North Florida PRSA Articles RSS Feed

Hungry Hungry HAPPO

Bonnie Upright — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:45:00 GMT

If you’re a PR professional or student active on Twitter, Google Buzz, Facebook, etc., you may have seen the #happo hashtag sometime during the past week or so. Short for Help A PR Pro Out, Happo is the brainchild of the way awesome Arik Hanson and Valerie Simon.

Instead of using the power of social media for evil (though who in their right mind would do that?), PR folks from across the country are going to use their combined powers for good on Friday, February 19. The goal is to connect job seekers with those who have jobs available. Senior level practitioners, recent graduates, mid-level account executives - heck even those journalists looking to make the jump to PR should block out much of their Friday in order to take part.

So now what?

If you’re a job seeker, now’s the time to show your stuff. Post a blog telling folks why you’re a rock star. Grab your Flip Cam (what - you don’t have one?) and let the world know of your PR awesomeness via YouTube. Keynote expert? Put a presentation together. Then craft a 140-character pitch and tweet your links to these items on Friday with the #happo hashtag. HAPPO champions in your market (and all around the country) will then tweet, re-tweet, Facebook and Buzz your information.

If you’re fortunate enough to be on the other side, and have PR job openings to share, then spend some time on Friday checking out the amazing talent available. Follow the #happo hashtag and reach out to those people who may be a fit for your organization. There are some amazingly talented individuals out there looking for a great job and HAPPO is excited to make a love connection with as many people and organizations as possible.

Here in Florida, there are three HAPPO champions - because we’re THAT awesome. John Sternal (@sternalpr) is covering South Florida, Jamie Floer (@jamiefloer) has Central Florida under control and I’m rocking North Florida (@bonnieupright and @prville). But if you’re in a different part of the country, no worries - there’s a HAPPO champion near you. Check out the HAPPO Web site for full details, including selected job posts, champions list, even a few HAPPO puns (c’mon - we’re PR people!).

If you’ve got any questions, feel free to tweet any of us listed on the Web site, or email me directly at bonnie@uprightpr.com. HAPPO days are here again!

15-Feb-10 7:45 PM

Slide Presentation from 1/21/10 Lunch Meeting

Bryan Campbell — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:00:00 GMT

http://www.slideshare.net/SkersNFins/prsa-09-highlights-prville-style

21-Jan-10 2:00 PM

Nonprofits: Apply by Dec. 31 for Media Monitoring/Clipping Grant

Kristin O'Connor — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:00:00 GMT

For the seventh consecutive year, CyberAlert Inc. will award public relations grants to a minimum of 15 not-for-profit organizations in the U.S. and Canada. Each grant consists of one full year of free press clipping/media monitoring service from CyberAlert and is valued between $3000 and $4500.

CyberAlert will accept grant applications until December 31 and will announce grant recipients in early January. A simple and secure grant application is available online at https://secure.cyberalert.com/grants.html.

21-Dec-09 9:00 AM

Elevate Your Event Planning from ‘Arduous’ to ‘Art Form’

Jay Magee — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:00:00 GMT

By Kayla Hrynyk

North Florida PRSA Intern

Anne Urban, president and CEO of Destination Planning, offered her event planning expertise at the North Florida Chapter’s November 19 luncheon and program at UNF. With Destination Planning, Urban has coordinated more than 1300 events, and her teams average 300 annually. The practices she has developed serve as a model for public relations practitioners striving to elevate their event planning acumen.

A recent study by Charity Navigator suggested that special events are not advantageous because it costs $1.33 to raise each dollar.

So, why do it?

In-kind contributions: Donations that involve food, venues or entertainment are easier to secure without a prior relationship with the sponsor, and might be a foot in the door to receiving other contributions.
Sponsorships increase income from events: Sponsors pay for various benefits, such as publicity for the event, an ad in the program or company logo displayed prominently.
Special events help build relationships with potential donors.
Events are an opportunity to bring in donors, generate publicity and increase visibility.

Before relying too heavily on sponsors, Urban concentrates on selling as many tickets to the event as possible to cover operating expenses. Having a reasonable ticket price ensures event attendance will produce less anxiety than making personal calls on donors to cover costs.

Nonprofits often avoid hiring a destination management company (DMC) to help with their events, but DMCs can actually save these organizations time and money through their expertise in negotiating the best deals and the most effective ways to utilize resources.

Don’t Forget Details:

Check city calendars to be aware of other key events scheduled on or around the date you want to host your event.
Inquire prior to the event if guests have special needs such as dietary requirements.
Position official greeters at the doorway to the event to direct guests.
Provide an efficient event check-in experience.
Provide a diagram of table locations and a card for each guest stating the table to which they are assigned.
Provide a printed menu.
In your printed program, don’t forget to include your mission and purpose for the event.
The program should include a special thank you to attendees and sponsors.

The Wow Factor

Have a unique theme to make it memorable.
Make it a “must attend for next year” by creating event buzz.

Media

Get to know members of the media who are most likely to cover you by following their beats, subscribing to local newspapers and magazines, bookmarking media websites and joining organizations where you’re likely to meet reporters and editors.
Learn names of reporters who cover the beats most significant to you.
Get to know reporters personally.
Send complimentary copies of your publications to reporters, including an invitation to your event.
Keep up with the rapid turnover.
Always give the media information that’s newsworthy.
Develop a virtual media kit.
Take advantage of breaking news stories on your organization.
Make yourself available to the media at any time.
Always thank a reporter for his or her coverage.

24-Nov-09 11:00 PM

UNF PRSSA President Earns National Honor at Annual Conference

Jay Magee — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) students from the University of North Florida traveled to San Diego November 6-10 for the 2009 PRSSA National Conference, where Chapter President Matthew Pagan received The National President’s Citation award.

This award recognizes PRSSA members who demonstrate strong leadership, professional skills and passion for the public relations profession as well as dedication to the organization. The UNF delegation's trip was made possible largely by a travel request through UNF's student government organization.

Congratulations to Matt and all PRSSA students whose dedication to public relations education bodes well for the future of our profession.

PHOTO CUTLINE: (Left to right) Matthew Pagan, UNF PRSSA chapter president; Rebecca Timms, PRSSA national president

23-Nov-09 11:00 AM

Sunshine District Shines in San Diego During Bylaws Review at Assembly

Jay Magee — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:00:00 GMT

The following email was distributed to PRSA Sunshine District leadership by Sunshine District Chair Andrea Finger, APR. It recaps PRSA Leadership Assembly actions in San Diego November 7 regarding the Society's bylaws revision process.

For more information, please contact North Florida Chapter President Jay Magee.

Team Sunshine,

Just in case you have not been following the Twitter discussions or heard from your colleagues, the PRSA Delegate Assembly was very productive and as a result, we were able to pass a new set of bylaws that for the most part, reflect the majority point of view of the chapters in the Sunshine District.

While there were several amendments and resolutions up for discussion, here's a brief recap of the major topics that were of primary concern to our chapters. (And if I have forgotten anything significant, maybe one of the other delegates would be kind enough to provide more info)

The authority to elect directors remains with the Delegate Assembly. Delegates rejected the one member-one vote proposal and requested that if the board would like to pursue this change in voting procedure, that the board provide policies and procedures outlining more details of such a plan.

Regional representation remains part of the board composition. By a vote of 180 to 98, delegates supported an amendment requiring that each district be represented by at least one director. There will also be two at-large directors.

In a related matter, there was overwhelming support (236-40) for an amendment presented by our friends in Miami that allows the Nominating Committee to seek a candidate outside a district if that district does not present a candidate for district director by the initial deadline. Thanks to Tim, Georgina and Rosanna for great work on this thoughtful compromise that considered those districts that are challenged to present qualified candidates. Thank goodness that doesn't seem to be a challenge for Sunshine, and let's all hope we don't find ourselves in that predicament.

APR remains a qualification for National Board service. Delegates accepted (166-100) an amendment proposed by the Mid-Atlantic District that requires a director to be accredited in PR.

Membership classes essentially remain the same. By a narrow margin, delegates passionately discussed the possibility of opening membership to professionals in communications. But in the end, those who argued that this would dilute the profession and our brand identity prevailed by a 151-117 vote.

The amendment to disallow proxy voting did not receive widespread support and was voted down by the assembly, 204-41.

Two-year term limits were approved with the provision that directors may only serve two consecutive terms. Additional board service will require at least a one-year interruption.

On a different matter, we also elected a new board, which will be led by the Sunshine District's very own Rosanna Fiske. Congratulations, Rosanna. We're thrilled to see your years of tireless service to the profession and mentorship to many of us colleagues have placed you in this highly respected position. If there's ever anything we can do to support you in your new role, let us know.

By just providing these highlights, I feel like a sportscaster editing all of the great plays of a gripping game into a 10-second clip. But my flight leaves soon and I wanted to zip this recap to you before leaving San Diego.

One last thing, though. Let's not lose sight of the bigger picture. PRSA leaders thoughtfully considered the future of our professional association and in the process, we engaged, debated and decided how we want our profession to be represented and our association to be governed.

Clearly this didn't happen in just one day. You made this happen. You sought details of the proposed revisions. You researched the history of the bylaws. You debated the pros and cons with your colleagues. You consulted with other leaders. You surveyed members, seeking their input. And you advocated a position that you felt best represented your chapter members. What more could anyone ask? (OK - maybe that there's an end to this way-too-long "brief?!?")

But indulge me one more thing -- to thank you again for letting me work with you this year. I am so pround to have represented the Sunshine Distrct this year because of your involvement, professionalism and dedication to your chapters and our profession.

I salute you, Team Sunshine. Thanks again for staying focused without losing sight of the goal, maintaining your inimitable sense of fun and humor, and making amazing things happen.

Warm regards,

Andrea
(Signing off from San Diego)

17-Nov-09 10:00 PM

Integrated Marketing: Beyond the Toolkit

Kayla Hrynyk — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT

By Kayla Hrynyk

North Florida PRSA Intern

North Florida PRSA asked Tim Kinney, vice president at Brunet-Garcia Multicultural Advertising & Public Relations, to share his insights on integrated marketing communications (IMC) at Access Public Relations in downtown Jacksonville on November 12.

The information Kinney provided on IMC campaign strategies comes from a marketing perspective, but holds relevance to public relations professionals as a vital component of IMC.

Kinney defines integration as the marriage of marketing tools in a campaign. To master the marriage, he cautions the professional against jumping right into the toolbox and advises the following strategic process:

· Ask, “Who Am I?”

o Figure out your brand and value platform—what you bring to the marketplace that is different. Conduct a brand performance audit and make sure your brand is connected to every customer touch point.

· Ask, “What Do My Customers Want?”

o Conduct research to find out everything you can about your customers—the individuals behind the corporation who are deciding whether or not they should invest in your product. Know how they like to be communicated to.

· Ask, “What Do I Want?”

o Know the company’s objectives so your ideas align with them.

Once these questions have been answered, the programming process can begin.

The Toolbox

Kinney suggests brainstorming as many tactics as you can, and then eliminating less effective tools so you can focus on the strong ones that align with the objectives. He says effective tactics are a function of creativity and timing, and recommends fixing tactics around anchor points on the client’s calendar.

Social Media

Aliera Peterson, public relations and social media specialist at Brunet-Garcia, accompanied Kinney to discuss social media’s role in integrated marketing communications. She provided the following acronym:

Seek out your audience

Observe their conversation

Create your action plan

Implement your action plan

Analyze reach and effectiveness

Learn from your mistakes and successes

Kinney concluded the session with a mock Jaguars campaign put together using 15 questions for a successfully integrated marketing campaign:

1. What is your brand’s value platform?

2. Are there any disconnects between your brand and your business?

3. Who are your customers and target audiences?

4. Who are the market movers and spheres of influence?

5. What do they want?

6. What “currency” are they trading in?

7. What are their communication preferences?

8. What do you want them to do?

9. Is it worth it for them to do what you want them to do?

10. What is the most important objective of your business?

11. How will your campaign fulfill that objective?

12. What are the best tools to use to satisfy the objective? (brainstorm, evaluate, eliminate, prioritize)

13. How much will it cost? Is it worth it?

14. When will you do it?

15. How will you measure it?

To view the slides from the presentation, visit http://ow.ly/BSpB

For more information on Brunet-Garcia, visit www.brunetgarcia.com.

For more information on Access Public Relations, visit www.accesspr.net.

16-Nov-09 1:00 PM

The Inside Story on Atlanta’s New Center for Civic & Human Rights Museum

Kayla Hrynyk — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Public Relations Society of America, Georgia Chapter:

11:30 p.m. registration

Noon luncheon and program

Maggiano’s Buckhead

3368 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta

Get an insider’s view of the new Center for Civil and Human Rights Museum with Executive Director Doug Shipman and members of the Center's leadership, design and fundraising teams.

Doug Shipman was most recently a principal in the Atlanta office of the Boston Consulting Group, Shipman also has an extensive educational background in issues of race, ethnicity and gender including undergraduate and graduate studies in topics including the relationship between economics and poverty, the history of American minority groups and religion as applied in social movements including the American Civil Rights movement, the Indian independence movement and the Buddhist environmental movement in Southeast Asia.

Contact:

Denise Grant

www.prsageorgia.org
770-440-6369

16-Nov-09 12:00 PM

PRSA FREE Webinar: How Generation Y and Seasoned Pros Can Navigate the Social Media Highway Together

Kayla Hrynyk — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:00:00 GMT

The Role of the New Professional
Tuesday, November 24
3–4 p.m. EDT

Communication challenges between different generations are nothing new. However, the rise of new media and its crucial role in public relations has strained more than one old pro and Gen Y professional relationship. This FREE webinar will feature a lively panel of old and new pros who will discuss how Millennials can serve as PR's social media stewards and how experienced managers, who may be less familiar with Web 2.0, can successfully collaborate with them. Also, the panel will address the new opportunities social media offers all generations to better connect.

You can join the conversation on Twitter by:

Following #PRSAgeny.
Tweeting questions before the webinar starts to panelists Kasey Skala @kmskala and Lauren Fernandez @CubanaLAF.
Letting the panel know what you're thinking by tweeting during the webinar at #PRSAgeny.

You will hear from:

MODERATOR

Jake Day, director of marketing and communications, First Baptist Church of Dallas, is responsible for strategy, development and standardization of the church's internal and external communication.

PANELISTS

Rick Clancy, former senior vice president, corporate communications, Sony Electronics, is the first word in the groundbreaking book about social networking "Groundswell" — and with good reason. Clancy served on Sony's management committee as the "executive champion" for companywide social media initiatives.

Lauren A. Fernandez, account executive, public relations, Moroch, is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and a student of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Leadership Academy, Class of 2010. Fernandez has more than three years of experience in both agency and association/nonprofit settings. Her blog, LAF, recently won "Best Up-and-Coming Blog" in the 2009 PR Reader's Choice Blog Awards. Fernandez holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism-Public Relations from the University of North Texas, where she graduated in May 2007.

Ellen LaNicca, executive vice president, consumer practice, CRT/tanaka, is a veteran of the public relations industry. With more than 25 years of experience, LaNicca has created and supervised programs for a number of Fortune 500 companies with a particular interest in reaching women, including American Express, Avon Products, Charles Schwab & Co., Ernst & Young, Hartz Mountain, Liz Claiborne, Microsoft, Target and World Kitchen (formerly Corning Consumer Products). As CRT/tanaka's executive vice president (and former president and co-founder of Patrice Tanaka & Co., Inc.), LaNicca currently oversees two consumer practice divisions: food & beverage as well as housewares & home fashions.

Kasey Skala, owner of the consulting firm Interactive Revolution, focuses on integrating social media with traditional communication strategies for small business and nonprofits. Prior to Interactive Revolution, Kasey spent four years in the financial industry in various marketing and communication roles. Kasey is a 2004 graduate of Drake University, where he majored in public relations. He currently maintains the blog, The Electric Waffle.

PRSA thanks this month's webinar sponsor, Thomson Reuters., for providing the webcast technology for this webinar.

Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information and workflow solutions for businesses and professionals. Rely on our webcasting services to effectively communicate your company's most important messages. Not only will you reach a global audience and increase engagement, you'll be able to measure your success and demonstrate the savings. From live event webcasting and production services to on-demand video services, we have the solution to fit your needs. And the experienced service teams to support you at every stage of the communications process.

To learn more about Thomson Reuters services:

Visit Thomson Reuters online at:
www.thomsonreuters.com/corpcomm
Phone: 617.856.4030
corpcomm@thomson.com

Webinar, Tuesday, November 24, 3–4 p.m. EST
PRSA Member FREE/Nonmember FREE
Register for "The Role of the New Professional" today! For registration details, visit http://www.prsa.org/Learning/FreeWebinars/TheRoleoftheNewProfessional

Join the conversation on our Professional Development blog, comPRehension!

16-Nov-09 12:00 PM

Albanesi appointed to Flagler College Advisory Board

Ed Albanesi — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:45:00 GMT

Ed Albanesi, APR, Fellow PRSA, has been appointed to serve on the Flagler College Communication Advisory Board.

He previously served as a member and chair of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications' Public Relations Advisory Council from 1999-2005.

Albanesi is employed by the Florida Farm Bureau Federation in Gainesville as its Associate Director of Public Relations. He is the editor of the 140,000 circulation FloridAgriculture Magazine.

Albanesi and his wife, Carol, and daughter, Genevieve, reside in St. Augustine.

12-Nov-09 11:45 AM

Welcome new PRSA member - Krystal Britton

Sarah Brown — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Welcome to new PRSA members!

As always, we would like to thank all members and their employers for their support of the public relations profession.

Krystal Britton
Public Relations Manager
City of Hinesville

For more information about membership, please contact Sarah Brown, APR at (804) 241-7348 or sarah.brown@capitalone.com.

2-Nov-09 8:00 PM

Thank you to September and October renewing members

Sarah Brown — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Thank you to our September and October renewing members! As always, we would like to thank all members and their employers for the continued support of the public relations profession.

Stephanie McLain Barker, APR

Harold W. Barnett
Senior Manager Communications
First Coast Service Options

Jennifer M. Bittner
Director, Public Relations
Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc.

Amy Lyn Boyle

Jennifer Bryant
Communications Manager
Visit Jacksonville

Patricia A. Carroll

Shalin Tara Compton

Donia Crime
Public Relations Director
Burdette Ketchum

Michael Jason England
Communications Consultant
Allstate Dealer Services

Olga M. Gikas

Melanie L. Green
Communications Director
Northeast Florida Association of Realtors

Lea Grippi
Community Relations Specialist
BJ Wholesale

Brian C. Kosoy
Public Relations Associate
PSS World Medical, Inc.

Suzannah A. Patterson, APR
Asst Prof, Comm Arts
Valdosta State University

Jay D. Rayburn, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA
Associate Dir Department, Communications
Florida State University

Bonnie P. Upright, APR

For more information about membership, please contact Sarah Brown, APR at (804) 241-7348 or sarah.brown@capitalone.com.

2-Nov-09 8:00 PM

Jax Business Journal Announces 2010 Board Members

Janet Sneden — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:00:00 GMT

See the full article and photos here!

6-Oct-09 10:00 AM

Call for Presentations: PRSA Georgia Annual Conference

Stephanie Stinn — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 GMT

You've spent years honing your skills as a PR professional. Now share your expertise with over 150 PR professionals from around the Southeast! The PRSA|GA Annual Conference Committee is now accepting presentation submissions for the 2010 PRSA|GA Annual Conference, scheduled for Thursday, May 6, at the Loudermilk Center in Atlanta.

We are seeking presentations that fall into one of three tracks, including:

Social Media: Intended to examine all forms of social media and how it applies to communicators of all levels.
Tools and Tactics: Intended for those who want to refresh their skills or learn something new.
The Evolving Professional: Intended for professionals looking to improve their leadership/management skills.

Click here to submit a presentation and become part of the Southeast’s largest PR conference! Presentations will be accepted now through Monday, October 20.

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact the 2010 PRSA|GA Annual Conference Chairs:

Jessica Riley
jessica.riley@solvay.com
770.578.5637

Stephanie Stinn
stephanie.stinn@lmco.com
770.494.0489

SPEAKER NOTE: Speakers presenting at the 2010 PRSA|GA Annual Conference will not receive compensation for their presentation nor will they receive travel expenses related to their presentation.

Web address to submit presentations: https://www.prsageorgia.org/conferences/home-conference.cfm

1-Oct-09 8:00 AM

Baptist and JSO Share Crisis Comm Tips at September Chapter Luncheon

Kayla Hrynyk — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:00:00 GMT

By Kayla Hrynyk

North Florida PRSA Intern

Representatives from Baptist Health and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office offered valuable insights on managing crisis communication at the North Florida Chapter’s September 17 luncheon and program at UNF. Each of the six panelists held different roles in handling the aftermath of last year’s shooting in the parking lot of Baptist Medial Center Downtown.

Andy Sikes, Baptist Health’s director of safety, security, parking and emergency management, provided tips on developing a response plan for an organization. Because you cannot plan for everything that could go wrong, you must prioritize the most likely situations and try to make the response plan flexible enough to handle any crisis. To do this effectively, Sikes recommended conducting a vulnerability assessment to rank risks of your organization. He also acknowledged the value of a crisis partnership, which Baptist maintains with JSO to ensure police officials understand the facility, its key contacts, and any other information necessary to handle a crisis situation.

Vikki Mioduszewski, APR, senior editor and medical writer at Baptist, described the benefits of the communication tools they use. She named the contents of Baptist’s crisis kit and how each piece was used in the incident. Internal communication tools include an informative email to all staff members and a ready-made script for overhead paging. External communication tools include a template for media updates, talking points for your spokesperson to make sure they stay on message, possible Q&A for media, a small, handheld camcorder, and a hotline phone number.

The importance of putting the investigation first was one of the most emphasized messages of the presentation. Providing accurate information to the media takes precedence over reporter deadlines, so don’t feel pressured to answer questions for which you’re not prepared to offer accurate information.

Lauri-Ellen Smith, APR, North Florida Chapter member and assistant to the sheriff, strongly recommends that PR professionals complete PIO/JIC training under the Federal Emergency Management Agency. For more information on the free training, visit http://www.fema.gov.

30-Sep-09 1:00 PM

Simon Keymer shares wisdom on winning new business

Kayla Hrynyk — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:00:00 GMT

By Kayla Hrynyk

North Florida PRSA Intern

North Florida PRSA invited Simon Keymer, the founder and lead consultant for Jacksonville-based Keymer, to speak about winning and retaining business for agency and independent professionals September 3 at Panera Bread San Marco. The professional development workshop attracted about 15 attendees to hear Simon share his experiences from the field.

Prior to founding Keymer, Simon helped establish the Washington, D.C. office for Financial Dynamics (FD), and also worked for industry leader Fleishman-Hillard in Washington and Atlanta.

Identifying Prospects & Generating Leads

Networking is an essential first step for gaining both freelance clients and agency clients. Simon emphasized the importance of harnessing and enhancing the power of our networks to turn them into a business asset. He recommended Highrisehq.com as a personal assistant to help keep track of leads, contacts and deals.

Once you identify your prospects through a strong network, you can begin turning them into leads. Simon defined a lead as an opportunity to sit down with someone to discuss an identified problem that that you can solve for money. There are three ways this can be accomplished:

1. Ask people directly. This is only effective when you have already built a strong relationship with the prospect, and only when the inquiry is timed correctly.

2. Ask indirectly. This can be done by spending time with the prospect and slowly identifying problems just by knowing what’s going on.

3. Provide something for free that gets the prospect thinking about the problem in the context of how you can solve it. This is something Simon refers to as “thought leadership,” and it is often the most effective route to winning a client.

Proposals

Simon stressed the importance of tailoring every proposal point precisely to the client. Prior research is vital to ensure this is done effectively. Make sure the questions you’re asking your client are derived from research rather than a replacement for research.

A winning proposal contains the following:

Your corporate approach
An indication of how the agency’s relationship will develop with the client over time
Timeline
Fees
Relevancy of experience
Informed target audience analysis
Strong conclusion that contains a sense of urgency and a desire to interact with the client

If you have solved a problem similar to your prospect’s with another client, that case study should be the centerpiece for your proposal. Simon also advised printing the proposal on high-quality paper despite the expense—the cost of the paper can be built into the fee once you win the client. Finally, turn the proposal in at least 24 hours early every time! Seemingly minor details make a huge difference in building your reputation with a prospect.

The Pitch

According to Simon, completion of the previous steps should position you for the pitch. Rehearse and prepare properly—find out when and where it will take place, how many copies of your materials you’ll need, what equipment to bring and who else will be invited to pitch. The characteristics of your competition will indicate what questions you should prepare to answer, and this information should come easily if you’ve done your networking. If you’ll be pitching against bigger agencies, for example, you must be prepared to answer questions about the size of your agency.

Simon recommended thinking of a pitch as a sales meeting. Stick to the points; don’t “flirt” with the prospect. As always, be prepared to counter objections and turn bad questions into opportunities for positive messages. “Pitch theater,” a story-telling tactic utilized by ad agencies, will make a strong impression with the prospect and could win you the client if done correctly.

For more information, email Simon at Simon.Keymer@keymerpr.com or Kristen Potter at Kristen.Potter@keymerpr.com. Keymer’s Web site is www.keymerpr.com, and they also can be found on Facebook by searching for “PR Jobs” and “Keymer,” and @KeymerPR on Twitter.

30-Sep-09 12:00 PM

North Florida PRSA September Program Covered by Florida Times Union

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Read the full text of Kevin Turner's article covering the September luncheon program "Crisis Communications: A Survival Guide for PR Professionals" online.

18-Sep-09 7:00 PM

Thank you to August renewing members

Sarah Brown — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Thank you to our August renewing members! As always, we would like to thank all members and their employers for the continued support of the public relations profession.

Kathy Nelson Barbour, APR
Internal Communications Manager
Mayo Clinic Florida

Sarah M. Brown, APR
Communications Manager
Capital One

Roberta Reid Doggett, APR

Robert A. Peek, APR
Communications Director
Jacksonville Port Authority

Jennifer Gene Ragsdale
Marketing Manager
Duval Asphalt

Leticia M. Solaun
Public Relations Consultant
CH2M Hill, Inc.

Jennifer Hope Symmes
Account Executive
Access Public Relations

Lisa Marie Thoele
Project Coordinator
Reynolds, Smith & Hills, Inc.

Mark S. Wright
Senior P R Consultant
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida

For more information about membership, please contact Sarah Brown, APR at (804) 241-7348 or sarah.brown@capitalone.com.

2-Sep-09 3:00 PM

Membership promotion - free chapter dues for a year!

Sarah Brown — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Experience the full power of PRSA at a reduced rate. Receive a FREE one year Chapter membership when you join PRSA National in September and October 2009 – a $35 savings!

With PRSA National membership, you will:

Stay on top of emerging public relations trends and industry news.
Find answers to your most pressing public relations questions.
Meet others, engage with experts and receive professional support.
Benefit from members-only offers, including discounts on professional development seminars, conferences and events.
Have opportunities to participate in leadership and awards programs.
Be a part of a vibrant community of more than 22,000 public relations professionals.
Accelerate your career -- at any level.

With PRSA Local Chapter membership, you will:

Become a visibly engaged member of your local public relations community, while expanding your circle of colleagues and contacts.
Attend local seminars, meetings, luncheons, receptions and programs.
Earn recognition through industry awards.
Step into a leadership role and advocate for the public relations profession.
Learn about business development and job opportunities in your local community.

Join now with promotion code FALL2009. This offer may not be combined with other offers. Associate members may not apply.

For questions about membership, please contact Sarah Brown, APR at 804.241.7348 or sarah.brown@capitalone.com.

2-Sep-09 3:00 PM

Let PRSA help with your job search

Sarah Brown — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Looking for a new job? Let PRSA help!

We all know that an important part of any job search is getting your name out there. To help our chapter members who are looking for new opportunities, our newsletter will soon include links to members' online resumes.

Dust off your resume on LinkedIn (or any other online resource) and send the link to Sarah Brown, APR at sarah.brown@capitalone.com and we'll include your link in an upcoming PRSA newsletter.

14-Aug-09 1:00 PM