourself. This will help you feel a sense of accomplishment once you’ve done what you’ve set out to do. If you set lofty goals, you may be unable to achieve them, and this will have a negative impact on your self-esteem.

5. Practice self-care

It is very important to have a self-care routine. Even if you are extremely busy, you should take a few minutes out of your day to engage in activities that promote peace and well-being. This may include taking a walk, reading a good book, or cooking a healthy meal. In addition, you should take care of your physical health by getting an adequate amount of sleep, eating the right foods, and engaging in daily hygiene. Having a self-care routine will have a significant effect on your self-esteem.

6. Exercise

Not only is exercise good for your physical health, but it is also good for your mental health. When you engage in physical activity, your body releases endorphins, which trigger a positive feeling. You don’t necessarily have to do an hour-long workout to feel better. You can take a walk around the block or get up and dance to improve your well-being. 

Building self-esteem takes time, so be patient with yourself. As long as you try your best, that’s all that matters. Let us know if any of these tips worked for you!  

By Kate Artmann

After the holidays (or even a particularly fun weekend) it can be hard to get back into the swing of things at the office. Feeling sluggish or distracted the first day back at work is a common trait among weekend warriors. To stay focused, the obvious answer is a big cup of coffee, but there are many other ways to perk up. So, here are a few tips to combat any case of the Mondays and increase productivity.

To stay focused, sunshine is your friend

If you’re lucky enough to have a desk next to a window, or even your own office, it’s easy to start the morning with the shades closed or lights low. Instead, you should embrace the Vitamin D and let the sunshine wake you up for the day. While it may be uncomfortable at first, you will likely be in a better mood and less groggy for those mid-morning meetings.

Take a break

While it may seem counter-intuitive to take time away from your work, you will feel refreshed and energized if you take a couple small breaks throughout the day. It’s also important to take breaks from looking at a screen, so you are helping your eyes and brain rest during the breaks as well. A morning walk in the fresh air for 10 minutes or so can give your brain an extra boost of oxygen. In the afternoon, you can do a couple of desk exercises or walk across the office for a quick snack.

Always keep a supply of desk snacks

Low blood sugar is not your friend, especially at work. It’s important to keep some snacks on hand so you don’t fall into an energy slump or worse- become hangry. The best desk snacks are full of protein and nutrients so you stay satiated longer. I suggest nuts, granola bars, beef jerky, apple slices with peanut butter, carrots with hummus, and of course a little dark chocolate.

Start with the smaller tasks and work up to the big ones.

Sometimes if you need to get your brain back into the groove of things, it’s easier to start with the more straightforward tasks such as answering emails, cleaning your desk and returning phone calls. Then once you’re warmed up you can tackle the more difficult tasks.

Stay focused by staying hydrated.

While caffeine is your friend for perking you up, you need water to keep your mind clear and alert. Using a water bottle with a (reusable!) straw promotes water consumption because it is much more mindless to take a sip of water instead of unscrewing your lid every time.

Listen to music or podcasts.

Some workplaces/jobs may not allow for this, but if you are able to put on headphones it can be a great way to pump yourself up for the day. If you have a particular podcast that you enjoy then it can be something to look forward to each morning while you sip coffee and reply to emails.

As we move into 2020, I encourage you to try these tips to continue growing towards the best version of yourself. Staying focused and alert at work doesn’t have to be hard, you just need to implement these tips! Let us know if there’s anything else that works for you so we can share it with everyone.

It wasn’t all that long ago that going to a mental health professional was considered something to keep hidden. Even the popular TV series Mad Men addressed a leading character’s mental health concern with a bit of embarrassment. Today that’s changed. With the increasing stress that life is throwing at everyone and the growing availability of mental health services.

Today it is quite common for someone to admit that they are seeing a therapist or are seeking out counseling. In fact, this actually points to society’s growing acceptance that we can – and should – take care of ourselves. After all, if we can’t take care of ourselves, how are we supposed to take care of anyone else in our life? The recognition that we all need help with the issues we are facing supports a stronger, healthier society.

Public relations is playing an essential role in strengthening this positioning. By taking the stigma out of using mental health services – and showing how this improves lives, strengthen communities and contributes to each client’s success – public relations is exactly the type of communications tools that should be used.  Not only does it help spread the word about mental health issues, it encourages those who may be standing on the side lines, needing help but not knowing where to turn, to reach out and find help.

What’s the best way to find the right public relations team to help? Here are a few things to consider:

Look for a public relations firm that has strong healthcare experience.

Healthcare is a complicated industry with many moving parts. Getting a new team up to speed can be challenging enough without having to teach them the industry as well.

Define your goal.

Do you want to raise the visibility of your mental health services in a specific community? Is expanding your client base your only interest? Is there a referral network your connected to? Every program should be custom designed to meet your goals. Clearly define your goal before you begin your search.

What type of model does your organization need?

If it’s a mental health services organization with a number of facilities is a full-service agency that can handle a national program better suited for your outreach? If it’s a smaller program with a geographically specific need, would a freelance professional better fit your needs?  Once you’ve defined your budget, you’ll be able to determine the type of public relations professional that will be able to truly perform for you.

Don’t forget social.

While in the past mental health was considered anything but social, today social platforms offer a great way to directly target those who are seeking referrals, ideas and tips on how to manage mental health issues.

When public relations (PR) first came on the scene in the early 1900s, it was originally based on a journalism foundation simply because most companies wanted to get their name in the newspaper.  As it evolved, it became a sophisticated approach to creating the right message targeted to the right audience in the right way. This resulted in public relations becoming one of the go-to services for companies seeking to mold how their consumer viewed their brand.

Now, fast forward to today. Has the meaning of PR changed?  With the advent of technology and the wide variety of ways we communicate, it has morphed into an all-encompassing field that now crosses boundaries with digital, advertising, marketing and more.

The Expanding Public Relations Bucket

While traditionally public relations focused on editorial content, today the PR bucket holds much more than media relations. It now includes paid media (advertising), earned media (editorial coverage), shared media (social), and owned media (company newsletters, etc.). Yet, this can – and often does — fall under the PR banner. While all these tools and tactics offer PR teams a wide range of options in how they communicate their specific message, has it changed the meaning, or just the delivery of the message?

Public relations, at its heart, is all about storytelling. While today’s PR professionals are tech-savvy and trends-focused, the profession still concentrates on shaping the message, earning the trust of the audience and moving the needle on how a company is perceived in the marketplace. Yet today the line is blurring between all of the services found on a company marketing wheel. In fact, PR companies these days include full creative services such as video production, event development, brand marketing, media planning and buying, as well as content creation and influencer strategies.

With the growth of mobile, social and viral PR, the industry has gone through a radical shift. What we are seeing today is a re-calibration of offerings by agencies on both sides of the aisle. Creative agencies – typically in the advertising bucket – are using content creation, digital strategies and experiential designs while PR agencies continue to push into paid digital and advertising, as well as earned media.

The baseline of PR: The Art of Storytelling

While this “blurring of the lines” makes it harder for the consumer to determine the type of firm that they are looking for, does it change the meaning of public relations?  The art of storytelling hasn’t changed. PR is still rooted in influencing opinions and ultimately changing behavior. No matter the mode of delivery – social media, paid ads, influencer campaigns or other tactics – this is not going to change. We will always need to craft the narrative – people love a good story.

What has changed is the definition of PR in 2020. While it is still rooted in its storytelling framework, today the stories are crafted in a very different manner. They can be an immersive, interactive event for a branded hotel; the stories can be an unveiling of a product at a trade show; it may revolve around a strong thought leadership program or any one of a million ideas that create and shape a successful campaign.

As a result, some of the trends we’ll see in 2020 include:

• A thirst for content that’s relevant and authentic. This means making sure that the company voice is true to the company values.
• A blurring between the advertising agencies, public relations firms, marketing specialists and digital companies and more. As companies search for a solution to their needs, it is no longer a once-size-fits-all and companies will begin teaming up or even acquiring other firms that complement their strengths.
• A shift in how some of the social media tools are being used; one prime example is Instagram. This platform is losing its organic audience as more and more companies are paying to capture their audience.
• A move into micro-market outreach. As digital tools become more and more sophisticated, firms now have the ability to geographically target micro markets for specific messages. This will become increasingly the norm.
• An increasing use of data to show ROI and validate the success of a campaign. While data has always been powerful, now the availability of data today shows what worked, what didn’t and even what actions were taken.
• Technology will continue to rule (even more than before) as the primary tool for PR practitioners. This includes digital marketing automation tools. These tools create efficiency and effectiveness without having the practitioner sit at the desk to do it.

Public relations has evolved drastically, and no doubt this trend, too, will continue.  That said, while the delivery methods may have changed, the underlying definition has not.   After all, in the end, it’s truly all about the story.

Having the correct skills for a job is a crucial part of any hiring process. You have to be able to navigate numerous programs and the tech to make your job as efficient as possible. A new type of skillset that’s gaining traction in the professional realm is ensuring that employees have emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence (also referred to as EI or EQ for emotional quotient) is defined as the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.

While possessing the correct experience for the position is still a major factor, employers are increasingly taking into account the emotional intelligence capacity of applicants as well as their current staff, for many reasons.

Emotionally intelligent people know their limits.

A part of being emotionally intelligent, by definition, is to be aware of and control your emotions. Everyone has been in a work environment where there was a lack of self-awareness and perhaps, in some cases, a lack of control. Working with a team where even one member is easily frustrated or offended and takes out their emotions on others can drastically change the group dynamic. A team that has two or more members lacking these skills can be detrimental.

Emotionally intelligent people know their limits, and while they may still experience difficult emotions, they are aware of the limits and take time to step away. Likewise, if they begin to feel too strained or overwhelmed, they have the self-awareness to take a mental health day, or enjoy some of their vacation time. This is essential for maintaining a true work-life balance.

Emotionally intelligent people understand others’ limits.

Having the aptitude to take a step back and gain insight into someone’s intentions, evaluate any existing communicative strengths and weaknesses, and communicate effectively and honestly is a crucial part of being in a position of leadership.

Emotional intelligence requires you to behave empathetically. Empathy is rarely talked about in the context of the workplace, but it is still key. It is vital understand that you may not know the extent of their lives outside of work that may be impacting their mood, concentration abilities or overall productivity from day to day can inform a productive conversation about work quality and how to improve the situation.

Emotionally intelligence in coworkers minimizes internal stress.

The growing popularity in EI is largely due to the positive impact it has on the workplace. EI cultivates a culture of understanding, true teamwork, trust and responsibility. It eliminates internal stress and even when there are interpersonal differences, they are handled quickly and respectfully. This eliminates passive aggressive post-it notes, messages or strategically placed smiley-faces in emails. It eliminates work-place gossip. It drastically reduces the pressures that many have reported feeling from corporate leadership. This removal of stress lets employees do their work at their best.

Emotionally intelligent leaders make for a healthier workplace and happier employees.

It’s no surprise that having empathetic, self-aware coworkers and leaders in the office make for a happier workplace dynamic. Emotional intelligence is becoming seen as a skillset of its own. It’s being considered more and more valuable, as you can teach an employee how to learn programs and procedures, but it is far more difficult to teach emotional intelligence.

It’s not hard to see the many benefits of not only practicing emotional intelligence for yourself, but how powerful it can be in a workplace. We all strive to better ourselves and add value to our teams – developing your EI is a great way to start.

By Lauren Howe

Blogging is a great way to attract an audience to your website. Blogging is a great way to promote your business or yourself. To become a successful blogger, it’s important to ask yourself these five questions.

Has this been written about before?

Find your niche. Find a unique topic that few people are writing about. Once you find a specific topic you are passionate about, brainstorm possible extensions of the topic. A perk of writing about a unique topic is that there is plenty of room for extensive writing on related topics. For example, if you are passionate about real estate and interior design, you could feasibly write about laws or economy fluctuations that may impact real estate, up-and-coming student designers, and more. If you are a travel blogger, you can also blog about your favorite products, tips to make travel easier, or write about apps to organize your trip.

Are you passionate about blogging on this topic?

Write with passion. Writing a successful blog will come much more easily if you write about something you are passionate about. Showing that you are invested in and care about what you’re writing about will in turn interest the reader. If you’re bored – so are they.

Is the blog interesting?

Ask yourself, “Would I find this interesting if I hadn’t written it?” You can’t expect people to read your work if you don’t even find the topic interesting. When blogging, you want to build an audience that trusts and continues to come back to your content. If their first impression of your writing is that it lacks enthusiasm, relevant details and personality, then they won’t click on your website the next time an article pops up.

Why should people care about your blog?

With every blog post, it’s important to answer this question. Don’t leave it to your reader to decipher why they should care. Explain to your reader why your work will positively impact their lives. Maybe it’s making them more educated about community issues, a better home designer or a better parent. Maybe it’s giving them invaluable information about caring for their health. Let them know how to use the information you share in the way that produces peak results.

Is your blog informed?

Know your topic front, back and sideways. Stay informed with industry news to ensure your work is staying up-to-date and isn’t telling a story told by countless others. Reading your competition’s blogs can be a good way to see what works and what doesn’t, without having to go through the trial and error yourself. This is also a great way of keeping informed with what readers are interested in. The best way to improve your writing is by reading.

By Breeana Greenberg

Organization is the key to productivity at work. If you’re unorganized, you will have difficulty concentrating and finding the items you need. Another downside to being disorganized is lack of creativity. In order to be efficient in the workplace, we encourage you to try the tips below.

1. Make Sure Your Desk is Clean

Many studies have shown that you will have trouble focusing if your desk is cluttered. According to a report by OfficeMax, 77 percent of adults say clutter negatively impacts their productivity. For this reason, you should get rid of unnecessary clutter and only keep the items you need. You should also go through old documents to see if you need to hold onto them. After you’ve decided which documents you’d like to keep, put them in a designated folder so you can refer to them at a later time.

2. Organize Your Inbox

Create folders in your email to store important information. This will help you stay organized and find emails more easily. If you don’t have time to respond to an email right away, you could flag it so you can come back to it later. You can also leave it on unread so it stays at the top of your inbox.

3. Write it Down

Writing things down makes a lasting impression on your memory. So instead of typing notes on your computer, you should consider keeping a notebook. That way, you will be able to remember things more easily. Not only will the act of writing help your memory, but it will also unclutter your brain. Neuroscientist Daniel Levitin says, “[…] if you can get stuff out of your brain and out there into the world — something called externalizing your memory — it frees up your brain to be uncluttered and to think about the things you really want to think about.”

4. Avoid Multitasking

When juggling multiple tasks, your attention is divided. This prevents you from giving 100 percent. It also takes longer to complete tasks if you’re working on more than one task at a time. So, try to complete one task before moving on to another, as this will make you more efficient. 

5. Take Breaks

It is important to take several breaks throughout the day in order to stay productive and be creative. Even if you have a lot going on, you should still make time for yourself every couple of hours, as this will positively impact on your work. You can do something as simple as stepping outside for a few minutes to get some fresh air or walking around the office. If you skip your break because you feel like you don’t have the time, you will be less efficient. For more tips on how to feel good at work, check out the health and wellness blog.

As long as you make an effort to be more organized, you will not only see a difference in your work, but you will also notice a difference in yourself. Let us know if these tips worked or if you have any other tips you’d like to share!

By Kate Artmann

Everyone is born creative. As we grow older and use a little less of our imaginations, we stop nurturing our creativity. Finding the perfect outlet, especially in a job you enjoy, helps to foster inspiration. This is why embracing our imaginations causes passion to permeate any project undertaken, often resulting in exceeding expectations – and in the workplace, that’s a bonus. 

Nearly every job requires flexibility and creativity to an extent, but it is especially useful in the realm of public relations and strategic communications. Imagination and innovation are key ingredients to telling a compelling story and differentiating our clients from their competitors. 

Nowhere is imagination and innovation more important than when brainstorming. Kent Barrett, VP of the public relations firm, The Hoyt Organization, explains, “Our office has done exercises before, where nobody’s allowed to say, ‘No!’ or ‘the client won’t go for that.’ If the next person is going to speak, he or she has to actually come up with an idea that supersedes the previous idea. In other words, it’s all incredibly positive and anything goes. Ultimately, the last step of that creative process should be us asking ourselves, ‘What is realistic that we can actually get done?’ Oftentimes, you’ll find that by engaging in this free-associating process to begin with, that the final idea actually ends up being something you never would have considered to be realistic initially.” 

Using a divergent process to brainstorm, coupled with abstract problem solving often leads to the best results. There are no bad ideas in a supportive, collaborative brainstorming environment – just innovative ideas whose purposes have not yet been found, or identified – these ideas are called Nearlings.  

Using the techniques described above and coming up with “Nearlings” through vigorous brainstorming lets loose the creative forces. Lauren Howe, Associate Account Executive with The Hoyt Organization, describes the importance of moving forward with unique ideas, “Utilizing creativity for my job is really important, and I think it is in most workplaces. However, this creativity can take many forms – from finding new and exciting ways to pitch new business, redesigning your website, learning new communication styles, and more. Creativity isn’t confined to art or music or traditional avenues. If you aren’t being creative, you aren’t bringing new ideas to the table and moving things forward.” As Senior Account Executive for The Hoyt Organization Cinnamon Thompson explains, it is important to be open to non-traditional strategies which may help to secure a wider variety of media coverage. 

Everyone’s unique ideas enriches the whole office, “Just because everyone does something one way doesn’t mean that that’s the way to do it. It doesn’t mean it’s right or wrong. I don’t believe one size fits all. And what each person brings to the table is unique,” says Amber Hergen Senior Account Executive for The Hoyt Organization. 

Finding outlets throughout the workday helps to nurture an imaginative mind. “I tend to consider the aesthetic of things more than the average person, and that is probably because of my interests and hobbies. I think this helps to boost my creativity elsewhere since inspiration can be drawn from so many places, people and things. Creativity is important in the workplace because it provides a foundation from which to think outside the box. It allows a bad idea to be transformed into a good idea with just a little time and attention,” says Bill Hess Account Executive with The Hoyt Organization. Nurturing your creative side is not just important for work, it also helps you look at the everyday mundane a little more positively and have more fun in your day-to-day activities. “I definitely find that my outside creative interests keep me sane. If I go too long without playing music, listening to music, creating art or participating in art-related activities, I become awfully grumpy. I know that my outside creativity definitely sure spills over into my work and I’m grateful. I will always find ways to be creative in any job that I have – monotony is not creativity’s friend and I have no use for it in my workday,” explains Erika Snow Robinson, Hoyt Organization’s Office Manager. 

In the end, creativity, imagination and inspiration are all rewarding, as it makes work a little more fun and a little less “work-ish.” “Creativity generates energy and builds a little more excitement than sitting in front of a computer day after day. It’s important to provide a bit of variety and allows for new and interesting things for people to work on as they move through their career,” says Leeza Hoyt, President of The Hoyt Organization. Using your imagination is the best part of public relations explains Pippa O’Brien, Account Coordinator for The Hoyt Organization, “I love the creative side of public relations – that’s one of the reasons why I went into it. We get to think of imaginative, compelling solutions for getting people in the media, events, social media, etc. so in a weird way PR is nurturing my own personal creativity. Attending events and pursuing digital and social media – all part of my job – help me be activate the right side of my brain and make my job something more than crunching data. The creative writing, strategic thinking, events marketing all make my job worth doing and keep me engaged.” 

 

By: Fall Intern Breeana Greenberg, Chapman University 2021

Here at Hoyt’s pet-friendly office, employees are encouraged to bring their furry friends to work. From Chief Napping officer Milo, Chief Barking Officer Stella Bean Barret, and chief treats Officer Buddy, our puppies are here to help us get the job done. Working in a dog friendly environment has its perks. Here are three benefits to animals in the workplace.

Stress Reducing

Spending time with your pets can help relieve stress by releasing Oxytocin. The release of Oxytocin can help you feel more connected with your coworkers as well. Plus, animals can act as a great buffer from stress, allowing you to handle stress much calmer with the help of our furry friends. A pet-friendly office can actually increase productivity. Spending time with your pets can not only decrease your stress, the extra love and attention your pets will get in the workplace can also decrease their cortisol.

 

 

Improves Health and Productivity

If you bring your dog in to your pet-friendly office, inevitably you will have to take the time to let your dog outside on a walk. These extra brief moments of activity can help keep the creative juices flowing throughout the day. Taking breaks to play tug-o-war or play ball with your pet can help to increase the quality of your work by allowing you to come back to your task with a fresh mindset. Plus, getting out of the office and getting some exercise and fresh air can increase your dopamine and endorphins.

 

 

 

 

Bonding with Co-Workers

A pet friendly work environment can facilitate fun and friendly interactions between co-workers and promote bonding. Spending a spare moment playing catch with your co-worker and their dog can boost workplace camaraderie. Shared values like a love of animals can quickly boost empathy and build bonds between co-workers.

 

 

 

Summer Intern Breeana Greenberg, Chapman University 2021

 

It’s bound to happen – sometimes people misspeak, provide incorrect information or panic and make a choice they shouldn’t have. A project or product getting bad press is a moment of crisis, but it doesn’t need to damage their reputation permanently if the correct steps are take

First, assess the damage to your reputation.

What went wrong and why? Then, do your homework. The media will want details. Decide what you’ll be able to discuss, and what you won’t. Remember, you have the information, so it’s up to you to decide how to feed it out to the various audiences. Depending on the issue, a bad reputation may impact customers, clients, potential clients, and a variety of other audiences. Don’t forget to take them all into consideration; then develop messages and distribution systems for all of them. Those companies that truly want to recover also develop a follow up campaign once the immediacy of the crisis is over.

Take responsibility.

When a client is in a crisis, the most important step is to take responsibility and be transparent about what happened. By acknowledging when you are at fault and explaining what steps will be taken in the future to prevent the situation repeating, you can help the public to slowly rebuild trust.

Express sympathy.

It is essential to express sympathy if a client has done something that has harmed or caused problems in any way. It’s important to step away from corporate dialogue and connect with the public on a human-to-human basis. Apologizing sincerely and showing true remorse is vital to restoring reputation.

Anticipate problems arising with your reputation.

Any damage or crisis-related communications should, hopefully, not be unanticipated. A bank or credit union, for example, knows that one of its branches will be robbed at some point. They should include communications as a component of its security response plan. Companies should anticipate the likelihood that something will go wrong and the potential severity of the damage and map them on a risk matrix to budget sufficient time, energy, and resources to crisis management. No matter how prepared, however, you can count on something to go wrong to some degree at some point.

Ensure honest communication.

When communicating in the case of a crisis, always be honest. Hiding the truth never works – it will eventually come out. Stick to facts. If you don’t have all of the facts, say so and give the best estimate time frame to gather more information. And finally, remember that the company is the least important in any crisis. Employees, customers, business partners, and the community are your audiences and make sure to communicate on their terms, not yours.

Pitch  meetings can be really intimidating. But they don’t have to be scary – especially if you’re prepared. Follow these pitch meeting tips and you’ll be signing contracts in no time!

Believe in yourself.

You can’t “sell” someone on an idea if you don’t believe in it yourself. If someone sees your enthusiasm and that you truly stand behind your ideas, they’re more likely to believe you and buy what you’re selling.

Dress appropriately.

You should always bring appropriate clothing. Do your research ahead of time so you know what kind of style the potential client would consider appropriate. Do they dress in business attire, business-casual, or do they wear athletic clothing to the office? Find out what their office culture is and mimic this style. Know whether to wear a suit and tie, a suit without a tie, a sport coat, polo shirt with casual pants, etc. If you are pitching to a financial services company, you may want to err on the side of formal. If you’re going to meet with a surf wear clothing company, you might want to sport your best aloha shirt, linen pants, and sandals.

Stay connected.

One of the simplest  yet most crucial pitch meeting tips is to bring a laptop and tablet with internet connection. Make sure that your mobile phone can serve as a hotspot in case of a wi-fi error or if internet access is otherwise unavailable.

Bring business cards.

Make sure to grab a stack of your business cards. This may sound like it is a no-brainer, but in the chaos of preparing materials, printing documents, and prepping with your team, it can be easy to forget to include a few of your business cards in your wallet.

Work as a team.

Always bring great ideas! The best way to rock a pitch meeting is to tag-team with a colleague, so when one person is speaking, the other can focus on reading the room, picking up on cues that you may not be noticing while presenting. While formal presentations can be helpful, showcasing your great ideas is done best through generating an energizing conversation and listening to the potential client’s feedback.

What are some of your pitch meeting tips?

Let’s be honest, every company can face a social media crisis at any time. If it hasn’t happened yet, it may come to you sooner or later.

A comprehensive communications toolkit today cannot be complete without a blog, so it is quite right to ask: How can a blog be part of your contingency plan?

Here are 5 things to keep in mind:

1. Create a social media policy and crisis management manual: Since information in social media runs really fast, you never know when a crisis will hit you: an employee saying something inappropriate, a community manager making an unfortunate statement, a product failure occurs, or an advertising campaign makes a false claim.The first step to crisis prevention is to have a solid social media policy for your employees and a crisis management manual. This will allow you to prevent situations and react fast once the crisis begins.
2. Quick response: Your blog is as important as your other media and social media channels. In this case even more so. Since you control your blog, you can use it to publish your holding statement or first “official” response to a crisis in the shortest time among all channels. This prevents others from speaking first on your behalf. Reassure your followers and closest community that you’re actively working on the issue.Use your blog as your company’s voice when you can’t reach everyone quickly through other channels. On your own blog, you don’t need to shorten or select your messages to fit to character limits or other criteria, as you do with external media platforms. Also, people who follow blogs take more time to read blog posts than social media users who just scroll down on the newsfeed.Extra advice: When using your blog to publish your statement, choose your words wisely and make sure to include some keywords in the headlines and posts. It helps your text rank higher in search results on the subject.
3. Updates: Regular updates on your blog can be useful in keeping employees, customers, the media and the general public informed about new developments. Most crisis managers know it’s important to show that even if you have not yet resolved the crisis, you’re working to solve it.
4. Media relations: Your blog can provide critical information to the media, as well as links to press releases, fact sheets, FAQs, photos, video, and everything else a reporter needs if they can’t reach a spokesperson. You can do the desk research for them and provide the most important links and facts in one place via your own blog. This will help lead them to the direction you want them to go.
5. Post-crisis: Crises generally receive the most attention during the initial phases. While the crisis itself tends to be covered widely, the way it was resolved attracts less attention. However, your customers, your employees, the media and the public-at-large all need to be informed that you handled the crisis well. They need to be reassured that they are safe, and that they can trust you to do the right things now and in the future. Your blog again proves to be the best channel to convey this message: anybody browsing your company’s page will see it, so even if the media does not report on the positive resolution, your blog will reach those who care about you; the blog can also serve as a for-the-record report on the aftermath; and again you are not limited by space or attention span to express your thoughts and highlight your efforts and standpoint.

Just like in normal times when your blog serves as your most honest and credible voice, you’ll find it to be your best channel of communication when a crisis situation puts your communications preparedness to a hard test.

By Dominique Biquard – IDENTIA / PR

This article was originally published online on the PRGN website here.